At OmniScale Media, we’ve long championed the POEM framework—Paid, Owned, and Earned Media—as a clear and effective way to structure digital marketing strategies for advanced technology companies. Last year, we published a quick dive into this model (Paid, Owned, & Earned Media: A Quick Guide to Digital Marketing), sharing a cornerstone of our approach.
Recently, it’s come to our attention that some marketers have tried to embellish POEM by adding an “S” for “Shared” media. While we appreciate the creativity, we believe this addition is unnecessary—and here’s why.
Our position is simple: paid, owned, and earned media are distinct categories, but all can be shared. Adding “shared” as a separate category risks muddying the waters of an otherwise clean framework. Let’s break it down.
What Is the POEM Framework?
First, a quick refresher. The POEM framework categorizes digital media into three buckets based on their source and relationship to your brand:
- Paid Media: Advertising you pay for, like Google Ads or sponsored posts on LinkedIn. It’s immediate, scalable, and gives you control over the message.
- Owned Media: Content you create and control, such as your website, blog, or social media profiles. It’s the foundation of your brand’s digital presence.
- Earned Media: Coverage or mentions from third parties, like press articles, influencer endorsements, or organic social media buzz. It’s unpaid and often seen as more credible.
Together, these three pillars provide a comprehensive way to think about your marketing efforts. Each has its own strengths and challenges, but they’re mutually exclusive in terms of origin—paid comes from ad spend, owned from your team, and earned from external voices.
The “Shared” Media Debate
Enter the concept of “shared” media. Proponents argue that it deserves its own category—often pointing to user-generated content, social media shares, or viral campaigns as examples. The idea gained traction with frameworks like PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned), which treats “shared” as a distinct type of media focused on user interactions.
At first glance, this seems reasonable. After all, social media has transformed how content spreads, and shares likes, and comments can amplify your reach exponentially. But when you dig deeper, the case for “shared” as a separate category starts to weaken.
Why “Shared” Doesn’t Need Its Own Category
Our argument boils down to three key points:
1. Sharing Happens Across All Media Types
Sharing isn’t unique to one type of media—it’s a distribution mechanism that applies to paid, owned, and earned alike. For example:
- A paid ad on LinkedIn can be shared by users, extending its reach beyond your ad budget.
- An owned blog post on your website can go viral when readers share it on social media.
- An earned news article can be shared by readers, amplifying its impact.
If sharing is a property of all media types, why carve it out as a separate category? Doing so risks redundancy and overlap, particularly with earned media, which already includes organic social mentions and user-driven buzz.
2. Clarity Is King in Strategy
The beauty of the POEM framework lies in its simplicity. It focuses on the source of the media, not how it’s distributed. Adding “shared” introduces ambiguity—does a shared paid ad become shared media? Does a viral owned post count as earned or shared? These questions complicate what should be a straightforward planning tool.
3. The Overlap with Earned Media Causes Confusion
Shared media often overlaps heavily with earned media. For instance, a user sharing your content on X could be classified as earned (since it’s organic and third-party) or shared (since it involves a social interaction). This overlap can lead to practical issues, like misallocating resources or double-counting metrics.
Virality Is Already Built In
Here’s our position: the POEM framework already accounts for the viral nature of modern marketing. Sharing isn’t a new type of media—it’s a force multiplier that enhances the impact of paid, owned, and earned efforts.
Take a hypothetical campaign for a cutting-edge AI product. You might launch with a sponsored article (paid) based on a detailed whitepaper on your site (owned) that leads to securing a feature in TechCrunch (earned).
If any of these elements get shared widely—say, the whitepaper goes viral on LinkedIn—the framework doesn’t need a new category to capture that success. It’s simply the natural extension of a well-executed strategy.
Why We’re Sticking with POEM
At OmniScale Media, our focus is on delivering results for advanced technology companies, not chasing trendy acronyms. The POEM framework has served us—and our clients—well because it’s clear, actionable, and adaptable. While we respect the intent behind adding “shared” media, we believe it’s best treated as a universal mechanic, not a standalone category.
So, the next time you’re planning a campaign, don’t worry about fitting “shared” into your strategy. Instead, ask yourself: How can I make my paid, owned, and earned media so compelling that people can’t help but share it? That’s where the real magic happens.