Related Posts
Podcasts
Your boss tells you to look into Paid Media and develop a strategy and plan of action for your company. And just like that, the responsibility of propelling your brand into the limelight rests on your shoulders… at least it feels that way. But when you realise that there are many types of paid media and you have no clarity on which is best for your brand, the initial excitement might be shadowed by a cloud of overwhelm. With so many advertising options available and the term “paid media” often being used interchangeably for different things, it can be hard to know where to go and what to do. In this article, you’ll be provided with clarity on the topic once and for all so that you can develop a strategy that impresses your boss.
“I need to get this right,” you whisper to the silence of your office, the weight of expectations anchoring your resolve. Your fingers dance on the keyboard, typing out the question that you’re longing to know the answer to: “What are examples of paid media?”
You’ve landed at the right place.
With over a decade of experience navigating the intricacies of paid media for various brands, we’ve journeyed through the trials, errors, and triumphs that come with each click, each campaign. We understand the rollercoaster of emotions you might be riding – the excitement intertwined with anxiety, the thirst for clarity amidst a sea of options.
In this article, your questions will be answered, and you will have complete clarity on the next steps you need to take.
The Difference Between Paid, Owned and Earned Media
If you’ve heard about Paid Media, then chances are you’ve also heard the terms Owned Media and Earned Media. Are these a part of Paid Media, or are they separate?
These are separate from Paid Media but also interlink with each other to form the bedrock of a comprehensive marketing strategy.
Definition of Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
- Paid Media Definition: Paid media refers to any form of digital marketing that requires payment to place your brand, product, or service in front of your target audience. Examples include Social Media Advertising, Google Ads / PPC Ads, Display Advertising, and Video Advertising
- Owned Media Definition: Owned media refers to digital assets that you control and are unique to your brand. Some examples include websites, blogs, social media profiles, email newsletters, and mobile apps
- Earned Media Definition: Earned media is any publicity or brand mention that you haven’t paid for or created yourself. Instead, it’s “earned” through brand interactions, customer experiences, or notable events. Some examples include media coverage in magazines, newspapers, television and radio, as well as online reviews, social media mentions, guest posts, and word-of-mouth
Difference Between Paid, Owned and Earned Media
The primary difference between the three lies in control, investment and immediacy of impact.
- Paid media is controlled but not owned by you, it comes at a cost, and the impact is immediate
- Owned media is controlled and owned by you, it doesn’t come at a cost (other than the resources used to create the media), and the impact builds over time
- Earned media is free (sometimes, not always), but you have less and sometimes no control over it, and the impact can be immediate or can be built over time
For a comprehensive guide on the difference between paid, owned and earned media check out our article, which delves into the pros and cons of each approach, and shows you which you should invest in.
Now that you understand the difference between paid, earned and owned media, you’re going to learn about the different types of Paid Media, which include:
- Social Media Advertising
- Search Engine Marketing
- Video Advertising
- Display and Banner Advertising
Paid Media Type #1: Social Media Advertising
Social Media Advertising refers to any form of digital marketing that requires payment to place your brand, product, or service in front of your target audience across a social media channel.
How It Differs from Organic Social Media Marketing
You know when you post an image or video on Instagram or Facebook? Or when you record and post a video on TikTok?
That’s organic social media marketing.
Paid Social Media Marketing is different because it has:
- Immediate Visibility: With organic methods, it can take time, sometimes even months, to build traction. In contrast, paid advertising gets your content in front of your audience immediately. And the more you pay, the more people you can reach
- Targeted Audience: While organic posts might be seen by anyone who stumbles upon your page or through shared content, paid ads allow you to pinpoint your target audience with precision—be it based on demographics, location, interests, or behaviours
- Budget Control: With paid advertising, you have the flexibility to set your budget—whether you’re splashing out or working with limited funds. This ensures you have more control over your spending, unlike other advertising avenues
Which Platforms Are Available?
The platform you choose largely depends on where your audience hangs out.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Facebook: Best for a broad audience range, with versatile ad formats suitable for varied businesses
- Instagram: Ideal for visually-driven businesses, like fashion or food, targeting a younger demographic
- LinkedIn: Perfect for B2B businesses, allowing targeting based on profession, industry, and more
- Twitter: Effective for real-time engagement, ideal for news or trend-based campaigns
- Pinterest: A go-to for businesses in the creative, DIY, or e-commerce sector
- TikTok: A great platform to target younger audiences with short form, engaging content
While some channels might be better for some than others, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find success on another channel.
