Do you know how to identify sponsored content? Odds are you’ve come across it in some form, since the use of sponsored advertising as a whole was expected to account for 59.7% of the U.S. advertising spend in 2023. While they’re stylized to match the surrounding content, the FTC dictates that they are clearly identifiable, so anything labeled “ad,” “sponsored by,” “presented by,” etc., are sponsored posts! For marketing teams that feel like their digital footprint is struggling or not resonating the way you envision, sponsored content can be a fresh way to connect with your audience since you’re injecting your brand into content they’re already interested in and engaging with.
Sponsored content is exactly what it sounds like: promotional content that is sponsored by an advertiser to highlight a particular subject or product. The best thing about this type of advertising is that it can be adjusted to fit any platform, since the whole idea is centered around being incongruous instead of competing for users attention. The type of content and how it’s created will vary, from sponsored articles to influencer partnerships. Most marketing plans are aimed towards identifying your audience and funneling through to them, but adding this type of advertising - where you focus on your business instead of your customers - into the mix allows you to reach parts of an audience you may not have previously considered valuable. By partnering with brands or sites, you’re opening up the potential for interaction with a group that you might previously have been funneling out of your advertising plan.
Sponsored content, especially sponsored articles, are also great for personalizing your message and allowing you to connect with the audience in a more direct way. By sponsoring or promoting content that highlights a particular product or service with context or in a relevant setting, you’re able to build trust between the audience and your product/service. Advertisers are typically able to direct the focus of the story - though not write the story/article itself, as that’s no longer sponsored content but advertorial - or ask the writer to highlight certain features of a brand or product. This fosters a positive experience in a format a user is already familiar with, therefore a positive relationship with the audience, which can lead to higher engagement and interactions. This is especially true when the content is available for comment or review from the audience it’s presented to. Not only is this a great way to present your business in a new light, but now you also have the potential to engage with your audience in a more direct, personal way.
Something to be aware of when inquiring about sponsored content - while sponsored content can foster trust, mislabeled content can do serious damage. Since this kind of marketing is designed to fit in seamlessly, sponsored content writers and the advertisers themselves need to take care and make sure anything they’re sponsoring is clearly marked as such. By making it clear that a particular message is sponsored by your company, you’re creating an open line of honesty with your audience, instead of trying to “dupe” them. Leaving sponsored content unlabeled is not only disingenuous and damaging to your brand, but it can also damage the influencer/publisher that’s highlighting the content. The FTC recommends you use basic, easy to understand verbiage like “sponsored advertising,” so users aren’t left confused by ambiguous language and industry jargon. Even though you as the advertiser aren’t writing the content, it’s still in your best interest to make sure the business or person you’re partnering with is aware of and utilizing the labeling recommendations.
As far as choosing a platform to run sponsored content on, keep sponsor and advertiser alignment at the top of mind. A simple way to gauge alignment is industry relevance - a pediatric doctors office may partner with a publication that features content about parents and babies and contain information about what to expect at well-child checkups for every age group.
If you’re looking for a way to incorporate a more creative marketing campaign, or even identify a larger audience, sponsored content can be a great outlet to bring a different view to the forefront. Your options are pretty limitless here, as long as you have a message to share you’re already on your way to running a successful sponsored content campaign.