The B2B Marketer’s Guide to Owned, Earned, and Paid Media in 2025

August 8, 2025

If you’ve ever wondered what the heck the difference is between owned, earned, and paid media—or how they’re supposed to work together—you’re in the right place.

These three media types are the foundation of every B2B demand gen strategy worth its salt in 2025. But here's the catch: they don't work in isolation. They feed each other. Think flywheel, not funnel.

In this guide, we’ll break down what each type really means today (not just in theory), how to integrate them without burning out your team—or your budget—and why owned media, especially video podcasts, should be the cornerstone of your strategy.

We’ll cover:

What owned, earned, and paid media actually are (without the marketing jargon)
Why video podcasts are the most powerful form of owned media in B2B
How to make these media types work together to build trust and drive demand
Examples of real B2B brands crushing this strategy right now
Pro tips to avoid wasting time and budget on siloed content efforts

Let’s break down the modern media mix—and help you build a marketing engine your future buyers can’t ignore.

What the heck is owned, earned, and paid media—And why should you care?

If you're a B2B marketer still treating “paid, earned, and owned media” like a dusty triangle diagram from a 2012 PowerPoint deck, we need to talk.

These three types of media aren't just academic terms—they're the framework for how modern demand generation actually works. Owned media is the stuff you control. Paid media is the stuff you boost. Earned media is the stuff you... well, earn (when you’re doing the other two well).

But here’s the kicker: in 2025, they don’t work in silos. They feed each other. We’re talking full-blown flywheel. Paid media without strong owned content? That’s just expensive noise. Trying to earn credibility without building trust through your own channels? Good luck with that.

At Sweet Fish, we believe owned media is your most valuable asset—because it builds the foundation for everything else. It’s how you create a content engine that fuels earned media and makes paid media more effective (and less painful on your budget).

In this guide, we’ll break down what each media type really means today, how they work together, and why your owned content strategy should be leading the charge.

Let’s demystify this trio—and help you build a media ecosystem that actually drives results.

What is owned media (and why it’s your marketing home base)?

Owned media is content you create and control. It lives on channels you manage—like your website, blog, video podcast, and email list. These are the platforms where no algorithm can throttle your reach, no ad budget is required, and no third party gets to decide whether your audience sees your content.

Why does this matter? Because in B2B, trust is built over time—and owned media gives you the space to show up consistently, share what you know, and stay top-of-mind long before a buyer is in-market.

Your video podcast is the MVP here. It’s where your subject matter experts, founders, and customers can show up authentically, share insight-rich conversations, and connect with your audience in a format that actually scales. And bonus: one episode can be repurposed into dozens of other content formats, powering your blog, newsletter, and social content calendar.

P.s. Need more ideas to keep your video content pipeline full? Here’s 35.

Examples of Owned Media Channels:

A video podcast (hosted on your site, pushed through YouTube or Spotify)
Blog content that ranks for strategic keywords and delivers value
Your company’s website and resource hub
An email newsletter people actually want to open
(Sort of) social media content—while you “own” the posts, the platforms are rented land. Don’t build your whole strategy on shaky ground.

When you treat owned media like a long-term asset—not just a content dumping ground—you create leverage. It becomes the foundation for earned media opportunities (when people share your content) and paid media success (when you use ads to promote something that’s actually worth consuming).

What is earned media (and how do you get it without being cringe)?

Earned media is what happens when people talk about you without being paid to. It’s when your content gets shared, your podcast gets referenced, your brand gets mentioned in an article, or a customer posts a rave review on LinkedIn.

Basically: it’s word-of-mouth at scale.

Unlike paid or owned media, you can’t fully control earned media. That’s why it’s so powerful—and why it’s so tricky. You earn it by consistently showing up with value, not by shouting louder or pushing harder.

In B2B, earned media might look like:

A trade publication referencing your CEO’s insights from a podcast
A LinkedIn post from a customer promoting your brand
Backlinks from other websites because your content is genuinely helpful
Guest appearances on other podcasts or YouTube channels
Organic reviews or testimonials that build social proof

Here’s the kicker: earned media doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You don’t get mentions if you don’t publish. You don’t get shares if your content is boring. And you definitely don’t get backlinks if your only blog post is from 2022.

