Earned vs Paid Media: A Founder's Guide
What you actually control with each type of coverage, how long it lasts, and how to budget across them as an early-stage company.
The Three Types of Media
Earned media is coverage a journalist chooses to write. You don't pay for the placement, only the outreach that earns it. Paid media is advertorial or sponsored content. Owned media is your own blog and social channels.
What You Control
With earned media you control the pitch and the press release, but not whether it runs or how it's framed. With paid placements you control the headline, the link, and the messaging, but readers and Google can tell the difference.
How Early-Stage Companies Should Budget
Start with earned media: a $150 PR distribution per release gives you real journalist outreach and a coverage report. Layer in one or two paid placements on marquee outlets for anchor content you control. Spend on owned media (your blog) consistently. It's the asset that compounds.
Written by
Digital24 PR Team
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