To PR pros, shared media has reinvented interactions between brands and their audiences. It has become integral. It thrives on two vital elements: collaboration and interaction. In shared media, the brand and the user both take the lead through the use of social media platforms, user-generated content, and online communities.
Engagement, trust, and authenticity are all super important today. Shared media is one part of the broader PESO model®. The other parts are paid, earned, and owned. The model is designed to provide maximum value for communications.
It relies on collaboration with audiences to extend its reach and spread. Whereas paid ads, earned press, and brand-controlled owned content are static and one-sided, shared media is dynamic and collaborative; its evolution has its roots in the rise of social media and the general move toward more participatory online spaces. By fostering real-time conversations, shared media creates opportunities for brands to engage directly with, build trust, and strengthen relationships within their communities.
What is a shared media?
Shared media is content created, distributed, or amplified by audiences through social platforms, UGC, or community interactions. Reach gets extended with shares, likes, and comments. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are at the core of shared media strategies.
It creates a collaborative space where the brand and its audience come together to interact directly and create organic conversations.
Whereas owned media is solely and completely the brand's own, shared media works with and is fueled by audience engagement. Through sharing, commenting, or developing content about the brand, individuals engage in the conversation of content and provide a veneer of authenticity while spreading the content further.
A viral hashtag campaign mobilizes communities and brings a brand into the spotlight using the collective action of audiences. With shared media, the value is dynamic and participatory. It allows shared media to help brands become highly relevant by embedding themselves into an ongoing conversation - from statements about hot topics and standings on corporate social responsibility.
Shared media can let a brand evolve minute to minute, getting in with an audience like never before. Interaction builds trust and helps increase loyalty within a community.
In the PR landscape, it fits hand in hand with other kinds of media in the PESO model®: amplifying owned, complementing paid, and driving earned opportunities when the user-generated buzz catches the media's attention. When done properly, shared media lets brands create holistic campaigns that drive engagement and visibility.
Types and examples of shared media
Shared media encompasses a wide array of formats, from social media posts and branded hashtags to user-generated content (UGC) and online communities. These diverse types of shared media demonstrate how brands can engage with their audiences in meaningful and interactive ways. By examining real-world examples, we can better understand the power of shared media and its role in the shaping of public perception.
Social media posts and shares
Social media is the cornerstone of shared media, where brands and audiences connect in real-time through platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Posts, tweets, and shared content provide an opportunity for brands to spark conversations, amplify messages, and build relationships with their communities.
Here are some shared media examples for social media:
Branded hashtags
Campaigns like Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke encouraged users to post personalized bottles, creating a viral wave of user-generated posts.
Viral posts
A single tweet can often generate millions of likes and retweets, boosting engagement and visibility.
Collaborative stories
On Instagram, brands like Airbnb have used the power of PR to encourage users to share travel photos, reposting the best ones on their official accounts to build trust and authenticity. Social media posts facilitate engagement and integrate PR strategies.
Learn more about social media PR
UGC (User Generated Content)
UGC refers to content created by consumers that showcase their interaction with a brand, product, or service. This type of shared media builds credibility, as audiences often trust peers’ opinions over direct brand messages.
Customer reviews
Sites like TripAdvisor and Trustpilot thrive on UGC, with travelers sharing their experiences, which often influence purchase decisions.
Fan-generated content
Apple and Samsung regularly show off their phone camera features this way. It’s a clever marketing tactic.
Learn more about PR and marketing
Community engagement
Forums, Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and other community-driven platforms are powerful forms of shared media. They enable brands to participate in enthusiastic conversations, address queries, and build loyalty.
Here are some shared media examples of community engagement:
Forums
Sephora’s Beauty Insider Community connects makeup enthusiasts to share tips, ask questions, and discuss trends, fostering a loyal customer base in the process.
Active participation
Gaming firms regularly engage on Reddit, responding to fans and building rapport in niche communities.
Support networks
Fitness brands like Peloton use private Facebook groups to create a sense of community among users, which helps drive retention.
What are the benefits of shared media?
Shared media is a vital corporate asset. The nature of shared media makes it a very important tool for community and brand awareness authentically and cost-effectively.
Amplifies reach and visibility
With shared media, the reach of brands goes way beyond the direct audience. Every time users share branded content, it gets exposed to new demographics, increasing visibility and the chance for further engagement. The more people engage, the more likely they are to convert to loyal customers.
It can quickly go viral, be taken over by branded hashtags, and collaborate in challenges that exponentially increase a brand's reach on social platforms.
Builds authentic connections through user participation
Unlike traditional advertising, shared media results from co-creation; thus, interactions are much more personalized and genuine. When an audience engages with branded campaigns or even distributes user-generated content, they feel connected to a brand, leading to advocacy.
Facilitates discussion in real-time and enables engagement
Shared media also permit companies to respond to audiences in real time, providing immediate feedback, managing crises, or engaging in trending events. This sort of rapid responsiveness humanizes brands, making them more approachable.
