Integrating Paid, Owned, and Earned Media: An FAQ for Modern Marketers

Our recent threat report got picked up by Forbes and the BBC. How do we capitalize on this earned media?

Garnering attention from major publications like Forbes and the BBC is a significant achievement for your brand's credibility. To maximize the impact of this earned media, you should strategically amplify it using your paid and owned channels. This extends the life of the coverage and leverages its authority to build trust with a wider audience.

Here’s how to capitalize on the mentions:

• Launch Paid Social Campaigns: Create targeted ad campaigns on platforms like LinkedIn showcasing the earned media. Use ad copy such as, "As featured in Forbes" and visuals that include the publication logos.
• Incorporate into Other Paid Efforts: Update your existing paid search and display ad copy to include phrases like "Praised by the BBC." This social proof can significantly increase click-through rates (CTR) and lend credibility to your ads.
• Showcase on Owned Media: Feature the logos of Forbes and the BBC prominently on your website's homepage and relevant product or resource pages. Create a blog post that summarizes the coverage and links to the articles.
• Retarget Engaged Audiences: Create campaigns to retarget users who have engaged with your earned media content. If someone reads the Forbes article, you can follow up with ads that guide them toward a related white paper or a demo request.

What's the best way to amplify a high-performing organic social post with paid budget?

When an organic social media post performs exceptionally well, it's a clear signal that the content resonates with your audience. Using a paid budget to amplify it is a cost-effective way to expand its reach and impact.

1. Identify Your Winner: Monitor your organic posts for high engagement rates (likes, comments, and especially shares). Wait 24-48 hours after posting to gather initial performance data before deciding to boost.
2. Choose the Right Objective: Instead of just "boosting" the post, create a dedicated paid campaign with a specific goal, such as Awareness, Engagement, or Traffic.
3. Define Your Audience: Go beyond your existing followers. Use targeting capabilities on platforms like LinkedIn to reach users based on job titles, company sizes, and industries, or create lookalike audiences based on your CRM data.
4. Allocate Budget and Monitor: Allocate a budget that aligns with the post's importance. Focus on optimizing the audience and bidding strategy to maximize your return on ad spend.

How can we use our owned media (blog, reports) to fuel our paid campaigns?

Your owned media, such as in-depth blog posts, internal research, and white papers, are invaluable assets for your paid campaigns. This content establishes your authority and provides the value needed to turn prospects into leads.

• Identify High-Value Content: Start with a substantial piece of owned content that provides unique insights, like an internal research report or a comprehensive guide.
• Create Gated Content for Lead Capture: Offer the full report in exchange for contact information. This is highly effective on LinkedIn using Document Ads, which allow users to preview the first few pages before filling out a form.
• Build a Dedicated Paid Campaign: Use LinkedIn Document Ads for targeted segments or Google Demand Gen campaigns to promote the report across YouTube and Gmail.
• Nurture the Leads: Once a user downloads the report, enroll them in an email nurture sequence that provides additional value and guides them toward a sales conversation.

How can we leverage high-performing content and positive press mentions in our paid ad strategy?

Combining your best-performing content and positive press mentions into your paid ad strategy is a powerful way to increase efficiency and build trust.

Leveraging High-Performing Content

• Build Dedicated Campaigns: Construct a formal campaign around your top content to gain full control over targeting and bidding.
• Use Advanced Targeting: Amplify your content's reach by targeting new, high-value segments like LinkedIn's predictive audiences.
• Refresh Creatives: Plan to refresh ad copy and visuals to fight creative fatigue and maintain effectiveness.

Leveraging Positive Press and Earned Media

Positive mentions in major publications act as powerful social proof, providing third-party validation that is often more trusted than direct advertising.

• Incorporate Logos and Quotes: Create ad variations featuring publication logos with "As Featured In" text.
• Mention Endorsements in Ad Copy: Weave mentions into your headlines, such as "Our 2026 Outlook Report, Featured in Forbes."
• Create a "Praise" Landing Page: Direct traffic to a landing page that aggregates your best press mentions to reinforce credibility.
• Amplify with Retargeting: Use ads highlighting positive press to retarget users who have already visited your site.

How do we get our PR, content marketing, and paid media teams aligned?

Aligning these functions ensures a cohesive brand narrative and maximizes ROI. A collaborative approach acts as a force multiplier.

1. Establish Shared Goals and Metrics: Align all teams toward top-level business objectives like generating MQLs or influencing pipeline.
2. Create a Unified Calendar: Share editorial and PR calendars so the paid media team can proactively plan campaigns around new content and media wins.
3. Regular Meeting Cadence: Hold regular syncs to review performance, discuss upcoming initiatives, and share insights.
4. Build a Feedback Loop: PR and Content should share successes for amplification; Paid should share data on which messaging resonates best.
5. Define a Consistent Brand Message: Ensure the core brand message remains consistent across all paid, owned, and earned media.

When we get a backlink from a major publication, how can we leverage that in our paid ads to build trust?

A backlink from a major publication is a powerful form of social proof that can significantly boost the credibility of your paid ads.

• Feature Logos and Quotes in Ad Creative: Use "As Featured In" or "Praised By" variants in your display and social ads.
• Incorporate Mentions into Ad Copy: Use headlines like "Threat Report Featured in Forbes" to capture attention in search results.
• Create a "Praise" Landing Page: Display logos and pull-out quotes on a dedicated landing page to build trust before asking for a conversion.
• Run Retargeting Campaigns: Use positive press coverage to target previous site visitors and encourage them to convert.

How do we track the influence of earned media on our lead generation efforts?

While measuring direct ROI is complex, you can demonstrate impact through several tracking methods:

• Monitor Referral Traffic: Track direct traffic from the referring article in Google Analytics.
• Analyze Traffic Spikes: Correlate publication dates with lifts in organic and direct website traffic.
• Track Branded Search Volume: Monitor Google Search Console for increases in searches for your brand name after key mentions.
• Use Multi-Touch Attribution: See how many conversion paths included a visit from an earned media placement.
• Implement UTM Parameters: Use tracking links when sharing earned media across your own social and email channels.
• Ask on Your Forms: Use "How did you hear about us?" fields to get direct qualitative feedback from leads.

What's the process for turning an internal research report into a full-fledged marketing campaign?

An original research report establishes thought leadership and provides foundation for an integrated campaign.

1. Pre-Launch: Strategic Planning

• Define goals (leads, awareness) and KPIs.
• Identify the target audience (ICP).
• Build a dedicated landing page with a clear CTA.

2. Launch: Multi-Channel Promotion

• Owned Media: Announce on the blog, social channels, and email.
• Paid Media: Use LinkedIn Document Ads and Google Demand Gen campaigns.
• PR Outreach: Pitch findings to industry journalists and influencers.

3. Post-Launch: Nurture and Repurpose

• Lead Nurturing: Enroll downloaders in an automated email sequence.
• Repurpose Content: Create blog series, webinars, infographics, and short-form videos to extend the asset's life.