As we come to the end of the year, it’s time for us to take stock of the topics we have discussed thus far. We have defined a brand and how to build one, your value proposition; how to position your brand, and so on. Now, it is time to get your message out there.

One strategy to create brand awareness for your business is to use the PESO model. PESO stands for Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned media.

Paid media means all forms of paid advertising or promotion. In the past, the most popular promotional technique has been traditional advertising. These methods include Outdoor: Billboards, Posters; Broadcasting: TV, Radio;  and Print: Newspapers, Magazines etc

With traditional advertising you are promoting your message to a broad audience who may or may not be interested in what you are offering. Today, many people distrust paid advertising because it’s seen as a one way conversation and provides very little interaction with the audience.

Research shows that 70% of consumers want to learn about products through content as opposed to traditional advertising methods. 

The next is Earned Media. By this we mean Press and Public Relations. This method is very effective but difficult to achieve. Studies have shown that this is considered more credible to your prospects because it includes an implied endorsement by an established individual or organization. 

Someone else is staking their reputation by recommending you or introducing your offer. For example, Oprah Winfrey, her ability to launch brands is so remarkable that it was named – The Oprah Effect – one mention from Oprah can cause brands to grow exponentially. With Oprah, people know, like and trust her. They see her as authentic as she’s not being paid to endorse these brands. 

This is also closely tied to Social Proof, which is the idea that people look to the actions of others to know what to do in certain situations. That is why some businesses use influencers to convert potential customers.

The third is Shared Media. This is the type of content that brands share online. They are seen as genuine stories and are more likely to receive positive word of mouth, and go viral through social media channels.

Let’s look at someone like Rihanna who has over 203 million followers on social media and is one of the most influential celebrities.  She has used the power of social to promote her products – the Fenty brand – which has helped make her a billionaire today. 

Lastly we have the owned media which is the content that is owned and controlled by a brand like your blog, website or social media channels. The more owned media channels a business has, the larger their digital footprint, which means more potential reach to customers and followers. 

Each of these types of media have their pros and cons. Whatever method you choose, you have to be mindful that the messaging and communication you create, should be consistent. Plan to combine all these tactics to grow your brand visibility.