"Why is media coverage important?" An inside look at the power of earned media
There’s no doubt that there’s an onslaught of brands trying to get our attention to buy stuff. So it’s no surprise that we don’t necessarily notice each banner-ad, pay-per-click advertisement or product placement. They serve a purpose in the right time and place but if brands want to build trust and credibility, they must reach audiences through ‘earned media’.
What is earned media?
Earned media simply refers to the exposure or publicity a company gains through conversations surrounding their brand. Importantly, it’s a promotional activity that a business does not own or pay for or even control. It’s based on merit alone and is organised by those outside of an organisation. It’s partly what PR in HR does for its customers.
This means it can take place in various formats - maybe for example, through journalist and press mentions in print or online publications or in consumer social media comments about the brand.
Earned news coverage is king
As the internet has become more accessible over past decades, earned media has moved largely to digital formats and gaining social media mentions and online reviews is increasingly effective at building brand awareness. Since nearly 50% of the world’s population uses social media, earned marketing strategies in these forms are important to reach mass audiences.
And yet press mentions of a brand in publications (on and offline) reigns king. Earned news and feature mentions have a certain power or cache which people take notice of.
In fact, it’s enormously trusted. According to research from Edelman, the communications giant that helps clients with brand and reputation, earned media on news platforms is the second most cited factor when asking consumers what led to increased trust in a brand. Forty-four percent agreed that this was a vital factor in influencing their confidence in a business, second only to having a personal experience with a brand (59%).
Whilst earned media on social platforms were still considered important, they were less influential (39% agreed this led to increased trust).
In comparison, paid for advertising held least sway, with 23% citing this as an influencing factor.
Why earned news coverage is great at building trust
With all forms of earned media, unlike paid-for advertising or owned media, those who write about a brand are not paid by the brand. They are motivated by genuine opinions or beliefs surrounding an organisation and its content. This sincerity makes earned media far more believable.
But when it comes specifically to earned news or features, if a journalist from a trusted publication is willing to use an organisation’s information in their articles, it shows a high regard for the company or its expertise.
Frankly, it’s why we love this method of gaining brand authority and trust. When journalists use our clients’ intelligence or knowledge, we know we’re building a special connection with their audiences.
But there is an important caveat: sales messages are out, while interesting stories, impactful data and solid expertise are in.
And interesting too, working with traditional media not only increases levels of trust, but increases trust quicker than other outlets. When asked about company news regarding COVID-19, 46% of consumers agreed they’d believe information from a brand in a national or local newspaper after seeing it once or twice. But only 30% agreed seeing a brand’s information mentioned once or twice on social media would produce the same effect.
Making the most of a brand’s reach
Beyond the trust factor, earned coverage in news segments can also drastically increase the visibility of a brand. If a business is mentioned on a news site or in a magazine then it’s easy to reach wider audiences who read those publications.
Yet, some may argue that certain news outlets or magazines have less circulation than the traffic on some company’s websites. As such, company websites may have further reach. If this is the case, then why not simply post company news or content there where it will reach a large audience, without having to pitch ideas to journalists?
There are a couple of answers. Firstly, regular audiences that visit company websites, largely, already know about the business - they may search for it directly or have previously subscribed to blog updates. Without support from media mentions, they’re not attracting and compelling as many new customers as possible.
It also comes back to trust. Compared to the 44% that agreed earned news media about a business would compel trust, only 25% agreed that owned media (i.e a company’s website or social media accounts) had as much sway.
To achieve the best results, companies should use a mix of owned media and content marketing across different channels to boost their brand reputation. However, an earned media strategy - especially gaining coverage in the publications your audiences respect - maximises trust and visibility for a brand.
If you want to know how well your brand conveys trustworthiness or is visible to consumers, we’re currently offering free brand evaluations for HR-related businesses. Find out how well your brand delivers on these aspects as well as its ability to deliver reassurance, relevance and clarity. Gain insight into what your brand needs to stand out. Learn more here.