Paid media covers every channel where money buys the exposure: search ads, social ads, sponsorships, sponsored content and paid placements. You control the message, the audience and the timing, and you can scale it as fast as your budget allows.
Paid media is reliable, but trust in ads keeps falling. The Edelman Trust Barometer 2026 found about 70% of people hesitate to trust anyone outside their circle. Buyers increasingly check for third-party proof before they respond to an ad, which is why paid media works best when it points to real coverage.
Marketers usually group channels as paid, earned, shared and owned. Guaranteed press placements sit between paid and earned: you pay for the placement, but the result is an editorial feature in a publication rather than an ad unit. Use paid channels to spread your proof, and earned media to build it.
Want help putting this to work? Book a strategy call with Zach and leave with your best angles, the outlets and shows that fit you, and a clear plan.