What Is Owned Media? Definition, Best Practices, and Examples

Owned media is affordable and helps you build brand authority. But if you’re wondering, “What is owned media?” this guide is for you.

Keep reading to learn about the channels you can fully own, the benefits of prioritizing those channels, and how you can start your own comprehensive owned media strategy.

Owned Media Definition

Owned media refers to any online platform or channel your business has complete control over and serves as the foundation of your digital marketing efforts.

Owned media allows you to fully tailor your digital marketing while directly reaching your target market. It allows you to create and distribute a range of content types, such as text, video, images, and podcasts.

Examples of Owned Media Channels

With the definition of owned media out of the way, it’s time to dig into the details.

The most common owned media marketing channels include:

• Your website
• Your blog
• Your social media channels
• Your marketing emails
• Your mobile app

Owned media can also include any other channels where you directly control both the content and distribution.

Let’s dive deeper into the types of owned media properties you can leverage for your marketing content.

Websites

Arguably the most fundamental owned media channel, your company’s website is the primary hub for website visitors to learn more about your products or services, contact you, and take a conversion action to move down the marketing funnel. Think homepage content, product descriptions, your about us page, and more.

Company Blogs

Your website’s blog is your opportunity to embrace deeper content marketing efforts. Use it to establish your brand as an industry thought leader, optimize your website for search engines, and provide valuable information for your core audience.

Social Media Accounts

Your brand’s presence on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn, allows you to share updates, connect with your audience, and engage in conversations with social media users.

Your social media channels give you direct access to your target market. Use them to share marketing content that showcases your brand’s values, offerings, and expertise.

Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing campaigns allow you to message potential and existing customers directly, making it a powerful owned media channel.

Your messages can range from weekly newsletters to targeted email campaigns. Either way, you can send personalized messages, promote your products, and share compelling content that resonates with recipients.

Mobile App

Your company’s mobile app is another example of fully controllable owned media. With a mobile app, you can share content with users, interact directly, offer unique features, and create a personalized experience to enhance brand loyalty and drive sales.

Other Examples of Owned Media

Beyond these core channels, you can also focus on press releases on your website, gated content, such as whitepapers, case studies, and webinars, and other digital resources that showcase your company’s expertise and offerings through channels you control.

Owned Media vs. Earned and Paid Media

If you only engaged in owned media, no one would trust what you say. The best way to get your message across is through a combination of owned, earned, and paid media.

Understanding how owned and earned media work together with paid media within your marketing strategy can help you build a more comprehensive, effective content strategy.

Owned Media

Owned media is any online platform or channel that a brand or business has full control over, from their website to social accounts. This means they are free to create and share their own content and messages, without any external intervention.

Earned Media

Earned media refers to publicity you gain from other channels you don’t have to pay for. It’s a result of your audience and the public organically talking about and sharing your content.

Examples of earned media include:

• Social media posts from others who share your content
• Social media reviews and endorsements of your products
• Guest posts from a representative of your company posted on another website

Earned media builds credibility. Audiences inherently trust a business when people not affiliated with it share its content or mention it positively. But owned and earned media differ in that you don’t control the message in earned media, and you rely on others to post your content.

Paid Media

Paid media is exactly what it sounds like. It involves paid ads that promote your business or product and get more eyes on your brand.

Examples of paid media include:

• TV ads
• Online banner ads
• Sponsored content
• Branded content
• Influencer marketing through paid sponsorships
• Social media advertising

Paid media drives direct traffic to your website. You can fully control the message and target a specific audience. But it can also be costly and may not always yield the desired long-term results.

The Benefits of Owned Media

Let’s take a look at the advantages of making owned media a core part of your content marketing efforts.

Offers Complete Content Control

Unlike earned media, you have complete control over what to publish and where to publish it.

You can create engaging content that directly addresses your target audience’s needs and interests and share it on channels most relevant to your buyer’s journey. This control ensures consistent messaging and branding across assets and platforms.

Cost-Effective

Owned media strategies are more cost-effective than paid media because you don’t have to pay to increase your content’s visibility.

While paid campaigns may drive short-term results, investing in owned media can lead to more sustained organic traffic and higher engagement rates. As a result, you can create content you know will pay off long-term.

Increases Message Longevity

Owned media assets can benefit your business, traffic, and engagement long term. Unlike paid campaigns, which stop running when the paid period ends, your owned channels can live on and continue to generate leads and conversions long after the initial launch.

Builds Brand Recognition and Trust

A consistent and high-quality owned media presence helps establish your brand’s reputation and credibility. By showcasing your expertise and industry knowledge, you can foster trust and loyalty among your audience.

Your owned media channels serve as an opportunity to build connections with your customers, turning them into brand advocates. In fact, strong owned content often leads to earned content as your audience and other brands begin to share it with their network.

How to Develop an Owned Media Strategy

An effective owned media strategy involves four main components: the channels you use, the content you create, how you distribute that content, and how you measure your success.

Define Your Channel Strategy

Which of your channels is most relevant to your audience? Where are you most likely to build a hub for content distribution that can extend to paid and earned media? Think about both your written and visual content as you assess which channels to focus on.

Create Audience-Focused Content

Next, determine the content formats and topics that will resonate with your target audience.

You might need to do a little research into how your potential customers consume information. Consider their pain points, interests, and needs and address them through your content. Remember to match your content to the channels you’ve decided to focus on.

Distribute Content

Next, it’s time to publish your content. Consider how your content channels can interact — for example, you might promote a blog post in social posts or emails.

Building connections with your paid and earned media strategy, such as linking to your gated content in an ad, can also help.

Measure Owned Media Success

Finally, track your performance metrics regularly to stay on track and ensure success. Metrics, such as website traffic, social media engagement, and email open rates, differ based on your channels.

Focus on meaningful metrics that show tangible audience actions, such as conversion rates. This allows you to optimize your efforts over time to drive conversions and increase your customer base.

Best Practices for Owned Media

These best practices can help with anything from optimizing individual social media posts to enhancing your public relations strategy.

Maintain Consistent Content Quality

To get the most out of your owned media efforts, ensure your content remains consistent, high caliber, and compelling across all channels. Regularly update and refresh content to keep it relevant and engaging for your audience.

Consistency also matters. Your core brand messaging should shine through on multiple platforms, creating a more engaging and congruent user experience.

Stay Up to Date With Trends and Technologies

Adapt to changes in social media platforms and search engine algorithms to ensure your content remains visible and effective. Incorporate new content formats and channels as they emerge to stay ahead of the curve and keep your audience engaged.

Engage With Your Audience

Encourage conversation and interaction with your audience by asking questions, responding to comments, and soliciting feedback. Building relationships with your customers is key to establishing trust and loyalty.

Final Thoughts

Owned media leads to longer-lasting connections and builds authority. Now that you know the answer to the question, “What is owned media?” you know it’s an essential component of any powerful and successful marketing strategy.

Investing in owned media allows you to take full control of your brand’s story, establish your business as an industry leader, and foster lasting connections with your target audience. 

Give your owned media the attention it deserves, and watch your business thrive.