Owned Social Metrics

• Among the three types of Digital Media, Owned Media is that which the company owns permanently. 

• It’s the channels that the brand keeps and, through them, generates direct content about its products and services. 

• These channels also serve for engagement and lead education, as well as being informative from an institutional perspective. 

• We’re talking about websites, blogs, YouTube channels, social media pages, and what else the company controls with its name.

• If the brand owns this media, naturally, it invests in something that is its own, without paying for other companies to promote the business. 

• That’s the main reason why this category is called Owned Media.

Key Characteristics of Owned Media

1. Full Control: Brands have complete control over the content, design, and messaging.

2. Long-Term Value: Investments in owned media provide lasting value, as the brand retains ownership indefinitely.

3. Low Direct Costs: Compared to paid media, owned media is cost-effective, though it requires time and resources to maintain.

Examples of Owned Media

1. Websites:

   • Main hub for brand information, products, and services.

   • Acts as a central point for driving traffic from other channels.

2. Blogs:

   • Content designed to educate, inform, or entertain audiences.

   • Helps improve SEO and establish thought leadership.

3. Social Media Profiles:

   • Brand-managed accounts on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

   • Used for community engagement and content dissemination.

4. Email Marketing:

   • Newsletters, promotional emails, and automated campaigns.

   • Effective for nurturing leads and maintaining customer relationships.

5. Mobile Apps:

   • Brand-specific applications that provide value or services to users.

   • Enhances user engagement and loyalty.

6. Podcasts and Videos:

   • Owned channels like YouTube or embedded podcasts on websites.

   • Useful for storytelling and engaging with audiences in multimedia formats.

Benefits of Owned Media

1. Brand Control: Total control over the message, frequency, and format of content.

2. Cost-Effective: No ongoing advertising costs, aside from content creation and maintenance.

3. Builds Long-Term Relationships: Fosters trust and loyalty through consistent messaging.

4. SEO and Organic Reach: Improves search rankings through regular, high-quality content.

Challenges of Owned Media

1. Time-Consuming: Requires ongoing effort to create, manage, and update content.

2. Limited Immediate Reach: Growth can be slower compared to paid media.

3. Content Saturation: Needs to stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

4. Resource Intensive: Requires skilled personnel for content creation, SEO, and design.

Key Metrics for Measuring Owned Media Success

1. Website Metrics:

   • Traffic (unique visitors, page views)

   • Bounce rate and session duration

   • Conversion rates

2. Social Media Metrics:

   • Follower growth

   • Engagement rates (likes, comments, shares)

   • Reach and impressions

3. Email Marketing Metrics:

   • Open rates

   • Click-through rates (CTR)

   • Unsubscribe rates

4. SEO Performance:

   • Keyword rankings

   • Organic traffic

   • Backlinks and domain authority

No promoted links or posts

• One of the main doubts that arise in the concept of Owned Media is about links and promoted posts. 

• The answer is no; they aren’t considered Owned Media, even though the company pages on social media generate them.

• The fact that brands have to pay to promote these contents is what makes that category uncharacteristic. In Owned Media, the focus is on generating content from what a company keeps as its channels.

• Besides not having to invest, the Owned Media still has the benefit of continuity. The brand will always have that channel and may disclose its activities and products at any time. 

• Strategy’s success, however, depends on the measurement of results and quality content. 

Conclusion

Owned media is a vital part of a brand's digital strategy, providing a foundation for long-term engagement and control over its messaging. While it requires consistent effort, it offers sustainable value and plays a crucial role in supporting other types of media like earned and paid media.

Earned Social Metrics

• Earned Media is all the media a company gets through what we call “word of mouth” but in the online environment. 

• Any and every action of the company generates comments about those strategies. That is free media conquered because of these actions.

• Among the three types of Digital Media, perhaps Earned Media is one in which there is no direct investment in its acquisition. Of course, all the work on channels, such as social media, has resulted in it, but indirectly.

• The truth is that Earned Media is the most important since it’s more organic. When web users talk about a company, there’s a spontaneous activity, without being a bigger movement to make it happen.

• On the other hand, some efforts lead to these achievements. The main one, without a doubt, is the SEO standard adjustments required by Google.

• The work is long and needs to be committed since that will result in brands capable of appearing on the first page of Google’s results. 

• Thus, when well ranked, it’s easier to be visible to users, thanks to the improvements made in blog posts and on the brand’s website.

Key Characteristics of Earned Social Metrics

1. Organic and Unpaid: Earned metrics result from users voluntarily interacting with or sharing content.

2. Authenticity: These metrics often indicate genuine user interest and trust in the brand.

3. Amplification: Reflect the reach and influence gained through user actions, such as sharing or reposting.

Common Earned Social Metrics

1. Shares and Retweets

   • Definition: Number of times users share or retweet content, extending its reach to new audiences.

   • Significance: Indicates content relevance and value, amplifying the brand's message.

2. Mentions and Tags

   • Definition: Instances where users mention the brand or tag it in their posts.

   • Significance: Reflects brand visibility, user-generated advocacy, and community involvement.

3. Comments and Replies

   • Definition: User-generated responses to posts, such as comments on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

   • Significance: Measures engagement depth and audience interaction with content.

4. User-Generated Content (UGC)

   • Definition: Content created by users featuring the brand, such as photos, videos, or testimonials.

   • Significance: Enhances authenticity and can be repurposed for marketing.

5. Influencer Mentions

   • Definition: Mentions by influencers who organically share the brand’s content.

   • Significance: Increases credibility and reach due to influencer trust with their audience.

6. Impressions from Shared Content

   • Definition: Number of times content is seen due to user shares or mentions.

   • Significance: Measures the potential audience size reached through earned interactions.

7. Sentiment Analysis

   • Definition: Evaluates the tone of mentions (positive, negative, neutral).

   • Significance: Provides insights into public perception and brand reputation.

Benefits of Earned Social Metrics

1. Authentic Brand Advocacy: Reflects genuine interest and support from users.

2. Increased Reach and Visibility: Amplifies the brand’s message without direct advertising costs.

3. Trust and Credibility: Builds social proof, as users are more likely to trust peer recommendations.

4. Community Engagement: Strengthens relationships with the audience through organic interactions.

Challenges of Earned Social Metrics

1. Limited Control: Brands cannot control the frequency or tone of earned mentions.

2. Measurement Complexity: Difficult to attribute direct ROI from earned social interactions.

3. Reputation Risks: Negative mentions or criticism can also spread widely.

Key Tools for Tracking Earned Social Metrics

1. Social Listening Tools

   • Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Brandwatch, Meltwater

   • Monitor mentions, sentiment, and hashtags in real time.

2. Platform-Specific Analytics

   • Twitter Analytics, Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights

   • Track engagement metrics like shares, mentions, and comments.

3. Google Alerts

   • Monitors web mentions of the brand, providing alerts for earned media appearances.

4. BuzzSumo

   • Analyzes content performance, showing who shared or linked to the content.

Good practices are the basis of Earned Media

• When a company exploits the channels it has access to, it’s natural to engage the audience.

• Thus, spontaneous media is generated with users talking about the brand, interacting on social media, and creating content.

• To make this positive environment, companies need to implement good practices in brand management. 

• Although that work isn’t related to direct investment of money, there are significant efforts that make a difference. 

Among the main ones we can list:

• continued implementation of SEO techniques;

• active participation in social media;

• stimulation of interaction on social media;

• a solid Content Marketing strategy.

Earned Media is about people’s opinions about your brand. They will be positive when the work is well-done, which generates an organic movement in favor of the company. 

Conclusion

Earned Social Metrics are vital indicators of a brand’s organic reach, engagement, and reputation on social media. By analyzing these metrics, brands can better understand how their content is perceived, optimize their strategies, and foster stronger relationships with their audience. While challenging to control, these metrics provide invaluable insights into the authentic impact of a brand’s digital presence.