It’s often said that there are three general types of media that a company can use to spread its business message:
Paid: the company buys an advertisement.
Owned: the company places information on its own web site(s).
Earned: the company gets free coverage in the news media.
Paid and owned are easy to understand and implement although most companies under-utilize their web sites. In these two cases, the company controls the message but both suffer from credibility issues especially with paid media.
Paid advertising only increases brand recognition (i.e. exposure). It does nothing for brand acceptance (i.e. trust).
Favourable earned coverage doesn’t happen on its own and it can’t be totally planned. But it has the highest credibility of the three and it spreads the fastest. Earned coverage increases consumer trust and people do business only with those they trust.
Earned coverage requires a business to start the ball rolling rather than waiting for someone else do it. When the company does the first push, it can have some control over the direction of roll.
But the key word here is “earned.” The company must earn the privilege of being talked about. The Bonnie Raitt song, “Something to Talk About,” repeats in its chorus: “Let’s give them something to talk about”. This is exactly what a company must do.
Every press release, media handout and company press conference must contain timely, newsworthy information. And most importantly, it must include photography. Using professional photography is the number one way to earn attention.
Having a strong editorial slant to its public relations photography and publicity photography is the best way for a business to increase its earnings.
