Earned media value formula
EMV = (impressions ÷ 1,000 × CPM) + (engagements × CPE) + (video views × CPV)
Example: 100,000 impressions at a 10 CPM = 1,000. 4,000 engagements at 0.25 each = 1,000. EMV = 2,000.
What EMV means
Earned media value estimates what the exposure from an influencer post or an organic mention would have cost if you had bought it as advertising. It is a comparison figure, not revenue. Nobody paid that amount and nobody earned it.
Which rates to enter
There is no standard rate card, which is why EMV figures from different tools rarely match. The most defensible choice is your own paid numbers: the CPM, cost per engagement and cost per view from your recent ad campaigns on the same platform. Work them out with the CPM calculator and the CPV calculator. If you have no paid data, state the rates you assumed next to the result.
Avoid counting the same result twice
An impression, a like and a video view can all come from one person watching one post. Adding all three at full rates inflates the figure. Many teams use only one part: impressions × CPM for awareness campaigns, or engagements × CPE for engagement campaigns. Set the rates you do not want to 0 and the calculator leaves them out.
EMV per 1 spent
If you enter what the campaign cost, the calculator divides EMV by that cost. A result above 1 means the exposure would have cost more as ads than you paid for it. It does not tell you whether the campaign sold anything; use the social media ROI calculator for that.
How to use this calculator
Enter impressions, CPM you would pay, engagements, cost per engagement, video views, cost per view and campaign cost (optional). The result updates as you type, so you do not need to press Calculate after each change. Use Copy result to paste the figure into a report, or Share link to send the calculator with your numbers already filled in.
Related calculators
You may also want the Influencer Rate Calculator, Social Media ROI Calculator, CPM Calculator. Browse everything in creator earnings calculators.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMV the same as ROI?
No. ROI compares profit with cost. EMV compares exposure with what the same exposure would cost as advertising.
Why do two tools give different EMV for the same post?
They use different rates and different formulas. Compare EMV figures only when they were calculated the same way.
Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and are not financial advice.