Paid, owned, and earned each play a distinct role in your mix. Prove you can pick the right tool for the job and measure what matters.
Which option correctly defines paid media?
Exposure you pay a third party for (e.g., ads, sponsored placements)
Any content on your own website
Community posts from customers
Press coverage you did not pay for
Which is the best definition of owned media?
Retailer search ads
Channels you control, like your site, app, email, or branded social profiles
Any content boosted with ad spend
Coverage by journalists
Which describes earned media?
Search engine ads
Paid creator integrations
Third‑party mentions such as reviews, PR coverage, or organic shares
Your newsletter list
A practical way to build a balanced POE mix is to ______.
match channel roles to objectives, audience, and budget
use only the cheapest CPM
split budget evenly across all channels
run paid and pause owned and earned
How do owned channels strengthen paid performance?
They unlock unlimited free inventory
First‑party data and content improve targeting and post‑click experience
They guarantee lower CPAs on every platform
They remove the need for creative testing
When should you lean harder on paid in the mix?
When you need rapid reach or to enter a new market
When owned lists are too engaged
When you have unlimited time to scale organically
When PR coverage is overwhelming
What is a common trade‑off across POE?
Earned has highest control and cost
Paid is free but slow
Owned has highest control; earned has lowest control; paid offers scalable reach at a cost
Owned guarantees virality
Which metric practice helps compare POE performance?
Use a different success definition per channel
Use shared outcome KPIs and channel‑specific diagnostics
Track only impressions everywhere
Rely only on last‑click sales
Which example best shows paid amplifying owned/earned?
Boosting top‑performing blog or PR content to new audiences
Relying only on organic reach for a product debut
Turning off email while ads run
Posting without any budget on launch day
What is a sensible first step when POE performance is uneven?
Freeze all spend until next quarter
Change every KPI mid‑flight
Revisit objectives and re‑allocate budget by marginal impact
Switch entirely to the cheapest channel
Starter
Revisit POE roles. Clarify what paid scales, what owned controls, and what earned credibly reinforces.
Solid
Nice mix instincts. Now fine‑tune budget by marginal impact and amplify best owned/earned with paid.
Expert!
You’re orchestrating POE like a pro. Keep compound gains by unifying outcomes and re‑allocating with evidence.
