Guide to Earned & Owned Media:
The FullFunnel Approach

Organic Marketing Services: Earned & Owned Media in 2024

The digital landscape is more competitive than ever. America spent $515B on marketing in 2023. That’s a lot of noise. This, combined with fleeting attention spans, means businesses need a strategic marketing approach that goes beyond advertising.

Organic marketing services offer a powerful solution, leveraging the strength of earned and owned media to build a positive feedback loop of brand awareness and qualified lead generation, and ultimately drive sustainable revenue growth.

But many companies struggle to leverage earned and owned media effectively.  Creating compelling content and hoping for natural traction is time-consuming and, in today’s crowded digital market, ineffective. Organic marketing requires a deep understanding of search engine algorithms and audience interests, and simply posting content isn't enough.

The key lies in crafting high-value sales enablement content, which addresses customer pain points and positions the brand as a solution. By optimizing this content for search engines and strategically distributing it through organic channels like blogs, social media, and email marketing, companies can increase brand awareness, attract qualified leads, and ultimately drive sales.

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What is Organic Marketing?

Organic marketing is the process of attracting and engaging your target audience without relying solely on paid advertising. It's about building trust and establishing your brand as a thought leader through valuable content, strategic social media engagement, and cultivating positive online reviews.

Earned and owned media are two key concepts in organic marketing, which focuses on building brand awareness and engagement without directly paying for placement. Here's a breakdown of each:

Owned Media:

  • Think of your own space on the internet. This includes your website, blog, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), email list, and even your YouTube channel.
  • You control the content you create and publish on these platforms.
  • Owned media is great for building a loyal audience and directly communicating with them.
  • Examples of owned media content include blog posts, infographics, videos, social media updates, and email newsletters.

Earned Media:

  • Imagine getting a free shoutout from a popular influencer. Earned media is all about the positive publicity you generate organically, like word-of-mouth marketing but for the digital age.
  • It's when others create content about your brand, like customer reviews, social media mentions, shares, articles written about you, or positive brand mentions in online forums.
  • The key to earning media is creating high-quality content, building relationships with influencers, and having a strong brand story that resonates with people.
  • Earned media is incredibly powerful because it comes from a trusted third-party source, making it more believable than advertising.

The beauty of organic marketing is that owned and earned media work together. Strong owned media content (like informative blog posts) can be shared on social media, potentially leading to earned media (mentions and shares from others). Earned media, in turn, can drive traffic back to your owned media channels (website, social media). This synergistic cycle can sustainably fuel organic growth and brand awareness.

Here are some key channels that businesses utilize for organic marketing:

  • Content marketing: Creating informative and engaging content like blog posts, infographics, videos, and case studies establishes your brand as an authority in your industry.
  • Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website and content for relevant search terms helps potential customers find you organically through search engines.
  • Social media marketing: Building a strong presence on social media platforms allows you to connect with your audience, share valuable content, and promote brand awareness.
  • Email marketing: Nurturing leads through targeted email campaigns fosters customer relationships and drives conversions.
  • Online reputation management: Encouraging positive customer reviews and actively addressing negative ones builds trust and credibility.

The Power of Earned & Owned Media for Businesses

Earned and owned media represent the cornerstone of a successful organic marketing strategy. Earned media refers to positive mentions and reviews you receive from customers, industry publications, and social media influencers. Owned media encompasses your website, blog content, social media profiles, and email lists – all the assets you control.

By focusing on earned and owned media, businesses gain a significant advantage:

  • Cost-Effectiveness: Organic marketing offers a long-term solution compared to the ongoing expense of paid advertising.
  • Brand Authority: Earning positive reviews and media mentions establishes your brand as a trusted source of information in your industry.
  • Increased Visibility: Strong organic search rankings and social media engagement put your brand in front of the right audience.
  • Enhanced Customer Relationships: Engaging with your audience through earned and owned media fosters brand loyalty and builds stronger customer relationships.

Earned & Owned Marketing ROI

Organic marketing offers a measurable return on investment (ROI). While results might not appear overnight, a well-executed organic strategy delivers long-term benefits. Here are some key metrics that demonstrate the ROI of earned and owned media:

  • Website traffic: Increased organic traffic leads to more potential customers discovering your brand.
  • Lead generation: Organic marketing attracts qualified leads who are genuinely interested in your products or services.
  • Sales conversions: Effective content and social media engagement convert visitors into paying customers.
  • Brand awareness: Increased mentions and positive reviews enhance brand recognition and build trust.

How Organic Marketing Services Fit Into Revenue Operations

Organic marketing isn't a siloed operation. It works seamlessly alongside other marketing initiatives, particularly paid advertising, to achieve a multi-pronged approach to revenue generation.

Here's how organic marketing services support your revenue operations:

In an effective revenue operations (RevOps) model, organic marketing plays a crucial role in attracting qualified leads, nurturing them towards becoming customers, and upselling current customers. 

FullFunnel views organic marketing as a powerful lever for growth in three key areas of revenue operations:

  1. Demand Generation
  2. Pipeline
  3. Customer Success

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Here's how organic marketing contributes to the bigger picture:

Demand Generation:

Organic marketing tactics like SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing help attract potential customers who are actively searching for solutions to their problems. This targeted approach brings in leads who are already interested in what you offer, increasing the chances of conversion. 

Lead Qualification:

By creating valuable content that addresses specific customer pain points, organic marketing educates potential leads and helps them understand your brand's value proposition. This allows them to self-qualify, weeding out those who aren't a good fit and saving the sales team time.

Brand Awareness and Trust Building:

Consistent, high-quality organic content positions your brand as a thought leader in your industry. This builds trust and credibility with potential customers, making them more receptive to your sales messages later in the funnel.