This is why your owned media strategy drives your earned media outcomes. When you regularly produce value-packed content—especially through a video content that showcases real conversations with smart people—other people naturally want to link to it, quote it, and share it with their audience.

Why Earned Media Matters in B2B:

It builds trust and credibility (because it’s not coming from you)
It extends your reach beyond your own channels
It improves your SEO through backlinks and brand mentions
It turns your audience into amplifiers, not just consumers

You can’t force earned media, but you can earn it on purpose—by consistently showing up with content that’s worth talking about.

What is paid media (and how do you use it without wasting money)?

Paid media is exactly what it sounds like: you pay to get your message in front of people. That could be through social ads, Google search, sponsored content, influencer deals—anything where you're essentially renting attention.

And hey, paid media isn’t the villain here. When done right, it’s a fantastic way to amplify the content you’ve already created. The problem is when companies treat it like a shortcut. No amount of ad spend can save bad content. (Or worse, content that screams “this is a sales pitch.”)

Types of Paid Media in B2B:

LinkedIn ads promoting your latest podcast episode or lead magnet
Google Ads targeting high-intent keywords related to your offer
Sponsored newsletters or guest content placements in niche industry media
Influencer partnerships (the legit kind, not the #spon con nonsense)
Podcast ads (on other shows or within your own episodes)

Here’s the smart move: use paid media to promote your owned media—especially content that builds trust and keeps you top-of-mind. Instead of throwing dollars at a product pitch, promote a podcast episode that solves a real problem. Boost a blog post that educates. Drive traffic to your YouTube interviews.

Paid media works best when it’s an amplifier, not your only instrument.

How to Make Paid Media Actually Work:

Start with content that’s worth sharing (hi, owned media 👋)
Use paid to boost high-performing episodes, posts, or clips
Retarget warm audiences who’ve already engaged with your content
Track metrics like CTR, ROAS, and conversion rate—but also watch for engagement signals (like podcast listens or email signups)

Paid media can absolutely move the needle—if it’s part of a bigger content ecosystem. Don’t buy attention. Earn it first, then pay to scale it.

The power of integration—How owned, earned, and paid media work together

Here’s the truth: no single media type can carry your entire marketing strategy. You might get short-term gains with paid. You might build long-term trust with owned. You might get lucky with earned. But when you use all three together? That’s when the magic happens.

Think of owned, earned, and paid media like a demand gen flywheel:

Owned media gives you the content foundation. It’s where your insights live, your brand voice comes through, and your audience gets to binge.
Paid media gives your best content a megaphone. It drives traffic, increases visibility, and pulls people into your ecosystem faster.
Earned media is what happens when your audience loves what you’re putting out and wants to talk about it—without being asked.

Real Talk: Here’s How This Works in Practice

Let’s say you publish a killer video podcast episode with a well-known guest in your industry:

You host it on your website and YouTube. ✅ (Owned)
You run LinkedIn ads to promote key clips to targeted audiences. ✅ (Paid)
The guest shares the episode, and a few niche blogs link to it. ✅ (Earned)

One piece of content. Three media types. All working together to expand your reach, build authority, and drive demand.

Why This Matters for B2B

Most of your buyers aren’t ready to buy right now. So if your only strategy is "run ads until someone clicks," you're leaving a ton of opportunity on the table. Integrated media strategies allow you to build trust before the buying window opens—and stay top-of-mind when it does.

TL;DR: When you stop treating paid, earned, and owned media like separate silos—and start using them as parts of the same strategy—you go from shouting into the void to building an audience that actually listens.

Why owned media should come first

At Sweet Fish, we’re not anti-paid. We’re not anti-PR. (in fact, we do both. Pretty well). But we are just really pro-not being forgettable. And that starts with building a steady stream of content your audience actually wants to consume.

That’s why we believe owned media should lead your marketing strategy—especially in B2B, where trust is everything and attention is earned over time.

You don’t need to chase the algorithm or drop thousands on ads just to get in front of your ideal buyers. Instead, start creating content that builds familiarity and positions you as the go-to expert long before anyone fills out a contact form.

