Earned Promotion

Introduction

Earned promotion refers to the visibility your brand gains through word of mouth, reviews, media coverage and organic mentions. Unlike paid promotion, you don't directly control it - it must be earned through quality, consistency and customer experience.

Mature marketing functions build strong systems to support earned media. They encourage happy customers to leave reviews, seek media opportunities and maintain a standard of service that sparks word-of-mouth referrals.

Best practices include:

• Actively collecting customer testimonials and case studies.
 
• Encouraging reviews on key platforms (Google, Facebook, industry-specific sites).
 
• Submitting to awards programs that enhance credibility.
 
• Building relationships with journalists, bloggers and influencers.
 
• Monitoring brand mentions and engaging with those who speak about you.

Earned promotion has high trust value. Done well, it strengthens your reputation, supports SEO and validates your brand promise.

Build a structured approach to generating and leveraging earned promotion.

Step 1: Audit Current Earned Promotion Activity

• Where have you been featured, reviewed or mentioned?
 
• Are testimonials, reviews or media coverage actively used in your marketing?

Step 2: Build a Review System

• Which platforms matter most to your customers (Google, Facebook, Trustpilot)?
 
• Do you have a process for asking satisfied customers for reviews?

Step 3: Leverage Case Studies and Testimonials

• Select two recent customer success stories to turn into case studies.
 
• Where can these be published or used to support credibility?

Step 4: Pursue Awards and Recognition

• List 2-3 relevant industry awards or certifications you can apply for.
 
• Assign someone to manage the application process.

Step 5: Build Media Relationships

• Identify key journalists, bloggers or influencers in your industry.
 
• Follow them, engage with their content and share useful insights.

Step 6: Monitor and Respond

• Set up alerts or tools to monitor brand mentions.
 
• Do you have a process for replying to mentions, especially negative ones?

Step 7: Score Yourself

Your Maturity Score

Use the Maturity Model scale:
1 = No earned media or review strategy
2 = Ad hoc reviews or mentions, not utilised
3 = Reviews are collected inconsistently and not repurposed
4 = Testimonials and earned media are used effectively
5 = Structured system drives ongoing reviews, recognition and media coverage