Your Chronogrammies Strategy: Owned, Earned, and Paid Media
A New Year brings certain traditions to mind—like a fresh start and resolutions. For Chronogram Media it means the launch of the Chronogrammies, Chronogram‘s annual readers’ choice awards!
“Best of” awards like the Chronogrammies are a great opportunity for local businesses to engage with their clients/followers/superfans. It’s also an incredibly valuable opportunity for you to connect with your audience and grow your engagement.
So, how do you take full advantage of this opportunity? You could share on social media and in e-newsletters, but you want to set your brand apart.
We recommend a balanced breakfast of media, namely: owned, earned, and paid.
Let’s break it down: Here’s how you can create a winning Chronogrammies strategy using the marketing trifecta of owned, earned, and paid media.
Owned Media
Owned Media refers to any marketing content that you, well, own.
This includes your website, social media, email marketing, print materials, and even a retail store. Owned media is a powerful tool because you have total creative control over it.
Owned media can help you spread the word that you’ve been nominated for a Chronogrammie. Using your owned media channels is one of the easiest ways to take advantage of an already captive audience.
Here are a few ideas to start using your owned media:
- Share your nomination in your email-newsletter. Drive your audience to vote immediately.
- Post to your social media channels to share the news with an even larger audience. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Be creative with your posts. Use video or GIFs to get people excited for you.
Chronogrammies How-To:
Follow our how-to steps for adding a specially animated Chronogrammies GIF to your social media.
- Post a QR code in your shop to drive in-store traffic online. Find a premade QR code in our free social media kit.
- Add a banner or a pop-up to your website to quickly bring people to the nomination page .
- Businesses that place in the Chronogrammies can spread the word on their owned media channels with badges and GIFs.
Earned Media
Earned media is any content where the public and third-parties are talking about you.
Also known as word-of-mouth marketing, the best part about this kind of media is that it helps build trust in your business, products, or services. It helps potential customers see that you’re legitimate and that your products are enjoyable.
Think of it this way, what do you trust more: a paid advertisement or a trusted friend’s recommendation? It’s always going to be a friend. Consumers are heavily influenced by family, friends, and what they see on social platforms.
We’re all interested in hearing about people’s experiences, and that influences our own views. Who hasn’t looked at articles and reviews when considering a new pair of shoes? Who hasn’t been influenced by one of Chronogram’s restaurant reviews?!
Because earned media is not directly controlled by you, it may seem like it is out of your hands—but that’s not true. You have the tools to influence the conversations about your company. Especially when it comes to the Chronogrammies.
Chronogrammies is a source for earned media (especially if you win). Better than a single review, being labeled as a favorite business by Hudson Valley residents is an earned title. It promotes your business and that spreads the word that real people like and support you.
To create earned media during Chronogrammies season, try rallying your supporters. Engage with your followers on social media and ask them to share why they love your business. Your business has fans and they can help promote your business!
Reshare their stories and posts on your owned social media channels to spread the love and drive people to the digital ballot. Your followers are providing you with free, earned content! Use it to your advantage.
Social Media Tip: Remind your followers to tag your business in their posts and stories so you get notified when you are mentioned!
Paid Media
With the influx of businesses and people on social platforms, it is increasingly difficult to develop organic outreach.
Paid media serves as an important part of media strategy to drive effective brand reach, generate traffic, and increase click-through rates. Social media platforms offer paid media options that can boost your brand, content, and website.
Chronogram Media offers paid print and digital options that increase brand visibility directly on the digital ballot.
According to our studies, those who participate in paid media for Chronogrammies increase their chances of placing in the top three by 70%. Chronogrammies paid media can drive people directly to your owned media and create interest in your earned media.
Enhanced listings include photo, description, and links to your owned media. This makes your nomination stand out from the competition.
Exclusive Category Banners provide you with a banner that is placed over the top of the main category such as, Retail, Health & Wellness, and Food. Banners also provide click-back links to your website.
Rotating Subcategory Sponsor Banners provide you with a banner that is placed above the subcategory such as, Women’s Boutique, Yoga Studio, and Chinese Food. These banners also provide click-back links to your website.
Learn more about paid media options for the Chronogrammies. Click here to review our media kit. Or email a media specialist here.
The Upshot
All three types of media—owned, earned, and paid—are important to your Chronogrammies media strategy. It’s up to you to review your media and decide where to set your priorities in a way that makes the most sense for your brand and budget.
In case you scrolled past everthing above, here’s the TLDR:
- Owned media platforms are an extension of your brand and create additional avenues for people to interact with your company.
- Earned media is the equivalent of online word of mouth and is the vehicle that drives traffic, engagement, and sentiment about a brand.
- Paid media is a great way to promote content in order to generate more earned media and can also be used to drive traffic directly to your owned media properties.
Want to learn more about how your business can use the three types of media to win a Chronogrammie? Reach out to our sales team at sales@chronogram to start the conversation!
Want more marketing tips geared toward small businesses in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Berkshires? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Art of Business!
