earned media
Publicity gained through merit, such as news coverage, reviews and shares, rather than paid placements or owned channels.
Definition
Earned media is attention an organization receives without paying for placement: articles, mentions, reviews, word of mouth and social sharing. It is often trusted more than advertising because an independent party chose to cover it, but it is less controllable and cannot be guaranteed. It is commonly contrasted with paid media, which is bought, and owned media, such as your own website and newsletter. Many strategies combine the three. Track coverage by relevance and message pickup as well as by count, because one article in a key publication can outweigh many minor mentions.
In a sentence
The product's launch earned coverage in two industry magazines.
Earned media amplified the paid campaign.
