Earned media is the free publicity your brand gets from media coverage, glowing customer reviews, social media shout-outs, and old-fashioned word-of-mouth. It’s that recognition your brand “earns” without spending money.
Unlike paid media, where you’re in full control of the message and promotion, earned media relies on how well your brand resonates with others to get noticed by independent sources or publications.
So, why is earned media so priceless? Simply put it helps to build trust.
Consumers tend to believe personal recommendations and third-party endorsements more than they do traditional ads. This trust factor is exactly what makes earned media so powerful in shaping a brand’s reputation. After all, people are more likely to pay attention to a friend’s glowing review or a mention in the media than they are to a sponsored post or ad.
On the flip side, paid media involves putting your money where your mouth to promote content through ads, sponsored posts, or partnerships. This type of media lets you control the message, the timing, and target your audience, making it ideal for quick visibility, product awareness, or boosting sales. However, its success still hinges on having top-notch content and pinpointing the right audience.
As far as we are concerned, a winning media strategy blends both earned and paid media. Paid media gets the word out quickly, especially for product launches or flash promotions, while earned media builds long-term credibility and trust. By combining the two, you can also strengthen relationships with media outlets, who thrive on both advertising revenue and earned media coverage. When you amplify earned media with paid promotions, it can ensure your press coverage reaches your targeted audience.
After three decades in the media game, we’ve picked up a few tips for making the most of both earned and paid media:
- Use paid media to amplify key announcements: pair important news with paid media partnerships to expand your reach and target the right audience.
- Support major campaigns with advertisements: for larger campaigns, combine earned media coverage with paid ads, like a background ad on a webpage, to boost visibility.
- Retarget earned media audience: serve paid ads to users who engage with earned media, helping move them further down the funnel (for example, inviting them to a webinar or offering a discount).
- Combine influencers and editorial: a mix of media coverage and influencer endorsements expands your reach and boosts credibility.
- Repurpose earned content for paid ads: transform PR stories or press releases into ad-friendly formats like videos or blog posts to maximise their lifespan.
When you master the art of blending earned and paid media, you’ll create a strategy that builds trust, drives action, and amplifies your brand’s reach.
Mary-Anne Boustany, Account Director, Primary Communication
