Earned Media Value (EMV)

Earned media value (EMV) is a metric used in marketing to estimate the value of exposure or engagement a brand receives through non-paid channels. This can include social media mentions, shares, likes, reviews, press coverage, word-of-mouth, and other forms of organic publicity.

Why does earned media value matter? 

EMV provides a tangible measure of the impact and effectiveness of your brand's unpaid media exposure. It helps quantify the value of organic interactions, which are considered more trustworthy and influential than paid advertising. 

By calculating EMV, brands can assess the ROI (return on investment) of their social media efforts, identify opportunities, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their marketing campaigns. Understanding and maximizing EMV is crucial for enhancing brand awareness, credibility, and overall success.

Why is earned media value important for influencers?

For influencers, EMV is a crucial indicator of their ability to influence consumer behavior and drive brand awareness. It helps brands assess the ROI of partnering with influencers and allows influencers to demonstrate their value.

How can brands use earned media value effectively?

Brands can leverage EMV to evaluate the ROI of their marketing campaigns by comparing EMV to marketing costs. It serves as a benchmark to gauge campaign success against industry standards or competitors. 

How to calculate Earned Media Value 

Calculating EMV involves assigning a monetary value to various forms of organic engagement. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, there are two ways to calculate EMV:

Calculate EMV using a formula 

 The most common approach is to estimate the value of engagements based on their equivalent cost in paid advertising or their perceived impact on brand awareness and sales. 

For example, you might assign a value of $0.50 per like and $5 per share. To calculate EMV, you would then track the total number of each type of engagement your brand receives over a certain period, multiply each by its assigned value, and sum them up. 

The formula might look something like this: EMV = (Number of Likes × Value per Like) + (Number of Shares × Value per Share) + ... and so on for each type of engagement. The result is an estimate of the monetary value of the earned media your brand has generated.

Calculate EMV using Later Influence 

The easier and more accurate way to calculate EMV is to use Later Influence’s EMV reporting feature. Later Influence™ uses the Ayzenberg Earned Media Value Index to calculate the estimated value for each piece of content.

The Ayzenberg Index assigns a market value to each social media metric. This value is then multiplied by the volume of key performance indicators (KPIs) obtained. The values are automatically calculated daily to reflect the demand for content on each social channel on the date the content is posted. As a result, the value for each KPI will fluctuate over time, making our estimated EMV more accurate than a static value. 

Find out how much EMV you’re generating today when you book a demo with Later Influence.