Shared Media Strategy in 2025: Tips, Trends & Tactics
Of all the channels and tools public relations (PR) professionals have at their disposal, shared media may be the one that changes the fastest. It also remains one of the most important: 46% of PR professionals say shares are one of the most important metrics for gauging the success of their social media strategy. But gaining those shares isn’t always easy.
Artificial intelligence (AI), evolving user behaviors and algorithm updates have changed how brands now connect with audiences. Your shared media strategy needs to adapt in order to cut through all the digital noise, reach the right people and drive business results.
What Is Shared Media Strategy?
Shared media is any content posted on a shared channel, such as social media. It can be shared by the brand itself or users of the shared channel. A shared media strategy guides how you plan, create and optimize content to encourage sharing and engagement from your target audience, making it a key component of content marketing and PR.
Your strategy is made up of various shared media tactics that adapt based on where and how your audience interacts online. For example, B2B companies might prioritize LinkedIn thought leadership pieces, while consumer brands could focus on Instagram and Facebook Reels. To be successful, you need to match your content type and tone to each platform's unique culture and user expectations.
Why You Need an Effective Shared Media Strategy in 2025
It’s simple: The biggest benefit of shared media is that your audience is already there. In 2024, global social media users watched more than 3.4 million YouTube videos and played more than 138 million Reels on Facebook and Instagram per minute. The average user spends 143 minutes per day on social media. Nearly everyone is on some sort of social media, and that means you don’t have to get your audience to change their behaviors or visit an unfamiliar site in order to reach them.
The viral nature of shared media tactics means a single post can reach thousands of potential customers, helping to build brand credibility and trust. Even better than its massive reach, shared media, much like earned media, is essentially free exposure for your organization. It helps you break into new markets without increasing ad spend across paid media channels. Those engaged followers become brand advocates, building communities that foster loyalty and provide valuable insights.
Social Media Algorithms and Shared Media: What to Know
Social media algorithms have become sophisticated decision engines that shape how content spreads across platforms. Understanding these systems helps you create a shared media strategy that naturally gains traction, reaches your target audience and supports your overall PR strategy.
Meta's unified algorithm now weighs emotional resonance alongside engagement metrics. Posts that spark genuine connections get priority in feeds, while content that drives quick, shallow engagement gets filtered out, making emotional storytelling even more important.
X (formerly known as Twitter) now prioritizes content that drives meaningful conversations over quick retweets. The system tracks when shared media leads to productive discussions and rewards content that keeps users engaged. Brands need to focus on starting conversations rather than just broadcasting messages.
TikTok is getting even better at identifying and promoting viral content by analyzing early viewer behavior patterns, including rewatch rates and sharing velocity. Brands need to hook viewers in the first three seconds and maintain that engagement.
LinkedIn now uses AI to evaluate content quality and expertise levels, matching technical posts with audiences who understand the topic and steering introductory content toward newcomers. Creating content for these niches can help it get noticed.
Shared Media Trends Shaping the Future of Social Strategy
Shared media strategy continues to evolve as new technologies and user behaviors emerge. Smart brands are adapting their strategies to leverage these changes and create more engaging, shareable content. Here are the top shared media trends driving success in 2025.
AI-Enhanced Content Creation
AI tools now help PR professionals understand and predict what content will resonate with specific audiences. They can analyze historical sharing patterns and current trends to suggest the best content formats, topics and posting times. Smart editing features can even adjust your content's tone and style to match different platform preferences. Best of all, PR analytics tools can help you prove the impact of your shared media strategy on your organization’s bottom line.
Cross-Platform Content Ecosystems
Content no longer lives in platform silos. The best shared media tips involve creating interconnected content experiences that flow naturally between platforms, such as repurposing blog posts into social media snippets and videos. A press release might spawn multiple content pieces, creating a comprehensive narrative that journalists and audiences can share at multiple touchpoints. In fact, according to the 2024 State of the Media Report, 72% of journalists reported using images provided by a PR professional in the past year, 33% used videos, and 34% used infographics.
Media Relations Evolution
Social engagement is an important factor for establishing your organization's credibility: Journalists increasingly discover and share stories through social channels rather than traditional pitches. The State of the Media Report uncovered that nearly 80% of U.S. journalists use social media to post and promote content, and 72% use it to interact with their audience. When you can get relevant journalists to notice and share your content, your brand wins. This shared media trend has led to a rise in "social-first" press releases, or short-form announcements designed specifically for sharing that link to full releases.
Shared Media Tactics to Add to Your Strategy This Year
In 2025, a successful shared media strategy requires a mix of technical know-how and creative thinking. These proven shared media strategy tips and tactics will help you maximize the impact of your shared content and drive meaningful engagement.
Collaborative Content Creation
The definition of “influencer” is changing, and so are content strategies. In the 2025 Comms Report, PR professionals named employees and everyday consumers as the most impactful influencers to work with. They’re on to something: Employees are natural brand advocates, while collaborating directly with consumers can create authentic stories that encourage sharing. Think of interactive challenges where customers showcase your products in creative ways, like the #ShareYourEars campaign from Disney.
Community-Led Content Programs
Here’s another way to connect with everyday consumers: Empower your most engaged followers to become content creators for your brand. Develop ambassador programs that provide exclusive access and creative tools to your biggest fans. Their authentic voices often resonate more strongly than branded content.
Integrated Media Strategies
Your media strategy works best when all elements support each other. Use paid media to amplify high-performing content to similar audiences. When your press releases generate earned media coverage, share those stories across your social channels and encourage followers to spread the word further. And don’t forget to post stories on your owned channels, like your website, blog or online newsroom.
Real-Time Responses
Quick, authentic responses to trending topics can drive significant shares, especially when combined with paid and earned media strategies to boost visibility and engagement. Build a response system that lets you evaluate and act on trending moments and keep a content template library ready for fast customization when opportunities arise. You’ll follow in the footsteps of brands like Nike, Wendy’s, Burger King and Starbucks, all known for their quick and witty responses and solid shared media strategies.
Build a Shared Media Strategy That Drives Results
A well-executed shared media strategy amplifies your brand's voice through the authentic endorsement of your audience and contributes to the long-term success of your broader marketing and PR strategy. When you combine compelling content with strategic distribution and community engagement, you create a powerful engine for organic growth.
If you’re ready to put these shared media tips into action, PR Newswire can help you maximize your impact with our comprehensive suite of tools and services. From crafting shareable multimedia content to measuring its performance, we provide the expertise and technology you need to succeed in 2025's digital landscape. Get in touch today and let our team help you build a strategy that turns your audience into active brand advocates.
FAQs
What are some examples of shared media?
Shared media includes social media posts from your brand, posts that users forward to their networks, user-generated content featuring your brand and articles shared across platforms. It can include everything from Instagram Stories and LinkedIn articles to X and Reddit threads that your audience spreads organically.
How do I create a shared media strategy?
Start by identifying where your target audience spends time online and what content they typically share. Set clear goals, develop content that adds value to conversations and make sharing easy. Remember to analyze your results and adjust your approach based on performance data.
What type of content gets the most shares?
Content that triggers emotional responses, solves problems or provides unique insights tends to get shared most often. Visual content like infographics and short videos perform particularly well, especially when they tell compelling stories or offer practical value to viewers.
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