What Is Shared Media? Definition, Benefits and Examples
The digital landscape has transformed dramatically over the past decade. Social platforms like Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram have changed the way brands approach marketing and public relations (PR), and for good reason: Today, more than half of consumers say word-of-mouth and social media are their preferred ways to discover new brands. In this landscape, every PR professional must know what shared media is and how to use it to their advantage.
What Is Shared Media?
Shared media refers to any content that is circulated and amplified through sharing on social networks. Unlike traditional media channels, where content is distributed by brands themselves, shared media relies on user engagement to reach a wider audience. Shared media is probably the most misunderstood channel out of paid, earned, owned, and shared media, but it’s essential for PR professionals.
Shared Media vs. Paid Media
The main difference between shared media and paid media is that paid media involves monetary investment. With paid media, you pay a third party to advertise your brand on their platform. By definition, shared media is organic, meaning it spreads naturally as users share content with their networks.
Shared Media vs. Earned Media
Shared media and earned media are closely related, but they’re not the same thing. Earned media refers to any publicity or exposure you gain through channels you don’t directly own or control. It includes word-of-mouth referrals, media coverage, reviews and testimonials, social media mentions and user-generated content, like memes and GIFs. Shared media is more specific, including only social media shares of your owned content.
Shared Media vs. Owned Media
Shared media and owned media are also closely related. Owned media is any content or asset that is fully created and owned by a brand, including anything on its website, blogs and social media pages. Once that content is shared organically by people outside the brand, it then meets the definition of shared media.
Here’s an example of paid, owned, earned, and shared media to tie it all together: You post a new article on your blog (that’s owned media). You then pay for a sponsored ad to promote it (that’s paid media). Your article gets picked up by media outlets in your industry (that’s earned media). Your followers also share the post and add their own thoughts – and that’s when it becomes shared media
Examples of Shared Media Platforms
The answer to “What is shared media?” includes any content you created that’s shared on the following platforms by someone other than your brand.
- Instagram
- X (Twitter)
- TikTok
- YouTube
Some examples of media sharing sites also include Apple Music and Spotify, where you can share podcasts, as well as online forums like Reddit. Even email can be a shared media channel, for example, if your audience forwards an email newsletter to a friend. The important thing is that shared media is originally created, but not distributed, by your brand.
Why Is Shared Media Important?
After factoring in owned, paid and earned media, shared media can seem like a small piece of the overall pie. But it has benefits for your digital marketing strategy that other channels don’t have, especially for content marketing initiatives. Shared media helps you:
- Drive awareness: Shared media’s reach is unlimited. By getting your content in front of audiences who might not fit into your usual targeting strategies, it extends your reach and helps you tap into new markets and demographics. It can even boost your visibility in search engines.
- Earn trust: When someone shares your content, they’re endorsing your brand to the people they know and building your credibility. 28% of people say positive social media posts from friends and family influence their buying decisions, so a single share can go a long way.
- Increase engagement: Shared media offers a unique opportunity for brands to directly engage with their audience through comments and feedback, which can build a sense of community and loyalty.
- Lower cost: Of paid, owned, earned and shared media, shared is the most affordable. Unlike traditional advertising, shared media requires minimal investment, relying instead on quality content to drive shares.
Strategies for Maximizing Shared Media Impact
Once you know what shared media is, you need to create it. But it isn’t always easy to get people to spread the word. Use these strategies to maximize your impact.
Create Shareable Content
Creating high-quality, relatable, and share-worthy content is the first step. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Understand your audience: Research your audience to understand their preferences, interests and behaviors, then personalize your content to address their needs.
- Tell authentic stories: Authentic and compelling stories that evoke emotions and resonate with your audience on a personal level are more likely to be shared.
- Include multimedia: Incorporate multimedia elements such as high-quality images, videos, infographics and memes. It works for PR, too: Multimedia distribution amplifies your message and increases press release views.
- Use hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to tag individuals or brands in your post. You’ll increase its visibility and get more engagement from a wider audience.
- Encourage discussion: Create content that sparks conversation, provokes thought or challenges existing beliefs. You’ll generate more engagement, but be sure to carefully monitor the discussion.
- Create interactive content: Interactive content like quizzes, polls, games, calculators, contests and giveaways are popular with many different audiences and are extremely shareable
Manage the Narrative
Shared media has many benefits, but it can be a challenge to maintain brand consistency and respond to negativity. Here are some strategies for managing the narrative:
- Develop consistent messaging: Develop a messaging framework that reflects your brand's values and mission. Leverage tools like SocialBoost to make it easy for your audience to share your content with a consistent message.
- Monitor and respond in real-time: Monitor conversations and mentions of your brand across social media platforms. Address any negative feedback or misconceptions quickly and honestly.
- Cultivate brand advocates: Find your biggest fans who can help amplify positive messages about your brand. Encourage them to share their positive experiences and advocate for your brand on social media.
- Be prepared: Develop a crisis management plan you can use when potential issues arise. Be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to control any negative impact on your brand's reputation.
Track Shared Media Metrics
Like any other marketing and PR channel, you need to measure the success of your shared media. For this channel, use metrics like:
- Shares: The number of times your content is shared by users across different platforms. This is the biggest indicator of how valuable your content is to your audience.
- Reach: The total number of unique users who have seen your shared content. This shows you’re increasing the size of your audience and helps demonstrate the success of your shared media.
- Amplification rate: The ratio of shares to the number of impressions or reach. Amplification rate shows how effectively your content is being distributed.
- Social sentiment: The overall tone of the posts that are sharing your content. This can provide valuable insights into how your audience is feeling.
- Referral traffic: The amount of traffic shared posts drive to your owned media, like your website. This indicates the impact of shared media on website visits and conversions.
Stay Informed
Perhaps more than any other channel, shared media is a shifting landscape. You need to stay on top of not just negative feedback but also changes to the platforms themselves. Updates to algorithms can affect the visibility of your content, and changes in features, policies and terms of service can also impact your strategy. Stay informed and adaptable so you can pivot your content strategy as needed, and diversify your presence across multiple platforms so you’re not reliant on just one.
Unlock Shared Media Solutions for the Modern Landscape
At the end of the day, answering “What is shared media?” is straightforward – it’s leveraging shared channels to drive your brand forward that can be challenging. Yet embracing shared media can transform your PR and communications, create lasting connections with your audience and drive results for your brand.
If you’re ready to leverage the power of shared media for your PR and comms strategy, PR Newswire can help. We offer everything from creative services to help you produce and place compelling stories across social media, to multimedia distribution that helps you get shareable content into the hands of journalists, bloggers and influencers. Speak with an expert today to see how shared media can benefit you.
FAQs About Earned Media
What are the advantages and disadvantages of shared media?
The biggest advantage of shared media is that it’s organic, so audiences find the content trustworthy and credible. It’s also very cost-effective and can reach audiences you might not otherwise be able to reach. However, it can be hard to control the narrative of shared media, so you’ll need tools that help you monitor and manage the conversation.
How can I make my content more shareable?
Creating emotionally resonant, valuable and timely content, incorporating visuals and hashtags and engaging with your audience are key strategies to encourage sharing. You can also use interactive content, like quizzes and giveaways. Investing in your content is worth it: Only high-quality, engaging and relevant content is likely to be shared.
How can I measure the success of shared media?
This can be done using various metrics, including the number of shares, reach, amplification rate, social sentiment and referral traffic. To do this, you can leverage tools for social listening, analytics and reporting.
Ready to take your story or campaign to new heights? Let PR Newswire help you achieve unmatched visibility and reach.