Owned Media

What does owned media mean?

Owned media consists of the digital marketing channels that a company exercises complete control over, like their branded website and social media platforms. Any content delivery channel you have ownership over is considered owned media, including your blog, podcasts, webinars, YouTube channel, and LinkedIn or Facebook pages. Although creating an owned media strategy requires an investment of your time, marketers don’t pay directly for its reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is an example of owned media?

    Owned media is any online property that’s owned and controlled by a specific brand. Examples of owned media includes email marketing campaigns (i.e. company newsletters), blogs and website content, and social media posts (like those on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). The more forms of media a company has, the more they can amplify their digital footprint — meaning greater potential to reach new customers or establish new sponsorships.

  • Why is owned media so important?

    Owned media is important because it’s really the foundation for an online marketing strategy, since it gives brands an opportunity to take control of their messaging and establish a distinct voice. Using owned media, companies can create social media content for a target audience (thanks to SEO keywords), or expand their reach to an even broader demographic or social network. What’s more, an owned media content strategy has amazing versatility, and it’s incredibly cost-effective considering social media is free to use for brands and consumers alike. 

  • What’s the difference between owned media and earned media?

    Content marketing efforts can be either owned or earned, and sometimes, they’re a marketing mix of both types of media. While owned media involves leveraging a channel you create and control, earned media is when the public shares your content online or by word of mouth. In other words, your mentions and impressions are ‘earned,’ because they’re voluntarily given to you by other parties. Common examples of earned media (via social media channels) include shares, comments, or retweets by influencers or other high-profile social media accounts.