Media is ‘earned’ if a person or company was compelled to publish content about you or your product. It cannot be paid for, nor owned.

Whether or not you ‘earn’ this attention tends to relate to the noteworthiness of your offering and the recognition it receives. It is also referred to as word-of-mouth and amongst other things, it includes; reviews, blogs, journals and articles.

In social media, ‘earning’ coverage is first and foremost about creating a product worth talking about. This results in two things – share of voice i.e. people talking about you over the competition, and the opportunity to engage influencers and build relationships with them to gain access to their audiences.

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This is an example of a Twitter user sharing the picture of the coffee they received for free from VOXI.

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Join the discussion

Think of an example where a well-known brand or organisation ‘earned’ social media attention in an amusing or interesting way. In what ways do you think the business benefited from the ‘earned’ attention? Describe your example in the comments below or post a link to the content.

Use the discussion section below and let us know your thoughts. Once you’re happy with your contribution, click the “Mark as Complete” button to check the Step off, then you can move to the next step.