Earned Actions

Earned actions are unpaid user behaviors on social media that amplify your content, like shares, comments, saves, retweets, tags, mentions, and user-generated content. They happen because users genuinely find your content valuable.

When someone shares your post or tags a friend without you paying them, that's an earned action.

Why Earned Actions Matter

✅ Free distribution: Each share expands reach without ad spend

✅ Built-in trust: People trust friend recommendations far more than brand messaging

✅ Algorithm boost: Platforms prioritize content with high engagement

✅ Compounding effect: One share leads to more shares

Types of Earned Actions

Earned vs. Paid vs. Owned

Strategy: Create valuable owned content, use paid to jumpstart reach, optimize for earned to multiply results.

What Drives Earned Actions

Emotional Triggers

• 😂 Humor (most-shared)
• 😮 Surprise and unexpected insights
• 🥺 Inspiration and relatability
• 😢 Empathy and vulnerability

Practical Value

• How-to tutorials
• Checklists and templates
• Industry insights
• Money/time-saving strategies

Social Currency

Content that makes people look good by sharing:

• Insider knowledge
• Early access to trends
• Contrarian takes
• Niche humor

Identity and Belonging

• "Tag a marketer who needs this"
• "Only runners will understand"
• Signals values and interests

Optimizing for Earned Actions

For Shares:

• Make it emotionally resonant
• Include clear, shareable message
• Use native content formats
• Platform-appropriate humor

For Comments:

• Ask direct questions
• Create polarizing statements (carefully)
• Use fill-in-the-blank formats
• Respond to early comments quickly

For Saves:

• Create reference-worthy content (lists, tutorials)
• Add "Save this for later" text
• Pack dense, actionable value
• Use carousel posts

For Tags:

• Use "Tag a friend who..." CTAs
• Create relatable scenarios
• Make inside jokes for communities
• Run tag-to-enter contests

Earned Actions by Platform

Measuring Earned Actions

📊 Earned action rate: (Shares + Saves + Comments) ÷ Reach × 100

📊 Earned reach: People who saw content through shares (not paid/organic follower reach)

📊 Amplification rate: Shares ÷ Total followers × 100

📊 Conversation rate: Comments ÷ Total reach × 100

📊 Virality score: (Shares × avg. followers per sharer) ÷ Original reach

Common Mistakes

Overly promotional content - Nobody shares ads

Asking without earning - "Like and share!" on mediocre content doesn't work

Ignoring platform norms - LinkedIn content on TikTok fails

Not responding - When people comment and you ignore them, they stop engaging

Playing it too safe - Bland content gets zero earned actions

Earned Action Tactics

Tag-a-Friend Framework

"Tag a friend who [specific relatable behavior]"

Save-Optimized Carousels

5-10 slides of high-value content (Instagram/LinkedIn)

Contrarian Takes

Challenge conventional wisdom to spark debate

Behind-the-Scenes

Show failures, struggles, real processes

Meme Remixes

Adapt trending memes to your niche

Data Visualizations

Original research presented visually

Interactive Polls

Direct questions inviting personal responses

Tools for Tracking

Platform-native analytics:

• Instagram Insights: Saves, shares, profile visits
• TikTok Analytics: Shares, watch time
• LinkedIn Analytics: Shares, comments
• Twitter Analytics: Retweets, quote tweets
• Facebook Insights: Shares, reactions

Third-party tools:

• Hootsuite/Buffer: Cross-platform tracking
• Sprout Social: Detailed engagement reports
• Brandwatch: Social listening for UGC
• Mention: Track earned mentions across web

Related Terms

• Engagement Rate - Overall audience interaction percentage
• Organic Reach - Non-paid distribution amplified by earned actions
• User-Generated Content - Specific earned action type
• Viral Content - Content achieving massive earned actions

Bottom line: Earned actions are the difference between content that sits there and content that spreads. Create content worth sharing, saving, or commenting on.