To seasoned marketers, “advertorial” might sound like a dirty word. Traditionally, advertorials were content-based, paid advertising carefully disguised to look like a “real” article or editorial content. If you’ve ever seen an article with the word “sponsored” or “advertisement” at the top, you’ve seen an advertorial.

Sponsored content is a type of promotional media that is paid for by the “advertiser,” but created and shared by another publisher, company or influencer. This modern twist on the traditional format helps companies shine a spotlight on their brand without coming across as self-promotional. When done well, sponsored content is a valuable marketing tool for increasing brand visibility and demonstrating how your company solves problems for your target audiences.

Editorial vs. sponsored content

If you are using bylined articles as part of your marketing efforts, you are already getting editorial coverage. This type of content is excellent for increasing visibility, boosting credibility and demonstrating thought leadership in your marketplace. While editorial content is excellent for communicating your expertise and value, articles aren’t the place for promoting your company. In fact, every editor we work with rejects any article that smacks of self-promotion.

So if editorial coverage can’t include any mention of your brand and its products or services, what are your options? Enter native advertising.

Native advertising vs. sponsored content

One of the newest opportunities for getting your brand in the news is native advertising. Native advertising creates ads that are cohesive with an outlet’s content, design and platform, making the viewer believe the content “belongs.” The difference between native ads and sponsored content is that native ads are created and paid for by the advertiser, while sponsored content is produced and distributed by another source. One of the best types of native advertising comes in the form of an article that is written exclusively about your company. When this type of sponsored content is posted by a reputable source, the impact can be even greater.

Sponsored articles

Sponsored articles in the form of advertorials have been around for years. While they were common in print publications, they have made the transition to digital formats. According to a study by Neilson and Mode Media, audiences spend 2.5 minutes reading a sponsored article—that’s about the same amount of time for a standard editorial piece.

One platform that offers fee-based editorial opportunities is the National Business Post, which positions itself in the content marketing world and focuses on storytelling that highlights each company’s history, values and purpose. Founded in 2019, the outlet is already read in all 50 states and 90 countries around the world. “We want to give the brand we partner with their ‘human story’ filled with interest, unique appeal and emotion,” says CEO Lyle Laver.

“Advertorials are ‘ads’ by definition,” comments National Business Post publisher Bob Gad. “They give information about a product in a journalistic style, but it is a paid subjective advertisement.” Instead, the National Business Post tells stories of businesses and people from an objective view, not a subjective one—and all articles are written by respected award-winning journalists. Stories are clean, credible and verifiably sourced. In addition to providing evergreen content for the brand, The National Business Post articles provide the fresh long-form content that appeals to Google’s search algorithms.

Sponsored articles can be used to tell your unique story to prospects, strategic partners and other key stakeholders.  Share content via email, on your website, as part of the sales process and in corporate presentations. Best of all, when coverage comes from a neutral third party, your credibility is never jeopardized.

Mastering the art of self-promotion

While speaking highly about your brand might feel uncomfortable, it serves an important purpose. After all, if you’re not willing to sing your praises, who will?

Effective self-promotion strikes the perfect balance between demonstrating your company’s expertise and boasting about it. When it comes to standing out in any marketplace, every company needs to figure out how to successfully strut their stuff. According to Laver, “There are two sides to every story. Make sure you are in control of yours.” If you’d like to learn more about how to promote yourself without being self-promotional, schedule a short meeting with us to discuss your marketing communications priorities.