By Larry Ball - Web Developer at Xapsis Integrated Marketing
It is always important to begin with a marketing or communication plan to strategize a social media campaign. There are different facets to the type of media employed. Blogs, websites and Facebook pages are just a few of the presences within social media that are classified as “owned media” – as defined by Forrester Research. It's designed to develop a deeper relationship with a company’s or organization’s customers. Earned media is defined as media such as mainstream media coverage, word of mouth (or online) communication regarding the brand. This would include mass retweets, viral videos, blog comments and Facebook likes. Paid media is content placed online that is purchased by the organization. Examples of online paid media are search words, display advertising, banner ads, etc.
Marketers must maximize a company’s owned media, going beyond their existing website(s) to create points of contact with customers. They must listen to their customers and other stakeholders and respond accordingly. Paid media still is used to stimulate customer engagement. All three types of media, if leveraged correctly, can be powerful tools driving interactive marketing.
