Own It! Why An Owned Media Strategy Is Critical

We hear, and talk, about social media, and the importance of a solid social strategy in order to reach the buyers that matter most. We know instinctively the value of earned media; if a trusted news source talks positively about us, it’s instant credibility. What we don’t discuss enough, is the power and value of owned media. And we believe, owned media is the most important piece of the media mix. Why? Because without owned, you don’t have any media strategy.

Think about it: owned media, content that you create, is the basis of your social strategy, isn’t it? Owned media is how you control your message – unfiltered, unvarnished. Owned media, more and more, is the engine that drives you to earned media. Repeat. Owned media leads to earned media. Reporters today will evaluate your body of owned work in order to determine if they should cover you.

So, are you creating quality owned media? Are you blogging or podcasting? If not, you’re only hurting your efforts in social and earned media. If you need a boost on revving that owned engine, try these surefire strategies:

1) Get in the head of your customers

Your customers (and potential customers) are your audience, so create for them. Your blog posts and podcast episodes should focus on solving their business problems – what information are they searching for, what frustrations do they have, what are they struggling with?

2) Create powerful headlines

Out of all the people who read your headline, only 20 percent will read your post. A modern online article headline is tricky – it needs to be SEO keyword friendly, but also should be unique and creative. The end result needs to be a super clickable, irresistible headline. Use a headline generator to help you. We like SumoMe’s product. You can find it here.

3) Have a point of view

To create compelling content, you need to stand for something. You need to inspire and motivate. Write or speak about what you already know, and if necessary, do additional research to gather more information, examples and data to back up your points.

4) Appeal to all of the senses

Owned media isn’t just a corporate blog anymore. It’s a podcast, a video series, a web TV show. It’s images – bold, unique, and sharable. Photos, graphs, infographics and videos have the power to communicate in a different, more instant, way than words.

5) Use an editorial calendar

When it comes to owned content, frequency and consistency are key. Develop and stick to a publishing schedule. An editorial calendar will help you stay focused. Be sure to plan it so that it works for you and for your readers. You don’t have to publish daily. You do have to publish regularly.

6) Keep at it

Audiences don’t grow overnight. Consistency, quality and volume are the name of the game. Commit to your owned strategy for the long term and you will see the rewards.