Martech Record Glossary: Paid Media

What is Paid Media?

Paid media is a type of marketing that uses paid advertising to reach a target audience.   This type of marketing can also be an effective tool to compliment your additional efforts on other distribution channels. One major advantage of a paid media that often gets overlooked is the ability to quickly test market theories, collect data, analyze results to test viability given current market conditions. With the use of paid media it’s also an effective measure that is essential during peak times such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With elevated competition and affiliate rates during these peak months, it’s advantageous to have a strong paid media strategy especially during these periods to optimize revenue, brand, and scale potential. In affiliate marketing with a paid media strategy, the majority of budget is typically reserved for these periods where conversions and revenue see their highest levels.

Paid media can be used to promote affiliate products or services in a number of ways, including:

• Display ads: Display ads are images or videos that are placed on websites or in apps. They can be targeted to specific audiences based on their interests or demographics.
• Search engine marketing (SEM): SEM is a type of paid advertising that involves placing ads on search engines like Google and Bing. When someone searches for a keyword related to your product or service, your ad may appear at the top of the search results page.
• Social media advertising: Social media advertising is a type of paid advertising that involves placing ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on their interests or demographics.
• Content advertising is a type of paid media that contextually matches high intent articles or content to your target audience on platforms such as Taboola, Outbrain, and RevContent.