In a world where it’s never been easier to publish content and never harder to be heard, visibility without strategy often becomes noise. When it comes to building sustainable influence, one of the most important questions leaders should consider is: Who actually owns the relationship with my audience?
At Zilker Media we like to divide media into three core categories that every brand leader should understand: rented, earned, and owned. This distinction is worth understanding if you want to build a scalable brand that isn’t entirely dependent on algorithms.
Rented Media: Visibility Without Control
Rented media is any platform where you can publish your message, but don’t own the relationship with the audience. Think social media, display ads, and sponsored content. You might control what your Instagram or LinkedIn followers see on your profile, but you don’t control who actually sees it. The algorithm decides that for you. Even the most well-made social media presence will be nearly useless if it doesn’t appear when someone prompts ChatGPT with your name. And while consistent branding can go a long way to help with this, especially keeping your name consistent across platforms, the algorithm still has the final say.
As such, it’s essential to keep in mind that while rented platforms can be valuable tools, they’re essentially leased real estate. If the platform shifts its algorithm, your reach can diminish quickly. If your account gets restricted or shut down, that direct line to your audience is gone. With ads, you’re paying for attention rather than building lasting relationships. When you stop paying, your reach disappears.
Earned Media: Authority You Can’t Buy
Earned media occupies a unique position in terms of credibility. It’s what happens when a third party invites you onto their platform because they value what you have to say—think podcast interviews, speaking opportunities, and name-brand awards. These opportunities come through reputation rather than payment, and that’s part of what makes them valuable. You can’t shortcut your way into earned media; it must be genuinely earned.
Earned media takes time to develop; you can’t control when someone will invite you onto their platform, but you can control what you do with that opportunity. When you’re invited to share your message through an established platform, you benefit from its existing authority and audience.
This can really help you get a leg up in LLM and Google searches alike. As long as your earned media platform has some sort of digital presence, your name is quite literally connected to it. When someone looks you up, the search engine will cite them as a source.
Awards are especially powerful in this respect. Awards like the Inc. 5000, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and Austin Business Journal’s Best CEO are considered name-brand awards. They can reinforce credibility with your brand for years to come if remarketed properly and can give you the momentum to garner more credibility on other platforms.
Owned Media: A Marketing Hotline
If earned media represents your credibility, owned media serves as your foundation. Your email list, website, podcast, and blog are examples of owned platforms. These are channels where you not only own the content—you own the relationship. No algorithms deciding your reach. No gatekeepers controlling access. Just you and your audience.
What makes owned media particularly valuable is that it allows you to build trust over time. When someone subscribes to your newsletter, they’re choosing to have a deeper relationship with your company. When they regularly return to your podcast or blog, they’re doing so because they want to, not because the algorithm serves it to them.
However, this brings us to the issue of quality. You cannot expect your audience to engage with any piece of content you serve them. They came to you for a reason, and it’s up to you to keep giving them a reason. Owned media is your opportunity to deliver content that encourages your customers to stay, even in the absence of a professional relationship (Though that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try) and gives you the opportunity to build trust through consistency, without having to pay for access to their attention each and every time.
No Silver Bullet, Just Consistency and Trust
It’s natural to hope for a single “big break” or viral moment that launches your business into the spotlight. But sustainable visibility typically works differently.
In an era where AI-generated content has flooded the internet, what often sets people apart isn’t just volume—it’s authenticity. It’s showing up consistently, with content that reflects your genuine expertise, delivered on platforms you own and stages you’ve earned. Real influence isn’t necessarily about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being a trusted one.
However, a commitment to authenticity doesn’t mean abandoning tactical approaches to marketing. Trust remains essential, but you’ll still need to work through rented media to make initial connections—word of mouth only goes so far. Working the algorithm can help ensure your authentic content reaches the people who genuinely want to hear it, creating a bridge between online platforms and the owned media relationships you’re building.
So instead of asking “How can I get more followers?” consider asking, “How can I build meaningful connections that I can own, develop, and maintain over time?”
That’s the approach of someone thinking strategically about their influence. And it’s how thoughtful leaders build lasting presence in our increasingly digital world.