Performance Marketing
What is Paid Media?
Paid Media is advertising a company pays to place — search ads, social ads, display, sponsored content — as opposed to owned media (a company’s own channels) or earned media (organic press and mentions).
Who Is It For?
Paid media is run by dedicated paid media or performance marketing teams, managing budget across multiple ad platforms.
How Is It Used?
It’s used to generate immediate, controllable reach and pipeline, complementing the slower-building results of organic channels.
- Allocate budget across platforms based on where the target audience spends attention
- Set clear KPIs per channel — CPC, CPL, CAC — before scaling spend
- Test creative and targeting continuously rather than running static campaigns
- Balance paid media with organic investment for a sustainable long-term mix
Related Terms & Concepts
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between paid, owned, and earned media?
Paid media is advertising a company pays for; owned media is channels it controls directly, like its website or email list; earned media is organic mentions and press it didn’t pay for.
How much of a marketing budget should go to paid media?
It varies widely by stage and goals, but most B2B teams blend paid with organic rather than relying on paid media as the sole growth engine.
