Today, it’s common to find articles, videos and blog or social media posts marked as promoted, sponsored or paid for. This is especially true in digital outlets. Sponsored content refers to any content that businesses or individuals pay a publisher, platform or influencer to create and distribute. The practice has been around for decades and has its foundations in print publications. Since digital content has almost replaced traditional print forms entirely, sponsored marketing content is even more prevalent. While sponsored marketing content allows brands to reach new audiences and gain trust and visibility in their marketplaces, it does come at a cost. B2B buyers are increasingly savvy about digital marketing. Is it worth investing in sponsored marketing content?
What Is Sponsored Marketing Content?
Sponsored content takes a variety of forms but always appears as a native part of the webpage, platform or publication. Because it is promoted by a third party, it naturally garners more trust than a traditional ad. Sponsored content is not self-promotional and does not resemble an ad. Instead, it aims to provide value, answer questions, address challenges and share expertise with a particular audience. Another resource, influencer or publication promotes this content where relevant readers are more likely to engage with the content and discover the brand behind it.
Many consider sponsored marketing content to be synonymous with native advertising, but this isn’t exactly the case. Native advertising is a type of paid-for content created by and paid for by the advertiser to promote products, services, special promotions or events.
The Pros and Cons of Sponsored Content
Sponsored content can be a significant way to connect brands with prospective customers and establish lasting customer relationships. Just like with any marketing initiative, it’s important to weigh the benefits and challenges before implementing something new. Before investing in sponsored marketing content, consider the following pros and cons:
Pros
- Sponsored content boosts visibility. By strategically placing sponsored content, organizations can reach new and audiences quickly on the platforms they’re already engaging with. According to a Reuters survey, 75 percent of consumers say if content piques their interest, they will engage with it regardless of whether the content is sponsored or not. Especially today, readers are accustomed to seeing sponsored content in magazines, video sharing platforms, podcast libraries and social media. If the platform is well-targeted, trustworthy and relevant to your audience, readers will trust that sponsored content is just as credible as other content on the platform.
- Sponsored marketing content delivers more value to readers than traditional advertising. An ad or promotion might move an already interested prospect toward making a purchase. Sponsored content provides solutions to prospect challenges at any stage of buyers’ journeys, regardless of whether they make a purchase. This type of value-driven content aims to deliver actionable insights and solutions that relate to your organization’s products and expertise. When readers recognize your insights as knowledgeable and useful, they’re likely to remember and return to your brand for more. Sponsored content shines a spotlight on your company, its customer successes and your brand’s expertise that can address reader challenges.
- It doesn’t disrupt the user’s experience. Because sponsored marketing content is embedded within the webpage, platform or publication alongside other native content, the prospect interacting with your content has a seamless user experience. If they’re browsing social media, for example, a sponsored post will look just like any other post in their feed, coming from a trusted source that they already follow, not a random advertiser. This allows your brand to tap into that audience in a way that they’ve welcomed, through a source they trust.
Cons
- Sponsored marketing content costs more than some other types of content marketing. The price of sponsored content depends on who is distributing the content, the size of their audience and advertising rates. Naturally, the cost of sponsored content will always be more than free channels such as your own website, owned social media channels or other content platforms. Content development has its own inherent costs, so it’s important to test which topics resonate through free and low-cost channels first, then sponsor high-performing insights that can engage highly targeted audiences.
- It can feel less authentic than traditional publishing. The Federal Trade Commission requires platforms and influencers to inform viewers when content has been paid for. When prospects see sponsored content, they’re aware the piece is being strategically positioned in search results, a feed or website. But that may not dissuade prospects from viewing or interacting with your content. Consider that Nielsen’s 2021 Trust in Advertising report found 88 percent of respondents most trust recommendations from people they know, and that includes brands and platforms. While paid content might turn some readers off, the majority will respond positively to seeing a platform, influencer, publisher or company they trust promote another brand.
- It can be difficult to measure ROI. For B2B companies, it can be a challenge to make direct correlations between specific marketing activity and revenue. B2B purchase decisions include a long sales cycle. This typically means leveraging multiple marketing touchpoints and channels in one purchase. Further, it can be difficult to track the big-picture impact of content beyond metrics such as views and click-throughs. The main challenge marketers face when measuring ROI is a hyperfocus on revenue. ROI should also consider brand awareness, visibility, reputation and credibility, on top of website traffic, social media followers and engagement, newsletter sign-ups, or referrals. These factors may not offer an immediate profit, but they do offer indirect support to building customer relationships and enabling purchase decisions in the long run.
Strike a Balance
When it comes to standing out in the marketplace, every company needs to strike a balance between successfully showcasing expertise and authentically adding value without being self-promotional. Sponsored marketing content can expose your business to new audiences and engage qualified leads in meaningful ways. But just getting your content in front of those audiences isn’t enough. Aim to craft powerful content proving your expertise through shared knowledge. This customer-centric approach creates the foundation needed to deliver value, build trust and move prospects through the sales funnel.
