Imagine waking up to a flood of orders because a YouTuber raved about your product overnight. You didn’t buy an ad, pitch a journalist, or hit publish on a press release, yet your brand is everywhere. That attention is called earned media.
Here’s the problem: most brands treat these moments as happy accidents. They dump budget into paid ads, but still struggle to build the trust and buzz that a single authentic shout-out can generate. Worse, they’re unprepared to capture the surge when unexpected coverage finally hits.
The solution is a deliberate earned-media strategy that makes organic mentions more likely and ensures you capitalise on them when they arrive.
In this guide, learn how earned media works, why it matters, and how to generate it to improve your company’s reputation and visibility.
What is Earned Media?
Earned media, also known as free media, refers to content published by a third party that isn’t paid for or sponsored. It’s the publicity or exposure a company gains organically, often driven by its reputation, products, or services.
Examples of Earned Media
Key examples of earned media include:
- Feature articles or news stories
- Guest appearances on podcasts or TV shows
- Mentions or quotes in media outlets
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Online discussions
- Organic influencer marketing
- Event coverage
Earned Media vs. Paid and Owned Media
Paid media involves advertising, affiliate marketing, and sponsored content, where a company invests money to expand its reach and increase conversions.
Owned media refers to content the company creates and controls, such as its websites, blogs, and social media channels.
Unlike paid and owned media, earned media is unsolicited. It reflects organic interest rather than direct investment or company control.
When to Use Which Type of Media
The type of media your company invests in will depend on factors such as its goals and timelines.
Paid Media
Paid media works best when you need fast, measurable results, such as when launching a new product, promoting a sale, or targeting a specific audience. You can track performance and adjust strategies quickly with clear metrics, making it ideal for campaigns with specific objectives and shorter timelines.
Owned Media
Owned media builds long-term relationships with your audience through direct engagement. It’s an effective option when you want full control over your message, such as managing a PR crisis or gradually increasing loyalty without ongoing ad spend.
Earned Media
Earned media is the best option when credibility and trust are your top priorities. It’s ideal for building a positive reputation, increasing brand awareness, and driving organic reach without direct investment.
Why Earned Media Matters
Here’s why you need an earned media strategy:
Builds Credibility and Trust
Unlike paid advertising, which consumers recognise as promotional and may view as insincere, earned media feels more authentic because it comes from independent voices like customers, journalists, and industry experts.
As consumer trust continues to decline, largely due to misleading advertising, misinformation, and manipulative marketing practices, many people are turning to genuine third-party validation for guidance.
They want honest opinions from real people, such as those posted on review platforms, who have no vested interest in promoting a product rather than carefully crafted marketing campaigns.
Similarly, when a brand is featured in respected outlets, it gains more credibility than what’s generally possible through self-promotional marketing tactics.
Drives Organic Reach and Engagement
Earned media increases a brand’s visibility by tapping into third-party audiences and networks without direct advertising costs.
When a reputable publication features your product or an influencer shares information about your company on their channels, that content can be liked, shared, and discussed, spreading naturally across social media platforms.
This kind of exposure reaches people who often tune out paid ads because it carries an implicit endorsement from someone they trust. For instance, a positive review on a popular blog can spark conversation, generate website traffic, and lead to more media opportunities without ad spend.
Supports SEO and Brand Visibility
Earned media and SEO work hand in hand. Coverage from reputable websites and online publications often includes backlinks, which signal to search engines that your site is a credible source of information. These backlinks boost your website’s authority and improve its rankings.
Social signals, such as mentions, shares, likes, and comments, although not direct ranking factors, also amplify content reach, increase backlinks, and improve website traffic, making it easier for potential customers to find your brand online.
A cycle can also emerge, as strong SEO helps your content get discovered and cited by third parties, further increasing your company’s earned media opportunities.
Channels and Types of Earned Media
There are many ways to tap into earned media to increase your brand’s awareness and attract customers.
Press Coverage and News Mentions
Mentions in news outlets, trade publications, or industry blogs are classic examples of earned media that can introduce your company to new audiences and help its credibility.
Earned media includes any unpaid feature, including a product spotlight in a shopping roundup or a company mention in a news story.
Social Media Shares and Virality
Earned media on social platforms happens when satisfied customers and fans share their genuine experiences with your brand.
When content resonates, it can quickly gain momentum, getting liked, commented on, and reshared across various platforms and demographics, expanding its reach far beyond the original audience.
