Making Sense of the Media Mix: Paid, Earned, Shared & Owned
With so many digital platforms available today, navigating media as a marketer is more complex than ever. To create clarity, the PESO model—which stands for Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media—breaks down the media landscape into four distinct but connected categories. And when these work together, your marketing becomes far more powerful.
Here’s how to make sense of each, and how we use them at Two Icons to build high-performing strategies for our clients.
Paid Media – Your Fast-Track to Visibility
Paid media includes ads and sponsored content on platforms like Google, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and even traditional media like print or radio. It’s all about getting your brand in front of the right people—fast.
Use it when: launching new products, driving traffic, or increasing brand awareness on a targeted scale.
Our tip: Paid media is most effective when data-driven. We help you fine-tune your ad spend for maximum ROI.
Earned Media – Trust You Can’t Buy
This is exposure you don’t pay for—think PR coverage, glowing reviews, or word-of-mouth. Because it’s organically generated, earned media is often seen as more credible and trustworthy.
Use it when: building authority, driving organic interest, or establishing your brand voice.
Our tip: We track earned media mentions and influencer impact, helping you measure what many businesses overlook.
Shared Media – Conversations You Don’t Control
Shared media lives on social platforms. It’s the conversations people have about your brand: reposts, user-generated content, tags, comments—both good and bad.
Use it when: you want to spark engagement, amplify reach, or encourage community involvement.
Our tip: We help you stay on top of brand sentiment and keep your social channels active, responsive, and aligned with your messaging.
Owned Media – Your Brand’s Home Base
This is the content you fully control: your website, blog, emails, videos, podcasts, whitepapers. Owned media reflects your brand identity and builds trust over time.
Use it when: you want to educate, nurture leads, or build long-term SEO authority.
Our tip: Every piece of owned media should have purpose and performance behind it. We help create content that not only looks great but drives measurable results.
When They All Work Together
The real magic happens when all four media types are aligned. Your blog post (owned) could be shared by followers (shared), picked up by a publication (earned), and then promoted with a paid campaign. Each piece builds on the next, expanding your reach and reinforcing your message at every step of the customer journey.
At TWO Icons Consulting, we use the PESO model to build balanced, strategic marketing plans. We don't just throw ads out into the wild—we connect the dots between visibility, credibility, engagement, and conversion.