Every brand wants to be more visible online, and while there are some paid options out there which can help (e.g., social ads), earned media is another highly recommended route to get in front of your target audience.
But, whether you put any spend behind gaining visibility or not, it’s only worth your time and effort if your exposure is effective.
So how can you ensure your earned media appearances are successful? That’s where content repurposing comes in.
PR and visibility strategist, Lisa Simone Richards, joins The Content 10x Podcast to talk all about how brands can get more effective exposure.
Lisa specializes in helping her clients get in front of wider audiences and shared some of her winning strategies and approaches, including how repurposing your message can help you maximize your results.
Press play below to listen to the podcast episode…
Or watch the video for some of the highlights…
Or keep reading for the key takeaways from Lisa.
What is earned media?
Earned media is publicity or exposure for your brand that you have not paid for or created yourself.
Types of earned media include:
- Guest blog posts
- Reviews
- Media coverage – TV, newspaper, radio
- Guest podcast or video appearances
- Social media mentions or shares
This differs from paid media (e.g. pay per click, display ads, paid social, paid influencers, etc.) and owned media (e.g. your website, blog, podcast, emails, social media platforms, etc.).
Lisa describes earned media as:
“Earned media is where you get the features simply because you're an expert.”
It’s an essential piece to the content marketing puzzle to position yourself as a thought leader and get more credible exposure and visibility for your brand.
How to boost your brand’s visibility with earned media
Creating and sharing content on your own platforms is just one way to grow your audience. But how about sharing your content and your message on other people’s platforms?
Lisa’s main focus is to help her clients see measurable audience growth every week. Her methods revolve around actively pursuing earned media opportunities that welcome new audiences into their marketing funnel.
To do this effectively, Lisa says you need to focus on two things – first, intention, and second, repetition.
Before you begin looking for earned media opportunities for your brand, think about what’s going to give your business the best ROI.
For example, it might be your dream to appear in Forbes.
But actually, that’s not what your ideal clients read. Instead, they listen to business podcasts.
So while it may be a personal goal of yours to get your brand featured by a certain publication, start by keeping your focus on the platforms that will drive results.
You can do this with Lisa’s tried-and-tested method for setting actionable intentions, the ABCs of visibility.
The ABCs of visibility
These are the three different goals you can set to help you get more effective exposure for your brand.
A – Awareness
This is getting in front of your ideal client, the person who has the power and the capability to pay you, the person whose problem that you want to solve.
If they don't know that you exist, they simply cannot work with you.
B – Buzz
Think about how movies are promoted right before they come out. The marketing campaigns are designed to generate hype so that audiences pounce when it launches.
Let's say you're about to launch a course, a podcast, a new service, etc. You don't want people just hearing about it once they need to hear about it over and over and over again.
It takes a lot of touch points for a consumer to make a buying decision, so you want to give your audience as many chances to hear about your launch as possible in the 30 days or so leading up to it.
C – Credibility
Or perhaps your intention is to elevate your thought leadership, authority or expert status.
Building relationships with other thought leaders and influencers within your industry can help you be seen as more credible in your field and help you hit that status.
By using the ABCs of visibility, you can set a clearer intention for the type of exposure you want. That’s the first part of maximizing your ROI.
The next step is where content repurposing comes in.
Why repurpose your content for earned media
The entire concept of earned media is talking to new audiences and getting them to enter your world. So if you’re constantly in front of new people, why would you change your message?
Lisa’s favorite quote is:
“Don’t change your talk, change your audience.”
Instead of wasting time coming up with new messages for each earned media opportunity, Lisa’s guidance is to repurpose your core message again and again.
This is a great way to both save time and be consistent with your message. In fact, it’s a brilliant marketing tactic as illustrated by YouTube.
Many highly successful YouTubers use the same intros, outros, and catchphrases that they use over and over again. You might hear it so many times that you start repeating it or saying it along with them.
It’s the same for TV shows and their opening credits. I can sing along with every word of the opening credits to Friends because I’ve watched it so many times!
So don’t hesitate to keep sharing the same message on different earned media platforms. Whether you’re getting in front of new audiences or sharing content for your existing audiences, repurposing your content and your core messages is going to make your visibility more effective.
Consistent messaging helps your ideal clients buy into what you do before you’ve even had that discovery call with them – they might even come repeating your catchphrases back to you!
How to get more earned media opportunities
Once you’ve set your intention and got your repurposable message, the final step is to find your earned media opportunities.
Lisa’s recommended strategy is to find podcasts in your niche and ask to be a guest. Podcasts typically generate great returns, as you can share your key messages with an actively dialed-in audience. Plus, podcasts have an extremely long lifespan, with new people tuning into old episodes.
The best way for you to find earned media opportunities is to pay attention to where your audience are online. Use sites like SparkToro to work out what podcasts they’re listening to and publications they’re reading, and then repurpose your message onto those platforms.
For more from Lisa, including the number one mistake people make with online visibility, the 5Ps for positioning, publicity and profit, and her personal visibility strategy, listen to our podcast episode at the top of this page.
To find out the best type of publicity for your brand, take Lisa’s quiz!
Learn more about Lisa on her website and follow her on LinkedIn.
Perhaps you want to get more earned media opportunities, but don’t have time with all the other content marketing actions on your plate? We can help. Let us take care of your content repurposing, so you can do more with your content marketing. Find out how.