Cost-effective brand awareness enhancement
Whereas ad campaigns might cost money, shared media relies on the audience contributing or participating, making the media very inexpensive to extend brand messages. Businesses can attain wide reach without substantial financial investments by leveraging user-generated content, branded hashtags, or community discussions.
Brands like Starbucks also run photo contests on their social media, where customers can share pictures with them.
Complements other media types
Shared media complements other media types and offers unique advantages in creating impactful, authentic, and lasting relationships between brands and their audiences. By leveraging its benefits, businesses can thrive in the digital age.
Shared media allows brands to be part of the conversation rather than mere broadcasters, creating authentic and meaningful relationships.
What are the main disadvantages of shared media?
While there are many benefits shared media brings, it also has its own challenges. Here, we look at the main downsides of shared media and how such issues complicate the use of the medium for business.
Lack of control
By nature, shared media participation is open, which often means a loss of control regarding how content is shared and perceived. It may be modified, or it may be taken out of context to the detriment of the brand.
Take McDonald's. They created the hashtag campaign, #McDStories, which they wanted to use to promote positive customer experiences but instead turned out to be an explosion of negative anecdotes. This outlines the risks involved with losing control of the narrative.
Negative feedback
The doors are flung open to negative feedback or brand hijacking. People use their platforms to voice criticism, make parodies, or hijack campaigns that may affect the brand's reputation.
When Starbucks created its #RaceTogether campaign, meant to trigger conversations on racial equality, it was panned as tone-deaf, and damaging to the company.
Algorithm dependency of social platforms
Social media algorithms determine what sees the light of day, and often that is paid advertising. This makes it difficult for brands to ensure meaningful reach and engagement through shared media alone.
Facebook's algorithm updates in recent years have drastically reduced the visibility of organic brand posts, forcing businesses to use paid promotion to maintain audience reach.
Inability to engage audiences consistently
A big challenge is to maintain consistent engagement. Audience tastes and preferences shift at a fast pace, which means the brands have to adjust their strategies now and then. This can mean not always getting it right.
It needs to be fresh, relevant, and interesting to grab people's attention. Newsjacking is a shared media example.
What are the differences between shared media and other types of media?
Shared media differs from paid, earned, and owned media forms because of the ‘collaboration’ involved. The other forms of media rely on paid placements, third-party acceptance, or your creation.
Unlike earned media, shared does not originate with an outside entity, only requiring user involvement to ‘perform.’ Shared media turns to the audience to spread brand messages.
Paid media purchases reach and visibility through ads, sponsorships, or promoted content. While paid media ensures visibility, shared is organic in growth, generated by audiences as and when they share it. These two types can definitely complement each other: an effective paid campaign can encourage users to share that content, thus turning it into shared. Owned media consists of platforms that the brand itself owns, including blogs, websites, or official social media pages. It’s an extension of owned media.
Our PRO tips on how to get shared media
Shared media is a great opportunity to extend your brand's voice, but it's not going to work by simply pushing out any old content; there needs to be much more thought behind it. Herein are some actionable tips to help your shared media strategy maximize the impact of your efforts.
Create shareable content
Successful shared media should be founded on the ideas of engaging visuals, great storytelling, and posts that evoke emotion or provide value and are likely to resonate. Know what your audience likes and create content to meet their interests in a way that aligns with your brand message.
Different platforms require different content. Infographics and memes spread like wildfire on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. However, LinkedIn audiences can have different preferences and requirements.
Encourage user-generated content
UGC is a powerful way to build trust and engagement. Encourage your audience to create content about your brand through contests or reviews.
Many brands encourage users to take photos of their products, and to great success.
Have real-time chats
Always monitor social channels proactively to jump into trending conversations, answer questions, or respond to your audience's comments in real time. This is a great way not only to engage with people but also to nurture a sense of community and authenticity for your brand.
When the lights went out during the Super Bowl in 2013, Oreo's tweet, "You can still dunk in the dark," went viral within minutes, highlighting the magic of real-time engagement.
Make use of branded hashtags
Branded hashtags make it easier for users to connect with your campaigns and help you track their participation. Create simple, memorable, and relevant hashtags and promote them across all platforms consistently.
Nike's #JustDoIt campaign is an obvious example of how a branded hashtag can unify people across different platforms while increasing visibility and engagement.
Monitor and adjust
You have to genuinely track the performance of the shared media to understand what works and what does not. Utilize media monitoring tools to see mentions of your brand, track hashtag campaigns, and listen to audience sentiment.
Conclusion
A shared media strategy has become an integral part of modern public relations, providing companies with a different way to connect with audiences and extend messages.
By facilitating sharing and two-way interaction, it drives relevance and trust through authentic connections, thereby building awareness. Its dynamic and engaging features allow brands to be part of active conversations and appear relevant and relatable to their audiences.
With PRLab, brands can secure the recognition they desire. Let us know how we can help you with your shared media by contacting us today.
