How to use the PESO Model

Originally published 20/01/22

How to use the PESO Model

As a mortgage broker, you’ll be used to communicating and marketing to your customers in many different ways. But with so much activity going on, it can be difficult to see the bigger picture and how one approach can support another.

That’s where the PESO model - a framework for segmenting your PR activity and looking at it holistically - comes in. PESO stands for Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned, and can help you look at the bigger picture.

By applying the PESO model, you’ll be in a much better position to:

• Plan how to promote your brand
• Engage with existing customers
• Generate leads and prospects
• Develop your public relations 
• Work out your future marketing strategy
• Identify potential gaps in your marketing and PR plan

So let’s take a closer look at each category of the PESO model to get a better understanding of what they are.

Paid Media

This covers any content that you have paid for, from TV and radio advertising to Google ads, promoted posts and advertorials in newspapers and industry publications.

These can be costly marketing tactics for a company, but can be hugely effective in helping you reach a large number of people. However, depending on your organisation's goals, they may not be the best or most targeted options.

Earned Media

As a mortgage broker, you’ll want to develop a good reputation in the market, not only to get word of mouth referrals, but to become a highly regarded name in your industry.

This can lead to you becoming established as a thought leader in your industry, so you may be asked to appear on podcasts or to be interviewed on the news or in a newspaper.

Although this isn’t always content that you’ve created or distributed yourself, it’s a hugely valuable way of boosting your brand visibility and enhancing your reputation.

The category of Earned Media is well named. You don’t become a go-to industry commentator for the wider media without networking with industry and media stakeholders first, and building relationships that will lead to them getting in touch with you.

You can do this by putting yourself out there at industry conferences, networking events, community events and on social media. But this is just part of the equation, as you also need to be saying something different to your competitors, and using these forums to showcase your distinctive proposition and fresh insights.

Learn more: How to make the most of networking events

Shared Media

This is content shared across third party platforms, such as Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram, as well as review sites such as Trustpilot, which rely on engagement from users of these sites.

For example, a person could like a post, comment on your brand, watch a video, engage in a conversation that you’ve started, or click through to your website after you share a link to a specific page.

Shared media also encompasses any partnerships and sponsorships that you’re involved in, which could mean that your content is being shared on pages you don’t own.

Learn more: What social media channel is best for your firm?

Owned Media

In short, this is content that you own and that you have full control over from start to finish. 

This could cover everything from the landing pages and blogs on your website or the podcast you publish to any brand assets that you’ve created, such as your logo and strapline.

These are vital elements that may form part of your wider marketing activity. For instance, a paid ad on social media should incorporate the same imagery as your website, so you can present a consistent brand and ultimately tell the same story.

Learn more: How to safeguard your brand

Putting the PESO Model into Action

Set Goals

Firstly, work out what you want to achieve from your marketing and public relations activity, and make sure each of your goals are specific, measurable and time-specific. That way you can work out whether you’re on course to achieve these goals or if you need to change your strategy.

Create Owned Media

A marketing strategy begins with owned media, such as a brand logo and online content that can be distributed on other platforms. If you decide to go down the road of publishing a regular flow of online content, make sure it’s planned in advance so you can again set measurable goals and track its progress.

Be Consistent

The PESO model works best when each of the four channels work perfectly in tandem with each other. That means you need to tell a consistent brand story and convey your chosen image across all of them.

Be Open-Minded to New Ideas

One of the best elements of the PESO model is that it easily highlights many aspects of marketing and public relations that companies may not previously have thought of.

While some elements of the owned media channel may be high on your agenda, such as creating a brand logo, other facets of the PESO model could easily be overlooked, from being active on review sites to networking with media outlets for example.

But by applying each element, you’ll be in a stronger position to reach the market in a much more well-rounded and effective way.

Learn more: The Ultimate Guide to Broker PR