Earned Media Value: Why Should You Care?

⬇️ Prefer to listen instead? ⬇️

🔍 Brands using earned media see higher trust and better long-term retention than with paid media alone.
💸 A single viral UGC video can produce over $40,000 in earned media value, with zero ad spend.
🧮 Measuring EMV with formulas like impressions × CPM connects PR with measurable outcomes.
🎯 Marketing teams who track EMV optimize budget by knowing what works organically.
💬 PR ROI becomes provable when earned media value is calculated and shared cross-functionally.

Every brand wants to be seen. But paying for every click and impression costs a lot. There’s a smarter way to get more reach, trust, and authority without spending all your marketing money. It's called earned media value (EMV). If you understand how to use EMV, whether you're a new or growing brand, it helps you keep attention over time. And it shows how much your unpaid media presence really does.

people recording product reviews on smartphones

What is Earned Media Value (EMV)?

Earned media value (EMV) is how much money media coverage your brand gets is worth, when you didn't pay for it directly. Think of it like free advertising. But it can have a bigger effect. This includes things like social media shoutouts, product reviews, and influencer mentions. It also includes articles in big newspapers or magazines and viral customer videos.

What makes earned media different — and maybe better — is that it comes from being real. You buy attention with paid media. But earned media happens because people talk about your brand on their own. This often means people interact more, remember it longer, and trust it more.

If a national magazine ever wrote about you, or a small influencer gave you an unplanned shoutout, or other leaders in your field shared your content, you got EMV.

person typing on laptop surrounded by media icons

Channels That Contribute to EMV

Knowing what kinds of media exposure add to EMV helps you make plans that grow your effect naturally. Some common ones are:

1. Public Relations (PR)

Media stories, press mentions, or being a guest on podcasts—this is standard earned media. It's extra good because getting approval from trusted outside sources makes you look credible right away.

2. Social Media Mentions

When people tag your brand or talk about a product on sites like LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, or Reddit, it's great for earned media. This is extra true if those mentions go viral or get lots of likes and comments.

3. Influencer Content (Unpaid)

Influencers who love your product and talk about it without getting paid add a lot of value. Even a small influencer can reach a lot of people quickly because their specific audience trusts what they say.

4. Word-of-Mouth Referrals

Getting people to refer others is still one of the best ways to build trust. When friends or coworkers recommend you personally, it's one of the most convincing types of EMV.

5. User-Generated Content (UGC)

This includes reviews from customers, videos where people talk about their experience, unboxing videos, and product photos. Your fans make all of this on their own. UGC helps build a community and gets others to interact with your brand.

6. Guest Appearances/Guest Posting

When you write articles for other websites or appear as an expert on podcasts, it makes your brand (or your leaders) look like experts in the industry. It also helps you reach more people.

7. Industry Awards/Accolades

Getting recognized by respected people or groups in your industry shows people you can be trusted right away. These awards often lead to more mentions in the media and links back to your brand.

When someone shares your brand story without getting paid — because they are excited, or it's relevant, or they feel a connection — that is earned media working.

marketing team in meeting with data on screen

Why Should Your Whole Team Know Your EMV?

Earned media value isn’t just for your PR or communications team. It actually affects your whole company.

When everyone understands EMV and how to track it, your team can work together better across marketing, sales, product, and top leaders. Knowing your EMV helps you when you are deciding on budgets, finding the best content, or changing how you talk about sales. It gives you:

🔹 1. Tangible Trust & Authority

Earned media proves people care about what you’re doing. It’s proof from someone else that no ad can beat. What customers say about you, product reviews, and articles where you share your expertise build trust right away.

🔹 2. More Organic Referrals Without Ad Spend

Look at Costco. They are worth over $48.3 billion but spend almost nothing on ads. Their loyal customers, viral food videos, and talks on Reddit all work as ongoing earned media that helps them grow.

🔹 3. Smarter Campaign Planning

If a blog post or campaign gets shares or links on its own, it shows people like it. You can do more of what's already doing well. This means you spend less time on content that doesn't work.

4. Deeper Content Insights

If media outlets cover a podcast episode, or an infographic gets shared thousands of times, it means that topic really interested people. What you learn from this helps you decide how to make new content, what to say in your messages, and what products to launch.

“Don’t just go after PR wins — make sure earned media is a part of your overall marketing and sales process.” — Olivia Tian, Raise3D

laptop displaying ad versus organic social post

EMV vs. Paid Media Metrics: Key Differences

Metric Paid Media Earned Media Value (EMV)

Cost Requires ongoing budget Free (though it takes effort)

Longevity Short-lived campaigns Evergreen and cumulative

Trust Level Moderate — viewed as ads High — seen as authentic

Intent & Conversion Often lower (cold traffic) Higher — trusted recommendation

ROI Predictability Easier to forecast Grows over time, harder to control

Both have their place. Paid media can drive quick traffic boosts. But if you’re seeking long-term brand equity, EMV builds the foundation of sustainable growth.

hand using calculator beside printed report

How to Measure Earned Media Value (EMV)

Putting a number on EMV is how you get support from important people — especially leaders and finance teams who care about return on investment.

🔍 The Core Formula

The simplest EMV formula is:

EMV = Impressions × CPM

This is a good place to start. But to understand more, you can use different ways to calculate it depending on the situation.

📐 Popular EMV Formulas by Use Case

1. Engagement-Based Model

Great for social media.