Alignment with Sales and Customer Success:

A strong RevOps model fosters communication and collaboration between marketing, sales, and customer success. Organic marketing efforts should be aligned with the sales funnel, providing targeted content for each stage (awareness, consideration, decision). This ensures a smooth customer journey and increases the chances of closing deals.

Measurable Impact:

Organic marketing campaigns can be tracked using various metrics like website traffic, lead generation, engagement rates, and conversions. This data provides valuable insights for RevOps teams to analyze the effectiveness of campaigns and optimize strategies for better ROI.

Cost-Effectiveness:

Compared to paid advertising, organic marketing offers a more sustainable and cost-effective way to generate leads. While it requires ongoing effort, the long-term benefits of building a strong organic presence can significantly contribute to revenue growth.

Ten years ago, blogs and social media were king in earned and owned media. Today, your approach to organic marketing should focus on creating high-value unique content that addresses your ICP’s pain points meaningfully. Nobody wants to read another blog that summarizes another blog. Instead, B2B consumers are looking for material that will help them:

  • Solve complex problems
  • Learn something new
  • Explain a solution to their stakeholders

By harmonizing content with the sales and customer success arms of your organization, you can develop effective content and then distribute this through various earned and owned mediums and channels to maximize reach, visibility, and value throughout the funnel. 

Organic marketing is a vital cog in the RevOps machine. By attracting qualified leads, nurturing them with valuable content, and building brand trust, organic marketing paves the way for a more efficient sales process and ultimately drives revenue growth.

The Balance of Paid and Earned & Owned Media

Paid advertising can be a powerful tool for immediate reach. However, organic marketing strategies provide the foundation for sustainable growth. 

Organic Leads and the Sales Pipeline

Organic marketing fosters relationships with potential customers before they enter the sales funnel. By providing valuable content and building trust, you prime your audience to be receptive to your sales messages.

FullFunnel's Earned & Owned Media Approach

At FullFunnel, we take a holistic approach to earned and owned media, focusing on these key components:

  • Website Development & Optimization: We design and optimize your website for user experience and search engine visibility, ensuring your brand makes a strong first impression.
  • Content Marketing (Blogs, Case Studies, eBooks, etc.): Our team of content creators develops engaging content that educates, informs, and positions you as an industry leader.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Our SEO specialists leverage the latest best practices to improve your website's ranking for relevant search terms, driving organic traffic.
  • Organic Social Media Management: We develop and execute strategic social media campaigns that build your online community and nurture customer relationships.
  • Email Marketing: We craft targeted email campaigns to nurture leads, drive conversions, and foster customer loyalty.
  • Directory Listings & Reviews: We ensure your business is listed accurately across relevant industry directories and encourage positive customer reviews.

As mentioned, nobody wants to read another regurgitation of someone else’s summary. Instead, FullFunnel recognizes the demand for high-value, interactive content that empowers prospects and customers to take action.

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Social Media

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Website Design

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Brochures | White Papers | eBooks

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One-Pagers | Flyers

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Infographics

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - SMART KPIs & Reporting by Channel

Data-driven marketing is critical for long-term success. Data-driven marketing starts with establishing clear and measurable goals (SMART KPIs) for each channel within your organic marketing strategy. This might include:

Website: Website traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate, time on site.
SEO: Organic keyword rankings, organic traffic from search engines.
Social Media: Follower growth, engagement rate (likes, comments, shares), click-through rate on social media posts.
Content: Content downloads (eBooks, whitepapers), video views, blog post engagement.
Email Marketing: Email open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates from email campaigns.

We provide regular reports that showcase the performance of your organic marketing efforts, allowing you to track progress towards your goals and make data-driven decisions for optimization.

Why FullFunnel Earned & Owned Media Services?

At FullFunnel, we understand the power of earned and owned media and its impact on driving sustainable growth. We bring a team of experts to the table, ensuring all aspects of your organic marketing strategy are covered:

  • Team Composition: Expertise in all areas of Earned & Owned Media
  • Content Creators: Skilled writers and storytellers who craft compelling content that resonates with your audience.
  • SEO Specialists: Experts in search engine optimization who ensure your website ranks high for relevant keywords.
  • Copywriting Pros: Masters of crafting clear, concise, and persuasive copy that drives action.
  • Social Media Managers: Savvy social media gurus who build and engage your online community.
  • Data Analysts: Data-driven minds who translate website and social media metrics into actionable insights.
  • RevOps! We believe in a strong Revenue Operations team that ensures alignment between organic marketing efforts and your overall sales goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Organic marketing is both a short-term and long-term tool for growth. FullFunnel takes a unique approach to organic marketing by developing high-quality sales enablement content that empowers organizations to activate immediate audiences while also optimizing the content for long-term search engine visibility.  

The best content for organic marketing is informative, valuable, and engaging to your target audience. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos, social media updates, or email newsletters. Ideally, your content should address your audience's pain points, answer their questions, and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

Unfortunately, no ethical marketing agency can guarantee specific search engine rankings. Search engine algorithms are complex and constantly evolving. However, we can implement SEO best practices and create high-quality content that can improve your website's ranking over time.

Conclusion

In today's competitive landscape, a strong organic marketing strategy is no longer optional. By leveraging the power of earned and owned media, you can build trust, attract qualified leads, and achieve sustainable growth.

At FullFunnel, we're passionate about helping businesses unlock the potential of organic marketing. We offer a comprehensive suite of services within our revenue operations function designed to elevate your brand, capture the attention of your target audience, and drive real business results.

Let's schedule a free consultation today to discuss your unique needs and how FullFunnel can help you achieve your organic growth goals.
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