Spin Sucks 130: A PESO Model Primer for 2021 - a podcast by The FIR Podcast Network Everything Feed

Welcome back, everyone…and welcome to 2021! While I don’t have high expectations of the first six months of this year, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. A big, bright, yellow light in the form of a vaccine that will allow us to eventually go places without masks, see our friends and family again, and, most importantly, hug all the people!

I, for one, cannot wait!

As I am wont to do at the start of each year, we have a PESO Model primer on today’s Spin Sucks podcast episode. Why you need it, why your communications program should evolve, how to measure it, and why executives love it. I mean, love. It’s something they can wrap their arms around and they appreciate knowing what we do isn’t some dark arts magic. They understand how what we do affects their business goals—and how we can measure it, too.

So let’s start this year off with some thoughts on how we might do more with the talents and skills we have in 2021.

What Is an Integrated PESO Model?

The PESO Model takes the four media types—paid, earned, shared, and owned—and merges them together.



Paid Media. Paid media, in this case, doesn’t refer to big, fancy commercials and highly creative print ads. On the contrary, paid media for a communications program is social media advertising, sponsored content, and email marketing.

Earned Media. Earned media is what you know as either publicity or media relations. It’s getting your name in print. Having a newspaper or trade publication write about you. Appearing on the noon news to talk about your product. Appearing on podcasts. It’s what the PR industry is typically known for because it’s one of the few tangible things done. Until now!

Shared Media. Shared media is also known as social media. It’s evolving as well and continues to build beyond just marketing or customer service teams using it. Organizations have begun to use it as their main source of communications internally and externally. It includes not just social networking, but community, partnerships, distribution, and promotion. 

Owned Media. Owned media is otherwise known as content. It is something you own, and it lives on your website or blog. You control the messaging and tell the story in a way you want it told. 



When you integrate the four media types, you may find you also have influencer engagement, partnerships, and incentive programs that extend beyond your internal walls.

And when the PESO Model is working at its best, it can help you establish authority. Authority means you’re a thought leader. Others see you as an expert … even your competitors. And Google links to you on the first page of results because it also sees you as an expert.

This is the golden ticket. But how do you achieve it?

Listen to this week’s episode to learn more.

Resources Included



* CoSchedule

* PESO Model Content Map

* The Communicator’s Playbook

* PR Metrics

* PESO Model Certification

Further episodes of The FIR Podcast Network Everything Feed

Further podcasts by The FIR Podcast Network Everything Feed

Website of The FIR Podcast Network Everything Feed