Reviews, Testimonials, and Word of Mouth
Customer reviews, even brief ones on platforms like Yelp, Google, and Amazon, influence purchasing decisions. Positive reviews are user-generated content (UGC) that builds trust and encourages new customers to interact with a brand.
With permission, these reviews can be showcased as testimonials on your website or in advertisements, adding real-world proof of your product’s value and helping to convert interest into sales.
Influencer and Blogger Mentions
Followers often view influencers as trusted friends, so authentic endorsements from them carry significant persuasive power.
While most influencer marketing involves paid partnerships, organic mentions are a valuable form of earned media. These occur when influencers talk about your brand without direct compensation, often because they genuinely like your products or services.
Forums, Communities, and Third-Party Citations
Online forums, niche communities, and third-party platforms shape consumer opinions by allowing customers to share opinions and recommend products or services based on their real experiences.
Organic mentions in industry-specific communities or expert groups can aid your company’s reputation, while being cited in independent reports, whitepapers, or academic research strengthens your authority by associating your brand with credible, trusted sources.
How to Generate Earned Media
Here are some key strategies to help you generate earned media for your business.
Create Newsworthy, Shareable Content
Generating earned media starts with producing content your target audience values enough to share or that attracts media coverage.
Focus on timely topics and industry trends relevant to your audience, using tools like Google Trends.
To build credibility, support your content with objective facts and original data, surveys, or case studies, avoiding personal opinions or promotional language.
Research from the NYT shows people share to entertain friends, express identity, build connections, fulfil emotional needs, or support causes. Capitalise on this by crafting content that sparks conversations, like thought-provoking questions, polls, or user-generated challenges.
Finally, keep your content fresh by regularly updating it, so media outlets have new insights to reference.
Build Relationships with Journalists and Influencers
Start by researching journalists and influencers who align with your industry and audience. Reach out with personalised pitches that clearly show how your news fits their beat or content style.
Consistently providing valuable and unique information encourages journalists to return to your company as a trusted source, expanding your earned media opportunities.
For influencers, focus on ongoing engagement and interact with their content, providing genuine value without asking for coverage.
A key example of this strategy is airline Ryanair, which regularly interacts with its audience through comments on popular posts, particularly on Instagram and TikTok. It uses humour and self-awareness to stay top-of-mind with both creators and followers.
This kind of relationship-building increases the chances of organic mentions and shoutouts.
Leverage PR Campaigns and Events
Strategic PR campaigns and live events are powerful tools for generating earned media coverage. To maximise this, create compelling stories for journalists, bloggers, and attendees to share on their platforms.
Monitor media mentions in real time using tools like Google Alerts or PR reporting tools that offer real-time media tracking, sentiment analysis, and customisable reports.
Pay attention to unsolicited coverage, such as quotes, summaries, or shoutouts that stem directly from your campaign or event presence.
Assess the sentiment and source of each mention, and identify which media outlets, influencers, or attendees helped expand your reach. Then, mentions can be categorised by outlet credibility and audience size.
By analysing this data, you can better understand what types of stories or experiences spark third-party attention. This will allow you to refine your messaging and event strategy for even more impactful coverage next time.
Monitor Trends and React Quickly
Staying on top of current trends allows your brand to participate in relevant conversations. Use tools like Google Trends to identify what your audience is paying attention to in real time.
When appropriate, craft quick responses like expert commentary, short-form content, or relevant statistics that media outlets or online communities can pick up and reference.
Speed matters. Journalists and creators often seek timely insights or quotes when covering breaking stories or viral topics. By responding quickly with credible, well-framed input, your brand becomes a go-to source for commentary, increasing your chances of being cited organically in articles, blog posts, and social media conversations.
Optimise Your Owned Media for Sharing
While earned media comes from others, you can influence it by making your owned content easy and appealing to share.
Create high-quality, engaging assets with clear visuals, concise messaging, and valuable information that are designed for social platforms. Include built-in sharing tools, like click-to-tweet quotes or social share buttons, on blog posts, landing pages, and newsletters.
You can also encourage more reviews by allowing customers to share feedback through automated post-purchase messages or follow-up emails with direct links to review sites.
Measuring the Impact of Earned Media
Earned media is measured differently from other forms of media, like paid ads or owned content. Its value lies in organic visibility, third-party credibility, and audience engagement rather than direct control or spending.
