What is Earned Media?

Earned media is publicity gained through promotional efforts other than paid advertising. Simply put, it's when people talk about your brand organically without you directly paying for the exposure. This could include press coverage, social media mentions, shares, reviews, or word-of-mouth recommendations.

Earned Media in Social Media

On social platforms, earned media manifests as user-generated content featuring your products, organic shares of your posts, mentions in Stories, or public recommendations. Unlike paid social ads or owned channels, earned media carries special credibility because it comes from independent sources.

For example, when a customer posts an unsponsored Instagram Story showing how much they love your coffee shop, or when your clever tweet gets shared thousands of times without promotion—that's earned media working for you.

Earned media serves as social proof, building trust in ways that branded content often can't. According to Nielsen, in its global Trust in Advertising Study, 88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know over any form of advertising. This authentic advocacy drives not only awareness but also conversion—customers acquired through earned media typically have higher lifetime value.