Some argue paid media has its place in the marketing mix. That any publicity is better than none. Afterall, the hundreds of likes and pats on the back from the person’s social media cheer squad thrusting the piece into the spotlight is doing its job?

The answer is complicated and comes down to how reputable the publication is. Sadly, the media industry has been diluted with magazines created by people with no media, publishing or journalistic skill. Of course, we are constantly told that we, the everyday punter, are the media with our unfettered access to social media channels. So, shouldn’t we be cheering these resourceful people who have found a new niche getting people to pay for their content to be published?

Perhaps if the content didn’t read like puff ego pieces and were written by a journalist, someone with intimate knowledge of news value, then the coverage would be valuable. But people are snapping these offers up because they want to stand out and be seen as market leaders in their space because nothing screams reputable third party credibility than appearing in a magazine. And paying bigger bucks to have the cover. Yet, they may as well throw their money down the drain for the value it adds to SEO and organic marketing. 

As soon as you hand over money for content placement, it moves from earned media and publicity to paid media and advertising. Given the number one job in business is to market what the business sells, it’s not unsurprising that people whose natural flair or skill set is not marketing jump on these opportunities that seem like the answer to their promotional prayers. Hand over the cash and someone writes the piece and publishes it. Yet, do you really get what you pay for?

Many of these so-called media platforms have low readership and are filled with content that has no editorial value. The pieces are not written by journalists who understand news values and media worthiness. The pieces are written by content producers whose primary motivation is to get as much content on the platform as possible and get as many people handing over their money to fill their coffers. 

Over the past few years, paid media has become more prevalent with emails enticing people to buy their way onto lists spruiking the top 10 in whatever industry the person works in. Who doesn’t want to be in the top 10 in their field? It is easy now because you hand over your $300 to $3000 and are encouraged to position it as publicity.  

When you pass these pieces off as free publicity or sharing how honoured you were to be asked, you are being dishonest and that is a slippery slope in the business world. Earned media, which is the goal in PR, is when a journalist reaches out to do a story on you or your business – no money changes hands and is the ultimate word of mouth. 

There is nothing wrong with paying for marketing especially if it is part of a diverse marketing plan. After all, it takes over 22 touch points to build know, like and trust with prospective clients and customers who are on multiple channels and platforms. It is important to a business’s integrity to disclose its paid marketing space. 

If you are not sure if the offer is a valid media piece, look for these red flags:

• Content that looks like an ad 
• Pay to play (real media do not do this)
• An abundance of list pieces – top 10 Australian marketers (who decided this?)
• Poor grammar and mistakes
• Photo style is not consistent (real magazines have a style guide)

It is harder to score free publicity in mainstream media but it can be done. It can be done with a clearly articulated strategy and truck load of patience and persistence. We all want the quick wins and to not be the best kept secret but taking shortcuts comes at a cost. Instead of forking out hundreds of these fake media pieces, invest in creating genuine content that connects you with your audience with heart.