Marketing Assets: owned, earned & paid media

Combining earned, owned, and paid media will help you attract, nurture, and close leads, but what do those terms really mean? And when it comes to your company's content strategy, how do they fit into the equation? While all three media efforts are important to your overall goals and should converge in your strategy, there are still distinct differences.

Owned Media - are assets that you have control of and own, these include your website, your blog, your facebook page. While owned media content can take on a variety of forms the primary goal of this content is to continue providing value to leads as they move down the sales funnel. These assets offer a more controlled -- but not overly promotional -- message about your company.
Paid Media - media that you pay for in order to generate more customers. While today’s media influx may make it difficult to get your company’s message heard organically, it also brings with it an influx of methods to promote it.  Paid media can include any type of digital advertising like Adwords, paying influencers and social media advertising. It serves as a method for promoting content and driving exposure. And there are variety of paid techniques you can use to amplify your owned media and help you win more earned media. 
Earned Media - is essentially online word of mouth, usually seen in the form of ‘viral’ tendencies, mentions, shares, reposts, reviews, recommendations, or content picked up by 3rd party sites. Quite simply, earned media refers to media exposure you’ve earned without paying or owning it. Whether it was the fantastic content you've distributed, the influence of your SEO efforts, the customer experience you've delivered, or a combination of all three, earned media refers to the recognition you receive as a result.