Media Placement ROI Calculator
Free earned media ROI calculator for PR, tier-1 broadcast, and paid editorial placements. Enter your placement count, combined impressions, and category CPM to instantly model Earned Media Value (EMV), projected pipeline revenue, cost per lead, cost per closed deal, and total campaign ROI. It is the same math our team uses to price and defend six- and seven-figure PR budgets against blended paid media benchmarks — no spreadsheet, no signup, and every input stays in your browser.
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 media placement ROI in 6 steps
- Count placements. Tally every 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%.
Tier-1 placements vs paid editorial vs traditional ads
| Channel | Typical CPM | Editorial credibility | AI citation potential | Best ROI use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 editorial 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) is a standard industry acronym: Total Impressions × (CPM ÷ 1000). It values your editorial coverage at the equivalent cost of paid advertising, regardless of whether the placement was pitched or purchased.
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.