Earned Media, The Ongoing Challenge Of Value Creation, And The Future Of Internet Marketing

By Sean Sloan | March 20, 2014 |

As earned media takes center stage in the arena of Internet marketing, the relationship between search engine rankings and quality content has changed for good. Earned media happens when quality content leads to brand recognition, thus generating a client following through the creation of recognized value. In contrast to a paid advertisement, earned media is the direct result of this value creation that helps to generate loyalty and higher conversion rates.

Earned Media As The New Content Marketing

In an article about the rise of earned media in Marketing Land, Jim Yu, the founder and CEO of BrightEdge, expressed how at BrightEdge Share13 in San Francisco, more than 600 senior marketers joined 42 speakers from the likes of Google, Bing, Microsoft, and Facebook to discuss the rise of earned media. The conclusion by consensus was that earned media is here to stay and therefore cannot be ignored by content marketers.

The content team at Open Interactive accepts the reality that earned media is the future of content marketing. Without question, earned media presents a challenging proposition because so many brands are competing for two specific goals: first, to capture the eyes of potential clients, and, second, to shift passive viewing into a positive action. Whether selling to the general public as individual buyers or to other companies and business owners through B2B strategies, the competition to create effective and lasting earned media is intense.

Earned Media Means Staying Sustainable

Earned Media Is The Future Of Content Marketing And A Goal For Effective Optimization

The rise of earned media implies that Internet marketers must find sustainable and measurable ways to interact and engage with consumers” as the 21^st Century continues to progress. The age of old-school Internet marketing strategies like banner ads and Google AdWords are being replaced by the new wave of organic search optimization. A major aspect of earned media is adding a multi-dimensional approach to content creation through the interactions of journalistic blogging, complementary visuals, and social media exchanges.

Without a primary focus on truly valuable content beyond the cliché of quality, effective social engagement is not possible to achieve with any consistency. Earned media must now work in tandem with social media to impact Google rankings and increase visitor conversion rates. Recognizing and embracing this shift, the content management team at Open Interactive has placed the goal of earned media at the center of its website strategies and optimization efforts. As the most cost-effective method of Internet marketing, earned media is here to stay with an emphasis on the creation of a lasting value that is less likely than ever before to erode over time.