A customer posts a rave review on LinkedIn. A podcast host casually name-drops your brand in conversation.
If you didn’t pay for it, that’s earned media.
It’s what happens when your brand is talked about not because you asked, but because you earned it. In B2B, where reputation is everything and trust moves slowly, earned media is one of your most powerful (and most unpredictable) assets.
Earned Media Definition
Earned media refers to any third-party content or coverage about your brand that is voluntarily created and shared, without paid placement or direct control. This includes press mentions, organic social shares, reviews, backlinks, influencer shoutouts, or podcast interviews.
It’s one of the three core pillars of media strategy:
- Owned Media → what you control
- Paid Media → what you buy
- Earned Media → what others say about you
In a B2B context, earned media builds credibility, expands reach, and signals authority. But you can’t force it. You have to deserve it.
Concrete Examples of Earned Media in B2B
Let’s move beyond theory. Here are five real-world examples of how companies are leveraging earned media to build reach, trust, and influence in B2B.
1. Notion’s Templates Featured in Tech Blogs
When Notion launched their template gallery, they didn’t run ads right away. Instead, they focused on building a community of power users. The result? Dozens of tech blogs, productivity YouTubers, and newsletters featured Notion, unsolicited, as the go-to tool for organizing everything.
One Medium article (“How I Run My Startup on Notion”) went viral and generated tens of thousands of free impressions all earned.
Why it works: Notion makes the product easy to evangelize. That led to a self-sustaining wave of word-of-mouth and backlinks.
2. Gong’s “Cold Call Teardowns” Shared by Sales Influencers
Gong created highly tactical video breakdowns of cold calls, useful, engaging, no fluff. Sales leaders and creators on LinkedIn started resharing them on their own, adding their own commentary.
Gong didn’t pitch these influencers. The content was just that good.
Why it works: Earned media thrives when the content feels like a gift. Gong made sales people look smarter so they shared it.
3. Atlassian’s Inclusion in Gartner Magic Quadrant
For enterprise buyers, third-party validation matters. Atlassian’s inclusion in analyst reports like the Gartner Magic Quadrant isn’t just a badge it’s earned media with strategic weight.
When tech publications covered the report, Atlassian’s name appeared across dozens of industry articles helping convert skeptical decision-makers.
Why it works: Analyst recognition = high-authority earned media that speaks directly to B2B buyers.
4. Webflow’s No-Code Movement Coverage
Webflow positioned itself not just as a tool, but as part of a movement. They hosted conferences, supported creators, and published forward-thinking content.
The result? Coverage in TechCrunch, mentions in design newsletters, and thought leadership pieces from respected voices in the SaaS and design communities.
Why it works: They didn’t chase attention. They led conversations and the media followed.
Best Practices for Generating Earned Media in B2B
You can’t force earned media. But you can create the conditions where it’s more likely to happen.
Create something worth sharing
Not just a product, a story. A tool. A perspective. Case studies, teardown videos, interactive demos, or research reports all perform well if they help your audience.
Make advocates look good
Give your audience content they’ll want to share, not because it’s promotional, but because it makes them look smarter, more helpful, or ahead of the curve.
Be present in industry conversations
You don’t need to “go viral.” Just be consistent. Comment on trends. Publish with clarity. Participate in niche LinkedIn conversations or Slack communities where your audience lives.
Collaborate with credible voices
Partner with creators, analysts, or users, not just to amplify your brand content, but to co-create something genuinely useful or interesting. That collaboration often earns secondary coverage.
Treat customer stories like gold
Your happiest customers can become your biggest earned media generators — when you empower them with a platform and celebrate their wins.
Benefits of Earned Media for a brand ?
In a world where paid ads are skipped and owned channels are saturated, earned media cuts through. It’s third-party proof that you matter.
Here’s what it unlocks:
- Higher trust
→ 88% of B2B buyers trust third-party content more than branded messaging (Demand Gen Report) - Extended reach
→ Every share, tag, or backlink exposes your brand to new, relevant audiences - Stronger brand authority
→ When respected voices talk about you, your positioning levels up - Lower cost per acquisition
→ Earned media may take time, but the ROI — especially long term — often beats paid - Amplification for owned + paid
→ A feature in TechCrunch gives your paid campaigns more legitimacy and your blog more visibility