Companies, media and social networks: classification and objectives
There are numerous channels and tools available to businesses on the Internet to promote their business, some needing only continuous and interesting updates, others a greater expenditure of energy and skills, and still others a larger budget to invest.
Three macro-groups can be identified, differing in objectives, potential and cost.
Owned media
These are the owned media, that is, the media directly operated by the company. Owned media are institutional site, corporate site or product site,e-commerce, blog,App.
They are useful media for reaching out to one’s customers, attracting new ones, and informing about the variety of services and products.
Paid media
These are the paid media, that is, the media that are purchased to gain more visibility. This category includes Google sponsored campaigns, banner ads, pay per click, Facebook Ads and any form of advertising aimed at reaching potential customers.
Earned media
It is earned media, that is, those communication channels where the company has a presence through reviews, opinions, user conversations.
An example are links from other blogs, reviews expressed on Ciao.it, Tripadvisor, word of mouth on Twitter, shares and likes expressed on Facebook, articles and movie content on Imdb.
Very important is the listening and monitoring of these channels.
Earned media presence is very important because it helps word of mouth, making the brand and product more attractive and in a sense trustworthy, as it is “recommended.” It influences consumer purchase choices often much more than advertising and contributes to the visibility of a website.
This presence cannot be bought, but must be earned and incentivized through digital pr actions, buzz, viral marketing, contests and competitions that engage and stimulate user participation.