So what does that look like in practice?

It looks like launching a video podcast that features your team, your customers, and your industry’s smartest voices. It looks like building a content engine that keeps your brand visible, relevant, and respected—even when your buyers aren’t buying.

Because here’s the thing: only about 3% of your total addressable market is ready to buy right now. The other 97%? They're still learning. Lurking. Watching. Listening.

If all your marketing is optimized for the 3%, you're missing out on a massive opportunity to build trust with the rest. But if you consistently show up with valuable content—the kind you own and control—you stay top-of-mind. So when the buying window does open, you’re already on their shortlist.

TL;DR:

Owned media is how you build an audience.
Earned media is what that audience creates when they love your stuff.
Paid media is how you boost your best content to the people who need it most.

Start with owned. Anchor it in a video podcast. Then use earned and paid to amplify the heck out of it.

Real-world examples of B2B brands owning the media game

Let’s move beyond theory. These brands are walking the walk—using owned, earned, and paid media in smart, integrated ways to build audiences, create demand, and drive serious growth.

Salesforce, Gong, Drift, and IBM

These B2B juggernauts aren’t just producing content for the sake of it—they’re building media ecosystems centered around long-form video and podcasting.

Owned: They host shows on platforms they control, like dedicated podcast pages and YouTube channels.
Earned: Their content earns backlinks, shares, and coverage because it's genuinely insightful.
Paid: They selectively boost their best content to get it in front of more of the right people.

Their secret sauce? Treating their content like a product—investing in production, consistency, and repurposing across platforms.

Column Five

Full transparency: they’re one of our clients—and they’re absolutely crushing it.

Column Five launched Best Story Wins, a video-first podcast featuring marketing leaders and brand storytellers. And they’re doing what most B2B brands still aren’t:

Owned: They house the show on their site and YouTube, turning it into a destination for modern marketers.
Earned: Their guests promote episodes organically, and the brand earns credibility in the storytelling space.
Paid: Yep, they’re putting ad dollars behind long-form video and optimizing their short-form cuts for organic reach.

It’s a textbook example of what happens when you take owned media seriously—and use paid and earned to pour gas on the fire.

These aren’t one-off campaigns. These are strategic, long-game plays where content is the demand strategy. And that’s exactly the mindset we believe B2B brands need to adopt.

FAQs about owned, earned, and paid media

Is SEO owned, earned, or paid media?

SEO is primarily part of owned media—because it’s about optimizing content that you create and control (like blog posts and landing pages). But great SEO can also drive earned media through backlinks and mentions.

Can social media be considered owned media?

Kind of. You own the content, but the platform owns the playground. Social channels are often classified as owned media in traditional models—but just remember: if the platform goes down, so does your reach. That’s why your website, email list, and podcast feed are your real owned assets.

Are influencer campaigns paid or earned media?

It depends. If you're compensating the influencer, it’s paid media. If they're promoting you organically because they love your brand, that’s earned media. In many B2B cases, it’s a hybrid of both.

Why is owned media so important in B2B marketing?

Because B2B buying cycles are long—and trust isn’t built overnight. Owned media lets you create a steady drumbeat of helpful, insightful content that keeps your brand top-of-mind until buyers are ready.

That’s a wrap: Start with owned, fuel the rest

Owned, earned, and paid media aren’t competing strategies—they’re complementary. But if you’re going to start anywhere? Start with owned.

Build a content foundation that’s rich, relevant, and yours to control. Use paid media to amplify your best stuff. Earn trust and attention organically as your audience starts sharing, referencing, and engaging.

The fastest way to do that? Start a video podcast. You check more than the longform box. With a strategic video podcast (and a great team), you create the foundation of your content marketing engine.

It's the most efficient, scalable, and trust-building content format for B2B marketers in 2025. One episode can become dozens of assets. It fuels your blog, social posts, ads, and SEO strategy. And it creates the kind of content your future customers actually want to consume.

Ready to build a binge-worthy content engine?

Let’s talk. We’ll help you launch a video podcast that drives real demand—and makes the rest of your marketing easier.