Hubspot Guide to Earned Media Explained
Hubspot uses the term earned media to describe any publicity or brand exposure you do not pay for or publish yourself, such as press coverage, social mentions, or organic search visibility. Understanding how it works helps marketers build trust, authority, and sustainable growth without depending only on ads.
What Is Earned Media in the Hubspot Framework?
In the Hubspot approach, earned media is the visibility you earn when others choose to talk about your brand. It is different from your own channels or paid placements and typically comes from genuine interest, value, or newsworthiness.
Key examples include:
- Articles or features about your company in online publications
- Blog posts or newsletter mentions written by third parties
- Organic product reviews and testimonials
- Social media shares, tags, or viral content
- Podcast interviews and webinar guest spots
- Unpaid backlinks and citations from other websites
This type of coverage usually happens because you have done something worth talking about, provided strong content, or built real relationships with your audience and industry.
Owned, Paid, and Earned Media: the Hubspot View
Hubspot outlines three main types of media in a balanced marketing strategy: owned, paid, and earned. Each plays a specific role, and earned media sits at the center as proof that your owned and paid efforts are working.
Owned Media in the Hubspot Model
Owned media is everything you directly control. It is the foundation that makes earned coverage possible.
- Your website and blog
- Email newsletter and marketing automation flows
- Brand social media profiles and communities
- Downloadable resources such as eBooks or templates
- Video channels and podcasts you host
Strong owned media gives journalists, influencers, and customers something useful to link to, quote, or share, which increases the odds of earning attention.
Paid Media in the Hubspot Model
Paid media is exposure you purchase. Used strategically, it can help fuel more organic discussion and earned visibility.
- Search and social ads that amplify your best content
- Sponsorships that put your brand in front of targeted audiences
- Sponsored content or native ads on media sites
- Paid influencer collaborations with clear disclosure
Hubspot emphasizes using paid channels to drive people toward high quality content and experiences, which then leads to organic buzz when that content resonates.
Earned Media as Proof of Impact
While owned media is your home base and paid media is your amplifier, earned media is a signal that your marketing is trusted and relevant. It shows that others are willing to invest their own credibility by talking about you.
When all three types of media support one another, you create a flywheel of discovery, engagement, and advocacy that compounds over time.
Why Earned Media Matters in Hubspot-Style Marketing
From a Hubspot style inbound perspective, earned media is powerful because it comes with built-in third party validation. People tend to believe independent reviews, articles, or recommendations more than branded messages.
Core benefits include:
- Authority and trust: Editorial coverage and expert mentions signal credibility in your niche.
- SEO gains: Unpaid links and citations help improve organic search visibility and domain authority.
- Cost efficiency: You do not pay per impression, so the return can grow long after the initial activity.
- Broader reach: You tap into other audiences you might not reach through your own channels.
- Social proof: User generated content, reviews, and shares show that real people value your brand.
These benefits compound when you actively support earned media with structured processes and measurement.
How to Earn Media Coverage Using Hubspot Principles
Applying inbound ideas, you can approach earned media as a repeatable system rather than pure luck. The following steps reflect the kind of process that aligns with the Hubspot philosophy.
1. Define Clear Earned Media Goals
Start with specific, measurable goals that connect to your broader strategy.
- More high quality backlinks to key landing pages
- Mention in industry newsletters or trade publications
- Increased positive reviews on major platforms
- Growth in branded organic search traffic
Set timelines, benchmarks, and KPIs so you can track how earned activities influence results.
2. Create Newsworthy, Useful Owned Content
Earned media is easier when your owned assets are worth sharing. Build a content engine that attracts both audiences and publishers.
Ideas that often generate coverage include:
- Original research or industry benchmarks
- Data driven reports and visualizations
- Unique frameworks or methodologies
- Detailed how to guides and templates
- Thoughtful commentary on emerging trends
Present your content clearly, with strong visuals, data sources, and expert quotes that journalists and creators can easily reuse.
3. Identify Journalists, Creators, and Communities
Targeting is essential. Build lists of outlets and people most likely to care about your topic.
- Reporters who cover your industry or problem space
- Bloggers and newsletter writers with niche audiences
- Podcast hosts and event organizers
- Online communities and social groups where your audience gathers
Segment your list so you can tailor pitches to each contact and track interactions over time with a CRM or simple spreadsheet.
4. Pitch Value, Not Just Your Brand
Borrowing from the Hubspot inbound mindset, lead with value. Every pitch should answer why their audience will care.
Strong pitches usually include:
- A short, relevant subject line
- One or two sentences that connect your idea to their coverage history
- A clear angle, statistic, or insight they can build a story around
- Links to supporting assets such as charts, case studies, or data
- Availability for follow up questions or interviews
Avoid generic mass emails. Personalization and genuine relevance increase your chances of a response.
5. Encourage and Amplify User Generated Content
Earned media is not only about journalists. Customers and fans can become a powerful source of advocacy.
- Ask satisfied customers for public reviews and testimonials
- Run campaigns that invite users to share their own stories or results
- Reshare authentic customer posts on your channels with permission
- Make it easy for users to tag your brand and link to relevant pages
Consider incentives that reward participation without compromising authenticity, such as access to exclusive content or communities.
6. Measure and Repurpose Earned Media
To follow a Hubspot style optimization loop, you need to measure what you earn and reuse it across your ecosystem.
Track metrics such as:
- Number and quality of mentions or placements
- New backlinks and referring domains
- Referral traffic and assisted conversions
- Changes in brand search volume and direct traffic
- Engagement metrics on social shares and discussions
Then repurpose coverage into:
- Quotes and logos on your website as social proof
- Slides or visuals for sales and success teams
- Email campaigns highlighting major wins
- Case studies that combine press, results, and customer stories
Examples and FAQs Based on the Hubspot Article
The original source on earned media from Hubspot offers several practical perspectives that clarify how this channel works in everyday marketing.
Common Earned Media Examples
According to the Hubspot material, you can think about earned media through simple, familiar scenarios:
- A journalist quotes your CEO in a trend piece about your industry
- An influencer posts a genuine review without being paid
- A blogger links to your guide as a resource in their article
- Customers share before and after results on social platforms
- A community discussion thread recommends your product
In each case, another person or organization chose to feature you without direct payment or control from your side.
Is Earned Media Really Free?
While you do not buy placements, there is still an investment. You invest time, creativity, and sometimes tools to research, create, pitch, and track opportunities.
That said, the long term value can far exceed the initial cost once your content and relationships begin to scale.
How Does Earned Media Support SEO?
From the lens of the Hubspot earned media article, three mechanisms stand out:
- High quality backlinks that improve domain authority
- Brand mentions that signal relevance and expertise
- Content discovery that drives more engagement and sharing
When your efforts generate consistent coverage, search engines see multiple independent signals that your brand is trusted and helpful.
Next Steps and Additional Resources
To dive deeper into how a major platform explains these concepts, you can read the original article on earned media on the Hubspot blog. It expands on definitions, FAQs, and examples that reinforce the ideas in this guide.
If you need help integrating earned media with broader SEO and analytics strategies, consider working with a specialist agency such as Consultevo, which focuses on performance driven digital growth.
By aligning your content, outreach, and measurement with an inbound philosophy similar to Hubspot, you can turn one time mentions into a persistent engine of trust, traffic, and revenue.
Need Help With Hubspot?
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