Shared media and the PESO model

Shared media is a pivotal piece of the PR puzzle.

It is one part of the ‘PESO’ model, a framework of media channels developed by Gini Dietrich. The model itself factors in paid, earned, shared and owned media as the four primary facets of all public relations and marketing efforts.

To get the full picture, be sure to read our previous blogs in the series on earned and owned, as well as a general introduction to the PESO framework and how it can help your business or client.

Here, we explore the concepts and strategies behind shared media. We look at what makes it a crucial part of public relations and marketing, why it shouldn’t be ignored and how businesses can maximise their shared media, increase brand awareness and use the wider PESO model for business success.

What is shared media?

Shared media refers to content creation and content marketing which is subsequently shared via third-party platforms.

All shared media originates as owned media assets, and while it is a commonly used term in social media marketing circles, it can actually go beyond this and can impact your business’s communication channels in a lot of ways.

The most common occurrences and examples of this are:

Social media platforms: social media is, inherently, a shared and owned media platform. A social network can be used by a business to talk up its own successes or projects and it can also be used for third-party validation of those very same projects and successes.

Social media posts are more valuable than you may think. They are a window into your business, a tool for brand building and lead generation alike.

Partnerships: having your content shared via third-party partner networks, such as newsletters, websites and even local intranets is a valuable form of shared media.

This also takes the concept of shared out of the sole remit of social media channels and adds much more scope and potential to its capabilities.

Influencer content: influencer engagement is a big part of shared media, particularly in our increasingly digital world. There is a large overlap between paid and earned media here also, but easily definable.

If your influencer engagement activity is unpaid, it is therefore organic and earned. But if it is part of a paid media campaign or partnership, then it falls under the paid category, as well as shared.

Sponsorship: also overlaps with paid media, sponsorship partnerships often come with sponsored content opportunities This kind of content, which falls within a sponsorship agreement, sits within both shared and paid categories.

Making the most out of shared media

The reason why shared media is so important is that it amplifies the content you’ve created within your owned media strategies. This kind of boosted content is great for raising brand awareness as if comes with the kudos of external validation.

But it can be all too easy to create content and spend a lot of time and energy on shared strategies, only to yield poor results. Lacking results often indicate a lack of understanding of the wider PESO model, and how the four channels integrate with one another.

Understanding the framework as one holistic aspect is the key to finding success within the individual aspects of the PESO model.

Knowing your targets

This is one of the most important aspects of shared media.

Just one share, from the right target to an appropriate audience of readers or social media followers, can be far more valuable than 20 shares from less relevant individuals or outlets.

Picking the right target audience and engaging those within it, with relevant and meaningful content is key. You’re never going to generate leads and build brand awareness if you’re shared content is falling on deaf ears.

Give people a reason to share

Is the content you are sharing relevant to the target audience? Is your own content engaging and interesting enough for it to be shared and re-shared?

If you’re finding your shared content isn’t hitting home as hard as you’d like, then its time to assess the quality and relevance of your content creation,

Nurture communities

The most successful businesses on social media know which communities they belong to and actively engage in them. They understand that these relationships aren’t one way and they maintain positive relations with individual contacts and communities at all times. So that, when the time comes that an outlet or influencers needs be

It isn’t all online

Shared media success isn’t an entirely online thing. Never forget that the people behind these d social media and traditional media outlets are real people.

Engaging with them in an offline capacity will allow you to build stronger relationships. So that, come the time when you’re ready to promote something new to your existing or new audiences, you’ll have a bank of good contacts to lean into.

Temper your expectations: not every post is going to be a shareable sensation and it’s next to impossible to guarantee a viral post. While you can have content that’s created specifically to be shareable, and you can call upon your trusted contacts and partners to share any given piece of content, once that content is out in the world

Be a thought leader

LinkedIn is a hotbed for content, both shared and owned alike. Positioning key individuals within your business as thought leaders can really boost your brand profile and your expertise on key subject matters, helping achieve your business goals.

Consider how you can leverage thought leader content within your business, either in the form of white papers, webinars, video content or long form posts.

Don’t just focus on one channel

There are many shared media channels and you should focus on as many of them a possible.

But this doesn’t mean that you need to be engaging in every single social media outlet under the sun.

Take the time to research your market and landscape, find out which channels your existing customers are using and any channels you should be using to break into new markets and find new customers.

In summary

The PESO model takes these four concepts of paid, earned shared and owned media and combines them into one holistic PR, media and digital marketing approach.

With an understanding of how these aspects work individually and in conjunction with one another, businesses can enhance their content strategy, increase lead generation, improve their brand awareness and raise the overall prospects of their business and brand.

The reason why businesses choose to engage with a PR agency on these matters is down to familiarity with the model and a pre-existing understanding and working knowledge of how the PESO marketing model works.

With a PR partner, you gain insight and experience into a vast landscape of social media sites, and various media outlets. You not only gain this professional, expert insight, but you gain the knowledge and experience of how to separate the relevant from the irrelevant, focus on what is important for you and develop the best strategy for your business.

A PR partner can be a powerful tool for success.

If you’d like to find out more about how you can maximise your owned media channels, and engage with like-minded industry leaders across different platforms, while bringing your digital marketing strategies and social media campaigns in line with the PESO model, then contact us to set up a call.