For example, if you’re a B2B, while LinkedIn may be more appropriate for your business, that doesn’t mean you won’t find success through Facebook and Instagram Ads.
To learn about the benefits of paid social media advertising, and whether it’s right for your business, check out our comprehensive guide here.
Examples of Social Media Advertising
LinkedIn Ad Example
This is a LinkedIn News Feed ad. You can also run video ads on LinkedIn, and you can run ads across different placements, such as Stories.
Facebook & Instagram Ads
This is an example of the equivalent of the above LinkedIn Ad on Facebook, known as a Facebook Newsfeed Ad. On Facebook, you can also run video and carousel ads, among other types.
This is what a Carousel Ad looks like:
On top of that, you can also run ads in different places across Facebook and Instagram, such as Stories, Marketplace, Reels, Shop and more.
Let’s take a look at one of these examples below.
Remember, across each social media channel, when you advertise, you will notice that you can place your ad in different placements. For example, as illustrated above, you can have an ad in the newsfeed on Facebook and Instagram, but then also have an ad appear in Stories. The same is true with other social media channels, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. On the other hand, some channels might have more limited options, such as TikTok.
It’s also worth noting that some platforms not only have different placements to advertise across but also different types of ad formats. For example, as shown above, you can use a carousel style post across Facebook and Instagram. There may also be other types of ad formats you can employ depending on the ad channel you choose.
Paid Media Example #2: Paid Search
Have you always wondered how to get to the top of Google?
You might say SEO is the answer. And while we’d agree that SEO paired with creating valuable content on your website is key to increased traffic, leads and sales, there might be a quicker way to get to the top of Google.
And that is with Paid Search.
Paid Search is a form of advertising that allows you to place your ad on search engines.
Some of the most popular ad channels for Paid Search include:
- Google Search Ads
- Microsoft Ads (for Bing Search engine)
- Yahoo Search Ads
Examples of Paid Search
When searching for “top parental control apps” in Google, the first two positions are examples of search ads.
If you’re wondering whether to use Paid Search or Social Media Advertising, you might want to check out our comprehensive guide of Google Ads vs Facebooks Ads.
Paid Media Example #3: Video Advertising
The power of visuals intertwined with storytelling stands unrivalled. Video advertising is that potent brew that captures imagination, evokes emotions, and imprints messages with a lasting resonance.
Realistically, you can run video ads across social media channels, so technically, video advertising fits within social media advertising as well, however, it can also be within its own silo. In particular, video advertising across YouTube can be quite powerful.
But, what videos should you produce?
At RedPandas, we’ve discovered seven types of videos that help close more deals than any other type of video.
On the above page, you’ll find examples of each video type that we recommend producing.
Paid Media Example #4: Display Advertising
Display advertising examples include billboards and banners which sit across websites and apps as users browse online. They can be in all shapes and sizes, depending on the website or app, as you can see in the image below.
Example of Display Advertising
Display advertising is akin to the digital version of traditional billboards, except that you have the power to be specific in your targeting with display advertising and you can measure ROI directly from your ads, as opposed to traditional physical billboards.
The types of display advertising include:
- Banner Ads: These are the classic banners, situated on websites, presenting a blend of imagery and text
- Floating Ads: These modern marvels float across the screen, capturing attention with their movement
- Pop-Ups: These, as the name suggests, pop up on the screen to deliver your message
How Can You Create and Manage Display Ads?
Platforms like Canva or Adobe Spark, or AI software like Midjourney or DALL-E can help you create imagery for your display ads.
Once you have your graphics ready, you can set up your advertising campaign across your software of choice. For example, Google Ads is a popular choice for running Display Ads across the web and apps.
So, What’s Next?
So, now you know the difference between paid, earned and owned media, and you’re aware of the different types of paid media, from social media ads, paid search, video ads, and display ads.
Now, you need to decide which channel/s are right for your company, how much you’ll need to spend, what creatives and messaging are best to use, and who you should target.
Here are some resources to help you move closer to having answers to these questions:
