…For awareness building! Yes, even we have to admit that there are things earned PR doesn’t do. It’s not a vessel for adding qualified leads to your funnel or marketing your product. That’s what your marketing is for. However, when it comes to cost-effective awareness building, drawing people to your company and getting new people talking about you, nothing beats getting those earned media hits. And no, not through paying for a wire service or paid placement, but by actually getting a journalist interested in writing about your company. Here’s why:
Earned media gives you legitimacy
Ever seen an interesting headline on the news front page, but then been put off by the “sponsored content” or “advertorial” tag next to it? That’s how most people react to paid content, because they automatically think it’s marketing. When a news outlet has written about you of their own accord, with a journalist taking time out of their day to edit, interview and find additional facts, it gives your company that third-party validation which is so important in establishing trust.
Earned media reaches further than you can
Unless you have the entire industry in your CRM, the media’s reach will be significantly higher than that of your own channels. Media coverage, being featured on front pages and shared on social media, means you can talk directly to potential customers, partners or investors you didn’t even know existed. Because they read about you in the news, they know who you are and will be more open to your marketing next time they see your brand anywhere.
Especially in a small team or business where marketing budgets have to be carefully balanced, earned PR is key to breaching new markets because all it costs is work hours. This is a much more cost-efficient way to reach large masses than advertising, events or social media marketing, which all cost to boost reach.
Earned media coverage paves the way for more earned media coverage
Spending on broad-scale marketing leads to – you guessed it – more spending on broad-scale marketing. You need marketing for your sales team, but when it comes to awareness, PR will be with you throughout your company’s lifespan. Starting early means you can also build awareness in bigger media, leading to even better reach.
What’s stopping you?
Download our International PR Guidebook for beginners to get started on your earned media journey today!
