Earned Media ROI Calculator
Enter your placement count, impressions, and CPM. Get instant Earned Media Value (EMV), estimated pipeline revenue, cost per lead, cost per deal, and total ROI — the same math we use for earned media, paid editorial placements, and blended campaigns.
Works for earned media, paid tier-1 editorial placements, or any mixed PR program.
Campaign Inputs
Adjust any number — results update live.
6 placements on Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, MarketWatch tier outlets
Earned articles, paid editorial placements, or syndicated pickups you secured.
Tip: tier-1 outlets often report 30k–100k+ per article.
Industry standard for finance/B2B editorial: $15–$45.
Share of readers who click from the article to your site. Editorial CTR is usually 0.3%–1.2%.
Share of visitors who fill out a form, subscribe, or book a call.
Share of leads that become paying customers.
Average revenue per new customer.
Include agency fees, distribution, and content production.
Funnel breakdown
- Total impressions
- 300,000
- Estimated clicks
- 1,800
- Leads
- 45
- Closed deals
- 7
- Cost per placement
- $3,000
- Cost per lead
- $400
- Cost per deal
- $2,667
- Total value (EMV + revenue)
- $88,500
Need help getting these numbers?
We run paid placement programs across Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, MarketWatch, and 200+ tier-1 outlets — with full impression and citation reporting baked in.
See our PR placement serviceHow to calculate earned media ROI in 6 steps
- Count placements. Tally every earned article, paid editorial placement, and syndicated pickup during your reporting window.
- Estimate impressions. Pull from your distribution dashboard or use the outlet's reported monthly uniques. Tier-1 financial outlets typically deliver 30k–100k+ per article.
- Set the equivalent CPM. Use the rate you would pay for the same impressions as paid display. Finance and B2B editorial range $15–$45.
- Add funnel conversion rates. Editorial CTR is usually 0.3%–1.2%. Pull click-to-lead and lead-to-deal close rates from your CRM.
- Enter total program cost. Agency fees, distribution, paid placement fees, content production.
- Read your ROI. (EMV + Pipeline Revenue − Total Cost) ÷ Total Cost × 100. Healthy B2B PR programs return 300%–1000%.
Earned vs paid editorial vs traditional ads
| Channel | Typical CPM | Editorial credibility | AI citation potential | Best ROI use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earned PR | $25–$45 | Highest | Very high | Authority, AI Overviews, long-tail SEO |
| Paid editorial / tier-1 | $15–$30 | High | High | Predictable reach + brand-safe citations |
| Traditional display ads | $5–$20 | Low | None | Direct response, retargeting |
CPM ranges reflect 2025–2026 finance and B2B benchmarks from Nielsen, Cision State of PR, and Muck Rack reporting.
How the math works
Earned Media Value (EMV) = Total Impressions × (CPM ÷ 1000). It values your earned coverage at the equivalent cost of paid advertising.
Pipeline funnel: Impressions → Clicks (CTR) → Leads (conversion %) → Deals (close rate) → Revenue (avg deal value).
ROI = (EMV + Pipeline Revenue − Total Cost) ÷ Total Cost × 100.
All calculations run locally in your browser — no data is sent to a server.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMV the same as AVE (Advertising Value Equivalent)?
No. AVE multiplies column inches by ad rates and is widely discredited. EMV uses real impressions and a market CPM, then adds tracked pipeline revenue — a closer proxy to actual business value.
How do you measure ROI of a single press release?
Take the total impressions reported by your wire, multiply by CPM/1000 to get EMV, then add any leads and closed deals attributable to the release. Divide net value by the release cost.
What CPM is realistic for tier-1 financial editorial?
$20–$45 for Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, MarketWatch, and Morningstar tier outlets. Use the lower end for syndicated pickups and the higher end for original tier-1 reporting.
Should paid editorial placements count as earned media?
They sit between paid and earned. The placement is purchased, but the editorial credibility, AI citations, and SEO authority behave like earned coverage. Track them in the same ROI model but tag the cost separately.
Does this calculator account for AI search citations?
Indirectly. Tier-1 placements drive citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot. Increase the equivalent CPM by 20–30% when a placement is verifiably cited by AI engines.