The difference between Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
Paid Media:
Client or customer pays for the media through conventional advertising or PR sources and it is cast (broadcast or narrowcast) to prospects. This helps support Owned and Earned media by increasing exposure (more buzz).
Owned:
Client or customer still pays for developing the media but the distribution channel is controlled by them. Examples are Facebook profile, LinkedIn profile, website, YouTube channel, etc. More interaction with customers increases awareness and loyalty to the point they become evangelists of the product/service/brand and begin contributing to its promotion.
Earned:
This is where people who like your product and service endorse it on social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. These are the people who love your brand (enthusiastic customers, bloggers, more mainstream media) and create positive feedback to increase promotional ‘energy’.
