What Is Paid Media: Types & Examples

The term “paid media” is commonly used in the marketing industry.

Some use the term paid media interchangeably with pay-per-click advertising, but many times it has to do with a broader advertising scope.

This comprehensive guide will teach you what paid media is (and what it isn’t), the difference between different types of media, and provide in-depth examples.

What is paid media?

Paid media is any marketing effort that contains a paid placement.

While paid media is often used interchangeably with the term CPC, it is important to note the difference.

Paid media is widely used to describe a channel, tactic or strategy within the digital landscape. It does not identify specific channels or even necessarily between search ads, social networks or other awareness ads.

The difference between earned, owned, and paid media

Paid media is not the only way to drive awareness and demand. Earned media and owned media are vital parts of a successful branding strategy.

It is important not to confuse the three media types, as each serves its own purpose. Let’s take a look at the main differences.

• Acquired mediaAny type of brand exposure that is gained through methods other than paid advertising.
• owned mediaAny type of content that your brand creates and controls.

Some examples of earned media include:

• Social sharing from clients.
• customer reviews.
• External media coverage (public relations).

Examples of owned media include:

• your website.
• Social media channels.
• blog posts.

Types of paid media channels

Now that we’ve defined the definition of paid media, let’s take a look at the different types of paid media channels and the purposes they serve.

Before diving into the various paid media channels, it is also important to note the difference between ad formats and ad channels.

Ad formats are the type of ads that appear in a particular channel. An example of an ad format could be:

• Search advertisement.
• Video ad.
• Display ad.
• Advertising banner.

So while ad formats are important and will depend on the channel, below we’ll focus on the channels themselves.

There are other types of paid media channels available that are not listed here, such as traditional methods such as direct mail or billboards. These paid media channels have a more physical presence, and here we will focus on digital channels.

Paid search

The most popular paid search platforms are Google and Bing search engines.

Google is the leading search engine in market share, with its sites around 61% From user searches in the United States.

Microsoft (Bing) is the second leading search engine, generating approximately 27% of users’ searches across its network of sites.

The less popular search engines that users make use of are:

• Hey ho.
• Ask the network.
• AOL.

The most popular ad format on search engines is text-based.

However, depending on the user’s search context, other variations, such as a Shopping ad, may be displayed.

Shopping ad formats mainly consist of a product image, name, price, and description.

Paid social

Paid social platforms have really changed over the past few years.

Not only are there more social platforms to choose from, but there are also more ways for brands to advertise on each platform.

Some of the most popular paid social platforms include:

• Meta (Facebook).
• Instagram.
• linkedin.
• Tik Tok.
• pinterest.
• snap chat.
• Twitter.

The most popular form of advertising in social channels is placed within the user’s newsfeed as they scroll. These ads will consist of either one static image (or more) or a video as the main image.

In addition, most paid social platforms offer different types of placements for sponsored ads. For example, Instagram and Snapchat can display ads between users’ stories.

Some paid social platforms are more beneficial to B2B companies than B2C brands.

For example, LinkedIn ads consist primarily of B2B brands marketing their products or services to other professionals.

Other platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat may be more suitable for B2C or e-commerce brands.

Whatever paid social channel you choose from, just make sure your target audience is there too.

Program and display

Display ads are shown on a variety of channels and networks. Ads are shown on various websites and apps depending on the network.

While programmatic ads refer to the strategy of when/where/how ads are deployed, display refers to the actual form of ads displayed.

The Google Display Network (GDN) is one of the most popular display channels. This differs from programmatic ads because GDN is a closed network owned by Google.

Programmed channel uses for ad purchases consist of the channels listed here.

Affiliate marketing

This type of marketing occurs when a company or brand pays affiliates for each sale they contribute.

One of the biggest channels for affiliate marketing is through bloggers. The blogger will mention another product or brand in their post and then get paid for each sale attributed to that blog post.

This type of marketing is beneficial because it allows your brand to expand and expand its reach through other popular influencers in your space.

Other popular affiliate marketing channels include:

• email lists.
• coupon sites.
• Website review.

The beauty of affiliate marketing is that you get to choose the partners and publishers. You should always choose partners who align with your company’s goals and objectives.

Examples of paid media

This is where ad formats pair up with paid media channels.

Here are examples of paid media ads from the popular channels mentioned above. These examples can help provide context when deciding which types of paid media to play.

Research examples

When searching for “best parental control apps” in Google, the first two positions are examples of search ads.

While doing the same search on Microsoft Bing, the ads look a little different:

When searching for a product like “Nike women’s shoes,” the ads below are a form of shopping ad.

Paid social examples

Each social platform’s ad formats look different in their news feeds.

Here is an example of a LinkedIn news feed:

Facebook ad news feed example:

Instagram also offers ads in its “Stories” placement. Example from Marriott below:

Presentation examples

Display ads can be in all shapes and sizes, depending on the website or app. Below is an example of three different display ads displayed on a single webpage.

Affiliate examples

Sometimes it can be difficult to spot affiliate ads.

For example, “Listicle” articles have become a hot commodity, as the publisher is paid by other brands to be included in a “Top” product article.

However, if you take a closer look at Ad Disclosure in this example, you’ll notice that this publisher gets paid by brands for exclusive status:

summary

Paid media is a crucial component of any marketing strategy and can deliver fast results. However, you should not rely entirely on paid media to drive sustainable growth on its own.

The right paid media channels for your brand should be determined by your goals and where your target audience spends their time.

Creating a comprehensive plan that includes paid, earned and owned media helps your business increase reach to your customers and reduce your marketing costs over time.

More resources:

• 5 types of social networks and the benefits of each
• Paid Social Media: A Guide to Social Advertising Success
• Social Media Marketing: A Complete Strategy Guide

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