Earned Media Versus Paid: Which One to Choose?

What’s the difference between earned media and paid media, and why does it matter anyway? There is a pretty significant difference between earned media and paid media, and it definitely matters. Earned media is exactly what it sounds like. It’s media attention that you have earned from sending out press releases, or an activity that organically earns you media attention. In other words, it’s true public relations, as opposed to advertising.

Paid media is advertising. It means that you’ve paid a news outlet or other organization to shine the spotlight on your brand. That could be a commercial or video ad, it could be a sponsorship of a show or sending your products in to a news magazine show with a fee that says you want them to advertise your products on the air (also known as product placement).

The reason why this matters is because your budget can sometimes be the deciding factor in whether to go the earned versus paid route. There are usually more upfront costs to the paid media route, but you have to consider the risk either way you go.

Photo Credit: Alexander Grey

Let’s take the news magazine show that wants to use or showcase your products, as an example. You may pay a couple of hundred dollars to participate in this opportunity, but if the show has low viewership and little to no social media presence, it’s probably not going to be the best investment for your business. Contrast that with being featured in a popular magazine that is read by millions of people every month. If the article is made available on the magazine’s website, in print, and the magazine promotes the article on its social media platforms, that would be a better investment. When it comes to product placement, you have to factor in the cost of supplying and parting ways with and shipping samples or full size products. You have to really consider what you can afford to do, and what activities would resonate better with your audience.

Photo Credit: Edge2Edge Media

At the end of the day, being in business is all about weighing the risks. During some seasons of your business, it may be more advantageous to go the earned media route and send out a press release to some targeted news outlets. In other cases, it may be worth it to advertise. You have to weigh the cost of providing products, time, logistics, and in some cases, travel and lodging expenses as well. Is it worth it for your brand? It all depends on the goal that you have in mind at the time. You have to ask yourself what your participation would accomplish, whichever route you choose.

I’d love to present you with some tailored opportunities that will show you how to decide between earned and paid media for your particular situation. I’ll use real examples so that you’re aware of what’s really out there waiting for you, and how you can benefit.

Grab a paid consultation and I’ll show you some real opportunities that you can help you accomplish your immediate goals.