Key Metrics to Track
To evaluate earned media performance, track:
- Media reach: Estimate the number of people who saw the coverage based on the publication’s audience or social impressions.
- Sentiment analysis: Classify mentions as positive, neutral, or negative to assess the brand perception.
- Engagement: Measure shares, likes, comments, backlinks, or click-throughs from third-party sources.
- Share of voice: Compare your brand’s media presence to competitors in your industry.
Tools for Monitoring and Analysis
Media monitoring tools help simplify how you track, evaluate, and report on earned media.
Tools like myMedia offer detailed insights on media coverage, including sentiment and reach, so you can evaluate how your product launches, events, or press releases perform, and use this information to refine your PR strategy and identify high-impact channels.
Similarly, myStories tracks how journalists interact with your press releases and which stories generate media coverage. This helps identify what content results in earned media mentions, allowing you to refine your outreach for better unpaid exposure.
How to Attribute Value to Earned Media
Connect exposure to tangible business outcomes to demonstrate the true impact of earned media.
Start by tracking referral traffic from media mentions using tools like UTM codes or analytics dashboards. This shows which placements drove visitors to your site and how they engaged once there.
Go further by linking earned coverage to key performance indicators such as product sales, sign-ups, or lead conversions. Press release distribution services can provide analytics showing who viewed or shared your story, making it easier to assess reach and engagement.
Although direct ROI can be harder to quantify than with paid campaigns, combining hard metrics with qualitative insights like sentiment, credibility, and brand visibility provides a more comprehensive view of earned media’s value.
Challenges of Earned Media
Despite its benefits, earned media can be difficult to capitalise on, and companies should be aware of several obstacles.
Lack of Control Over Message
Since third parties create earned media, you can’t control how your brand is portrayed. Manage this risk by sharing press kits, fact sheets, and talking points that clearly outline your message.
Cultivating long-term relationships with journalists and influencers can make them more likely to present your brand accurately.
Difficulty in Measuring ROI
Setting up detailed tracking methods, such as referral codes and conversion tracking, can allow you to monitor how media coverage drives specific user actions on your site.
Also, pay attention to softer indicators, such as shifts in brand perception and audience sentiment, which contribute to long-term value and help contextualise ROI by showing the broader influence of earned media on brand health and loyalty.
Potential for Negative Publicity
Negative coverage can harm your brand’s reputation, but responding quickly and transparently helps control the impact. Address concerns openly and use feedback to improve, turning challenges into opportunities to build trust.
Respond promptly to media inquiries and offer subject-matter experts for interviews to help steer the narrative in a positive direction.
Real-World Examples of Earned Media Success
The following examples show how brands can effectively generate earned media.
Spotify Wrapped
Spotify Wrapped highlights how earned media can amplify brand awareness without paid advertising. Each December, Spotify offers users a personalised recap of their listening habits, encouraging millions to share their unique stats on social media. This generates huge amounts of user-driven content and widespread media coverage.
The campaign creates an interactive experience that taps into users’ desire to express themselves and connect with others, turning customers into brand ambassadors.
Spotify Wrapped demonstrates that earned media grows naturally when content is genuinely valuable and easy to share, delivering far greater reach and credibility than paid efforts alone.
Patagonia’s Environmental Activism
Patagonia earns significant media coverage primarily through authentic journalism rather than traditional advertising.
The company’s anti-consumerism message, exemplified by the 2011 “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, attracted widespread press attention because it challenged conventional retail narratives.
Instead of paid ads, Patagonia gained valuable earned media from respected publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian, which reported on the campaign’s environmental message and business impact.
Patagonia’s ongoing environmental activism continues to generate media coverage that is editorially driven and highly credible.
Patagonia shows how earned media can be cultivated effectively when companies focus on authentic, newsworthy initiatives that resonate deeply with journalists and their audiences.
Learn More About Earned Media
Earned media is a powerful way to build authentic trust and expand your brand’s reach through third-party endorsements.
However, earned media can take time to see results, giving your company less control over its message. Use it as part of your broader strategy, with paid media driving immediate visibility, owned media maintaining your brand presence, and earned media improving trust and influence naturally.
Efficiently implement an earned media approach within your company with Newspress, and book a demo to see how our tools can help you monitor coverage, engage the right media contacts, and measure the actual impact of your efforts.
