What is earned media?
Earned media is publicity you cannot buy. A news story about your launch, a critic's review, a creator mentioning your product unprompted, a customer sharing your film, a podcast host recommending you: all of it is earned, because someone else chose to talk about you. It is one third of the classic paid, owned and earned model, alongside paid media (advertising) and owned media (your own website, social accounts and newsletters).
Earned media is always the result of something else: a story worth telling, a product worth recommending, a piece of work worth sharing. PR, content and creative are the tools for creating those conditions.
Why it matters
Why earned media matters
People trust what others say about a brand more than what the brand says about itself. A positive article in a respected publication or a genuine recommendation from someone they follow carries a credibility that advertising cannot buy. Earned media also tends to travel: coverage gets shared, mentions lead to more mentions, and links from reputable sites help a brand's search visibility.
It is also efficient. A strong earned moment can reach more people than an expensive media buy, though it is never guaranteed and cannot be controlled the way paid placements can.
In practice
How earned media works in practice
- 01
Earned media starts with something worth talking about. That might be news (a launch, a partnership, a milestone), a point of view (research, an opinion, a bold stance), a piece of work that stands out on its own, or an experience people want to share. The PR team shapes the story, identifies the journalists, creators and communities who care about it, and pitches it with the materials they need: releases, images, films and access to spokespeople.
- 02
On social, earned media comes from content designed to be shared and from communities given a reason to talk. Results are tracked through coverage reports, share of voice, mentions, referral traffic and sentiment, and the best earned stories are often amplified with paid media to reach further.
At RIOT
Earned media at RIOT
Some of our work is made to be picked up and passed on. When the Washington Commanders revealed their mascot, Major Tuddy, the reveal and our "Making the Mascot" documentary were built to give fans and the press a story to tell, which is what earned media needs before anything else.
Watch out
What people get wrong about earned media
Thinking it is free. Earned media carries no media cost, but it takes time, skill, relationships and usually real investment in the story, the creative or the research behind it. Nothing gets covered just because a brand wants it to be.
The second mistake is pitching news that is not news. Journalists and creators receive endless announcements, and a minor update dressed up as a breakthrough damages the relationship for next time.
Finally, brands forget that earned media cannot be controlled. Coverage may include criticism, reviews may be mixed and a share can come with a sharp comment. That is the price of credibility.
