If you\u2019ve always wanted to experiment with this strategy,<\/span><\/a> but haven\u2019t had the time or resources to produce your own campaigns, sponsoring content from other companies or influencers might be the right strategy for you.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Once relegated to print publications, sponsored content is thriving in the online marketing space. We\u2019ll explain what sponsored content is, give best practices, and provide tips for staying within federal advertising guidelines.<\/p>\n Skip to:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sponsored content is a type of promotional media that’s paid for by an advertiser, but created and shared by another brand, influencer, or publisher.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n This type of content is most engaging when you sponsor a company or influencer who targets your core audience and already discusses topics that align with your brand. When this is done right, any mention of your brand feels like a natural fit rather than an invasive advertisement.<\/p>\n Instead of thinking they just saw an advertisement, audiences should come away from sponsored content feeling like they\u2019ve learned something interesting. This makes your brand look more credible, memorable, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 trustworthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n When it comes to branded or sponsored content, trust is a major factor that engages potential customers. In fact, when marketers sponsor content from a trusted publisher, they see a 50% higher brand lift than marketers who make their own content<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n As branded and sponsored content gains steam, research continues to show that marketing your product with quality content can be incredibly effective. In fact, content marketing gets three times more leads<\/a> than paid search advertising.<\/p>\n Although sponsored content is engaging and effective, it still occasionally gets confused with more traditional native ads.<\/p>\n Native advertising is when a brand creates editorial content that centers around their product. Then, they might pay a website or publisher to share it in a way that naturally flows within a list of content on their homepage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a native ad that appeared on Huffington Post\u2019s homepage. Aside from the advertisement attribution under the headline, the post about senior entitlements is designed to show up on the page just like a regular news story.\u00a0<\/p>\n When you click it expecting a regular post, you\u2019re sent to a branded article that purely highlights services and discounts from Money Nation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Native ads and sponsored content are both designed to look like they naturally belong on a web page. However, a native ad is paid for and created by the advertiser themselves, while an advertiser pays another brand to produce and distribute sponsored content.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n While you might want to consider a native ad that goes directly to a product page for immediate sales or traffic purposes, leading readers down a conversion path too soon could turn off audiences.<\/p>\n Since people may scroll past or tune out when they see content that\u2019s obviously created by an advertiser, a piece of sponsored content created by a trusted source might be a stronger alternative.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re ready to start sponsoring content, it can still be difficult to come up with a list of content ideas or identify brands that you could sponsor. To help inspire you, here are a few great examples.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Most consumers want to see videos from brands<\/a>, so it\u2019s no surprise that video and photo content are gaining attention from sponsors. Here are three great examples of video and photo posts:\u00a0<\/p>\n Dog treat brand Good ‘n’ Fun used some real dog fans to get the word out about its chews and provide some social proof. The photo shows two happy pups excitedly staring a 3 bags of the brand’s treats.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/a>Image Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The cute pups belong to digital creator Dulce Randall<\/a> who created the sponsored post for the brand. The sponsored post fit perfectly in with her content which follows her cute Husky and Corgi on different adventures.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michelob sponsored a Tastemade recipe video which used the beer as an ingredient in a shrimp ceviche tostada dish. The video shows how the beer is used as a flavoring ingredient and lists its name in the video caption.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n View this post on Instagram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/a> Break out the grill for this exotic twist on a shrimp ceviche tostada, which isn’t complete without a refreshing Michelob ULTRA Infusions Lime and Prickly Pear Cactus. #Sponsored by @MichelobULTRA #InfuseYourSummer\u2060 \u2060 INGREDIENTS:\u2060 1\/2 cup olive oil\u2060 1\/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro\u2060 Zest and juice of 2 limes\u2060 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce\u2060 2 cloves garlic, grated\u2060 1 tablespoon tomato paste\u2060 1 teaspoon kosher salt\u2060 1\/2 teaspoon ground black pepper\u2060 1 pound medium (21 to 26) shrimp, deveined and tails removed\u2060 \u2060 CEVICHE:\u2060 1 cup Roma tomatoes, small dice\u2060 1\/2 cup dragonfruit, small dice\u2060 1\/2 cup fresh mango, small diced\u2060 1\/2 cup red onion, small diced\u2060 1\/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped\u2060 1 small Serrano, finely chopped\u2060 1\/4 cup fresh lime juice\u2060 1\/4 cup mango juice\u2060 2 tablespoons olive oil\u2060 1 teaspoon tomato paste\u2060 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce\u2060 1 teaspoon kosher salt\u2060 \u2060 GUACAMOLE:\u2060 2 large, ripe avocados, cut in half and pitted\u2060 1 lime, sliced in half\u2060 1 small red onion, cut into 1\/2-inch rings\u2060 4 cloves garlic, peeled\u2060 1 small jalape\u00f1o, sliced in half and seeded\u2060 3 tablespoons olive oil\u2060 2 teaspoons sea salt\u2060 1 teaspoon ground black pepper\u2060 1\/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped\u2060 Tostadas\u2060 Lime wedges\u2060 \u2060 Steps continued in the comments below.\u2060 \u2060<\/a><\/p>\n A post shared by Tastemade<\/a> (@tastemade) on What is sponsored content?<\/h2>\n
How to Distinguish Sponsored Content<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sponsored Content vs. Native Advertising<\/h2>\n
Sponsored Content Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sponsored Photo or Video Content<\/h3>\n
Good ‘n’ Fun<\/h4>\n
Michelob Ultra<\/h4>\n
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