Tech Marketers Using More Owned Media This Year

It’s true. According to IDG Research’s 2014 Tech Marketing Priorities study, tech marketers are using more “owned media” in their marketing than ever before.

IDG Research – Tech Mkt Spending What is owned media?

Generally speaking, owned media (or marketing channel) are all the channels that a brand controls, like websites, corporate blogs, newsletters, etc. It also includes the social media channels you use, like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn (though some may argue that this is really only partially-owned media).

B2B marketers use owned media to target their brand’s existing community and/or current customers. They’re mainly built and used to foster long-term relationships with a community.

3 benefits to owned media

1. B2B marketers prefer owned media to earned or paid because of the control it gives them. They’re in charge of everything from creation to publication and sharing, and don’t need to rely on anyone else for anything.


2. B2B executives like it because of the cost efficiency it gives them. Because they have full visibility on the entire process, they’re better able to calculate costs, budget the right amount of resources, and ultimately calculate the ROI much easier than with other kinds of marketing channels.


3. Marketing creatives like owned media for its flexibility, versatility, and portability. A single piece of media can be used in different ways, sparking new pieces of media or ways to spread the word about the information. They can extend their brand’s presence throughout their website and beyond so that it exists in multiple places.

Start with your own owned media

Once you get past that tongue-twister, it’s time to get started with your owned media channels. Prepare your online digital marketing assets so that when you’re ready to branch out into paid and earned media channels, you’ve got the destination to point everyone to.

Do a website audit

• Are all your web pages up to date? Do they match your current product offerings and marketing messaging?


• Do all the images on your website include ALT text to take advantage of SEO?


• Do you have an updated keyword/phrase list for your B2B business, market, and products?

Decide on your content channels

Not every type of marketing is right for every B2B brand and market, so decide on the ones that are right for you.

• A B2B blog helps show thought leadership, speaks directly to your audience, and is a central place for non-official messages.


• A Press or Resources section of your B2B website is where you can put all the official messages like press releases, white papers, and case studies.

Find the right resources

That means tapping the right internal resources to plan and write your content, as well as external resources to help out as needed.

Grow your B2B brand with owned media

Tech marketers are spending more than ever on marketing, and are expecting to increase it by another 22% this year. Before you expand your marketing channels, take a look at your existing owned channels first. Concentrate on polishing them up and you’ll have an easier time growing your B2B brand. Owned media tends to be overlooked as marketers get distracted by the shiny new thing. Stay the course on this one, re-invest your marketing budget, and you’ll be setting your B2B brand up for more growth in the future.

How are you handling your owned media channels? Got any tips you’d like to share?

Tech Marketers Using More Owned Media This Year