In our previous blog post Owned Media Strategy: What it is and Why it Matters, we set the stage for just how important a robust owned media strategy is to an optimized, synchronized and effective marketing and communications program.
At Franco, we put a lot of emphasis on integrated communications – and for good reason! Despite increasing crossover between teams, in a recent survey by Intrado Digital Media and PRWeek, more than half of respondents said their brand’s marketing and PR departments still operate independently from one another, at least organizationally.
Whether our clients are ready to embrace the PESO model with open arms or are solely focused on optimizing one medium, we encourage them to break the habit of working in silos to maximize overall return.
Nonetheless, Rome wasn’t built in a day – and a solid integrated communications strategy won’t be either. Focusing first on your owned media strategy is our recommended starting point.
Get started with these three tips:
1. Personalizing Content for Your Unique Audiences
For companies already leveraging tactics like email marketing as a pillar of their owned media strategy, it’s no surprise that personalization is kicking off our best practices. (It was our #2 tip for boosting your 2021 digital strategy, too!)
When it comes to email, your team has likely put a lot of time and effort into building strong lists over the years. But without proper personalization and segmentation, your messaging is more likely to fall flat. There are a whole slew of statistics on the benefits of email personalization, but it really boils down to delivering the most relevant content to the right people at the right time.
This same approach can be applied to all your owned media content, including blog posts and any downloadable resources like e-books or whitepapers.
By understanding the people on the other side of the screen, it will be easier than ever before to segment content that comes across as “just for them.” Well-researched personas are the first step to creating a more robust customer journey mapping strategy.
2. Exploring New Digital Mediums
As if the digital world was not evolving fast enough on its own, pandemic-induced changes in consuming content and purchasing products have resulted in consumers leaning into new digital mediums at a heightened rate. It’s critical for your brand to adapt with evolving customer behaviors, and all signs point to exploring these new ways to present your content to the world.
According to ON24, there was a 330% year-over-year increase in the number of webinars hosted in March 2020 compared to 2019. Sitting here in March 2021, it’s clear that webinars are here to stay. With events shifting to virtual formats, there is not only increased opportunity to connect with your current audience, but also a chance to reach and engage new leads. Our comprehensive guide to planning and promoting successful webinars outlines the process from start to finish.
Podcasts are another digital medium with no sign of slowing down in sight. Whether your brand is looking to create its own or strategically partner with an existing online presence, podcasts should be a part of your media strategy.
Whether it’s a blog post, email or podcast, when it comes to content of any kind, repurposing content across a variety of channels is a must-do marketing strategy. Establishing a quarterly content calendar will help your team view all upcoming material in one place to identify opportunities to repurpose topics across various mediums to maximize reach and audience response rate.
3. Regularly Publish Unique Content
In the land of SEO, content really is king. We’d argue that with a great content calendar in place, your team can become truly unstoppable. Not only is your audience receiving resourceful, entertaining and educational content when you routinely update your website, but your website inherently becomes optimized for search engines.
Search engines like Google prefer sites that are regularly updated with “fresh” high-quality content. However, tweaking minor elements of a webpage won’t fool search engines – and there are few “quick wins” when it comes to SEO. Quality and consistency are key when it comes to content creation.
One of the easiest ways to keep your site fresh is through managing an active blog. Proactive content development guided by informed keyword research and other SEO best practices helps maximize the results driven by a successful owned media strategy.
Interested in applying these three best practices to your owned media strategy? Reach out, and let’s talk!
Senior Digital Account Executive Lexi Trimpe and Digital Account Executive Catherine Pace contributed to this article.
