Earned Media

Not everything needs to be pay-per-view.

Earned media marketing builds the kind of authority that paid ads can’t buy. Coverage, mentions, and links that compound over time.

What is earned media marketing? What does it look like?

Earned media doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of showing up in the right places, in front of the right people, with something worth their attention. Most businesses understand the value of press coverage, backlinks, and third-party mentions. They just don’t have the process to pursue them consistently. That’s where the work breaks down.

When AW handles your earned media marketing, we build that process and run it. Every tactic connects back to a clear goal: getting your business in front of audiences you didn’t have access to before.

How it works

Four moves, run in coordination.

Each step builds on the last. Skip one and the rest start to wobble.

  • We build the system, then work it.

    Most businesses know they should be doing PR or link building but never get around to it. We create a repeatable process so outreach happens consistently, not just when someone has a few minutes to spare.

  • We identify the right targets and write pitches worth responding to.

    Whether it's journalists, bloggers, podcast hosts, or publication editors, we research who covers your space and craft outreach that gives them a reason to pay attention.

  • We turn your expertise into placement opportunities.

    Through platforms like HARO, media lists, and direct outreach, we position you as a credible source. The kind of business that gets quoted, featured, and linked to.

  • We track what lands and build on it.

    Every earned placement has downstream value. We make sure that value feeds back into your broader marketing system.

Who is Earned Media for?

Earned media is essentially third-party validation: coverage, links, and mentions you didn't pay for directly, built through consistent outreach and a credible presence. You’ve built something worth talking about and are ready to get it in front of people.

  1. 1.

    You've invested in content and SEO but aren't getting more traction

  2. 2.

    Outreach never makes it to the top of your to-do list

  3. 3.

    You want to build search authority through links, not just content rankings

  4. 4.

    You're trying to establish your team as credible voices in your space

Where does it fit?

Earned media is most effective when your owned content is strong and your SEO foundation is in place. Coverage and links drive authority. Authority lifts your search visibility. Better search visibility brings more of the right people in. A well-built earned media strategy connects to the rest of your marketing so every placement works harder than it would on its own. That’s how AW builds it.

Related services

Earned media works best when it's connected to the broader system. These are the services it pairs with most often.

What it looks like for a real client

McCutcheon’s Apple Products

Where they started

A beloved multi-generational brand with the foundation to grow, but aging campaigns and a customer experience that wasn’t keeping pace.

What changed

Modernized everything from product labels to the Shopify storefront, and built a paid media and social strategy from the ground up.

What happened

200%+ return on ad spend sustained over six months across Google and Meta, with an 80% lift in page visits and 98% increase in social engagement year-over-year.

REV Drill

Where they started

A differentiated product and a capable team, but inconsistent sales cycles and a marketing message that wasn’t landing.

What changed

Unified the brand message and built an integrated plan across digital, email, and print, backed by a CRM system to track and close leads.

What happened

Sales and marketing goals met consistently, including $1M+ months.

EDCO Inc.

Where they started

A strong brand was already in place, but the website couldn’t keep up with the business.

What changed

Built an e-commerce site designed around the customer journey and built for marketing attribution.

What happened

A cleaner funnel and a website that finally works as hard as the rest of the business.

Ready to build visibility that doesn't disappear when your budget does?

If your business has a strong foundation and you’re ready to start showing up in the places your customers are paying attention to, let’s talk. We’ll take a look at where you stand and show you what a realistic earned media strategy looks like for you.

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