( Impressions × CPM ) + ( Engagements × CPE )

This shows you both how many people saw it and what actions they took. This is important now because engagement matters a lot.

2. AVE / PR Multiplier Model

Best for traditional media like newspapers, TV.

Ad rate per column inch × Inches of coverage × Multiplier (2–5×)

The multiplier is there because getting mentioned in an article is more believable than seeing an ad.

3. Influencer Model

For influencer mentions where no money was paid.

( Engagements × Cost Per Engagement ) + ( Views × Cost Per View )

This lets you compare it to influencer campaigns where you did pay.

4. UGC / Review-Based Model

Works well for customer stories and testimonials.

( Total Engagements × CPE ) + ( Impressions × CPM )

This includes both how many people saw it and what they did in response.

📊 Real-World Example: Viral Climbing Gym Video

1.5M video impressions
75K likes, 4K shares, 800 comments
CPM = $8, CPE = $0.40

EMV = (1,500,000 ÷ 1,000) × 8 + (79,800 × 0.40)
= $12,000 + $31,920 = $43,920

A lot of people saw it, many interacted, and it created $43,000 in earned value. All without spending one ad dollar.

analyst looking at graphs on large monitor

How to Choose the Right EMV Formula

Tracking EMV shouldn’t feel too hard. The best formula for you depends on a few main things:

✅ Consider These Factors

The Platform Use estimates based on CPM for social media. Use AVE-style for print. Use UGC models for content that comes from your community.
Data Availability Don’t make it too complex. If you only know impressions, use the simple formula. If you have more detailed engagement numbers, add in CPE or CPV.
Business Goals Want people to know your brand? Focus on CPM. Want people to take action? Track how people feel, comments, or even clicks from affiliate links in earned campaigns.
Technology Stack Use tools like Brandwatch, Meltwater, Mention, or even simple planning templates to help put all this data in one place for review.

brand logo on product in viral social post

Case Studies: EMV in Action

Costco — Reputation That Markets Itself

Costco spends almost nothing on ads, but their brand is worth $48.3 billion. How? Because people are loyal, they have great products, and they have viral stories. Think about the famous food court, TikTok videos about huge stuffed bears, and people on Reddit defending the $1.50 hotdog.

Duolingo — Meme-Fueled Media Engine

Duolingo’s owl doesn’t just post things — it does things. Their Barbie video joined the big trend of Barbiecore and was interesting enough for the press on its own. AdAge said it got coverage everywhere, making their TikTok a major way to get EMV.

Barbie Movie — A Cultural EMV Event

From fashion weeks to brands painting buildings pink — Warner Bros let the world help market Barbie. The cultural trend of Barbiecore turned into a huge media event that even the biggest TV ad budget couldn't buy.

SEMrush — Community-Driven Scale

SEMrush’s yearly Global Marketing Day is made so people want to share it. It has famous speakers and easy-to-share ideas. In 2023, it produced:

5M+ reach
90K registrants
55K+ leads

This all happened because the community shared it and it went viral on its own.

team brainstorming with sticky notes on wall

Tips to Boost Your Brand’s EMV

✔️ Turn internal data into newsworthy graphics, blog posts, or tweets ✔️ Embed quotes, awards, or reviews in sales decks and paid ads ✔️ Train execs to guest post or speak at industry events ✔️ Incentivize user-created videos or testimonials ✔️ Use social listening tools like Brand24 to track in real time ✔️ Repurpose every piece of earned media across formats and channels

“We did a giveaway that got customers to make videos. That led to thousands of posts that happened on their own. We tracked EMV by putting together mentions × CPM and engagements × value per action.” — Natalia Lavrenenko, Rathly

ai dashboard showing marketing automation stats

EMV & Automation: A Smart Pair

Because AI and content automation are growing, brands can get content ready, share it, and spread it faster. This helps create more earned media over time.

Automation platforms help:

Create sharing toolkits (social copy, show notes, PR assets)
Manage media outreach and influencer collaboration
Monitor engagement to surface future top performers
Activate customers, employees, or brand partners as amplifiers

If you make everything you create in a way that helps it “earn” attention, your content plan will grow its effect over time.

public relations professional giving a media interview

Why EMV is Vital for PR ROI

Public relations has always had a hard time showing its direct results. But with EMV, fuzzy brand talk can be measured.

💡 This changes PR from something hard to measure into a channel that clearly shows how well it's doing.

Suddenly:

Media coverage has a dollar value you can compare to ad spending
PR wins provide material for presentations, reports, and requests for money
Leaders see telling stories as a way to make money, not just build their name

When you measure media impact and include EMV, you finish the process. This shows PR ROI clearly.

Build, Don’t Buy

Today's market is full of ads. People don’t just want another ad. They want stories from real people, shared by voices they trust.

Paid attention fades fast. Earned attention sticks.

If people really like your content, more people will see it, and that attention will last. Put effort into that. Measure it. And let the world do some of your best marketing for you.

Citations

Statista. (2024). Brand value of Costco worldwide from 2017 to 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars). https://www.statista.com/statistics/980139/brand-value-of-costco-worldwide
ElectroIQ. (n.d.). Coca-Cola Statistics. https://electroiq.com/stats/coca-cola-statistics/
Time. (2023). The Barbiecore Trend Explained. https://time.com/6290606/barbiecore-trend-history/
AdAge. (2023). Duolingo's Barbie Movie Cameo Leads to New Ad.