Due to the pandemic, many companies have moved their operations online, so competition continues to grow. The fight for higher search engine rankings has become even more fierce, and sponsored content can be a perfect weapon!
While this isn't new in 2021, sponsored content remains incredibly popular. Creating quality content isn't easy, however, and requires not only intuition but also knowledge and skill. How can you write a great article that will attract an audience? What should you pay attention to to ensure it's noticed and appreciated? You'll find the answers to these questions in the article below!
What is a sponsored article?
A sponsored article is content published on external websites that explores a specific topic. It's one of the best ways to promote your business online and a crucial element of your marketing strategy, bringing numerous benefits. Above all, it's a great alternative to ubiquitous paid advertising. Instead of attacking the audience, it attracts them by offering quality content . This content can help the audience expand their knowledge or gain other tangible benefits.
Creating engaging, high-quality text allows you to rank higher in search results . Ensure substantive content and naturally placed links. It shouldn't turn into a banner ad!
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Sponsored article? Who needs that…
If you're still wondering whether sponsored content is worth investing in, the answer is a resounding yes! Here are a few examples of the real benefits of sponsored content:
- Higher position in search engine – using linking to your target page and ensuring good selection of publication locations will help you rank higher! The more quality content The more you publish on sites with good SEO parameters, the more trust you gain from the Google algorithm. Get liked!
- Expanding knowledge on a specific topic – With articles, you can focus on a specific topic and describe it in detail. Of course, the level of sophistication of the content depends on the target audience. Remember to reuse the content. If you create content for people who are familiar with the topic from scratch, you can not only attract completely new audiences to your website but also use it as part of a knowledge base strategy, enabling self-service. You can modify some texts, add more advanced statistics and topics, and then direct them to specialists.
- Building a brand image – creating quality content By reaching new audiences, you build your image as a specialist. Present your company from a professional perspective and show that you're the best in the industry!
- Possibility to reach a specific target group By choosing the right pages to post your articles on, you'll reach a group of people interested in the topic. Therefore, it's crucial that the text aligns with the content on the publication's landing pages. The audience should be drawn to the topic, and the content should encourage them to read the entire article. This will only be possible if the text is directed to the right audience, interested in the topic.
- Driving traffic to your landing page – Articles are intended to support the sales process. Therefore, they're intended to attract potential customers to the website. The article should include a non-intrusive offer or product description. However, it's important to remember that non-advertising elements shouldn't dominate the substantive content!
- Building brand recognition – by publishing articles on other sites that are popular with your target group, you can gain more and more recognition.
- Content for publication on social media – Are you struggling with ideas for valuable social media posts? Sponsored content can help. As mentioned, it's worth leveraging them further, and one way is to create posts on your brand's social media. You can share links to publications or use content elements, for example, to expand on further topics or create a series of posts on a topic described in the article.
Now you know why, now find out HOW! Learn 5 best practices for writing sponsored content.
#1 Select your audience and set a goal
Before you begin writing an article, be sure to ask yourself: What is its purpose? Who is it intended to reach? What benefits will its content bring to the reader?
Remember that the goal and the audience complement each other.
If your goal is to present a specific topic from A to Z, target your content to people without specialized knowledge but interested in the topic. However, if you want to reach professionals, the content must include specific content, topics, and statistics. Tools like a content matrix can aid in creating your strategy. They will help you effectively select your target audience and establish your goals.
Choosing the right topic is also important! It must offer interesting information that will attract your audience. It's worth looking for inspiration in current trends or industry news. You can also track what a specific audience is searching for or gather information in Facebook groups or online forums dedicated to specific topics. Also, consider asking your question on portals like Quora.
#2 Remember that you are creating the text for the recipient
Once you've determined your audience and purpose and started writing your article, remember that you're writing it for the reader. It must be tailored to the reader's knowledge, but the reading experience itself should also provide them with tangible benefits! It's not just a way to advertise your company, but above all, it's valuable content.
The language should be tailored to the reader. Before you begin writing, conduct thorough research and gather valuable information and statistics. The more time you devote to this, the more substantive and valuable your text will be.
#3 Don't pour water
None of us likes unnecessary rambling. Imagine a conference where every speaker avoids the topic, and you expect specific, practical advice. You wouldn't be particularly pleased. The same applies to readers, even those who are familiar with the topic from scratch. Remember, the recipient's time is incredibly valuable. There's nothing worse than disappointing a reader who spends a long time reading an article and doesn't gain the expected knowledge.
#4 Split the article appropriately
A good sponsored article consists of several elements:
Title
This is the first moment a potential reader encounters your article, and therefore it's incredibly important. Its primary goal is to attract the reader and encourage them to read on! So how can you make it catchy?
- It should be the essence of your article, so keep it short;
- Use emotionally charged adjectives;
- If your article is a collection of tips or instructions, use the power of the word “how”;
- Catch the reader by using a strong phrase such as “check this out!”, “don’t be fooled!”;
- It should show the value of your article and refer to the benefits of reading it;
- Include a phrase for your target group, e.g., “Marketer’s Essentials for 2021.”
Lead
This is a brief summary of all the elements that will be included in the article. This is a good place to present the benefits of reading the article. It's worth using phrases and information here that will convince the reader that this content is exactly what they were looking for.
Introduction
Here you can describe the topic in more detail and provide reasons for addressing a specific issue. This is a good time to present statistics or summarize existing knowledge on the topic. However, this element should still be brief and address the recipient's real needs, making them aware of the benefits they will gain from reading the following article.
Development
This is the place where you can answer all your questions and clear up any doubts about a specific topic. Show off your knowledge! Remember to spice up your content by weaving in graphics and breaking it up with subheadings. You can't let the reader be overwhelmed by a wall of text.
Summary
Finally, it's worth gathering all the information into a short summary. This is also the time to draw conclusions and discuss the issue.
#5 Choose your publication location carefully
As we know, linking is crucial for SEO. Until recently, investing in as many publications as possible, in various locations, was enough. However, everything changed with the 2012 Google Penguin update, which was designed to protect against low-quality linking. It's therefore a waste of time publishing low-quality content on equally poor websites, unrelated to the topic of the article. According to Ahrefs, almost 91% of websites receive no organic traffic. This is precisely why investing in backlinks is so crucial. So what website parameters should we consider when choosing a publication location?
- search engine visibility – tools such as SEMSTORM or Senuto will help us with this
- number and traffic of unique users – we will obtain such data thanks to Google Analytics
- domain link profile – we will evaluate it using Majestic and Ahrefs tools
It is also worth looking at the quality of the content published by a given brand and the ratio of outgoing to incoming links.
Analyzing all the parameters, however, is extremely time-consuming. To better automate the process of selecting domains for publishing sponsored articles, you can use Linkhouse ! Thanks to this platform's functionalities, you have access to all data from over 40,000 websites. Parameters are updated continuously, every seven days. You'll find data from numerous tools, including Ahrefs, Majestic, SEMSTORM, Senuto, and Semrush. The time spent manually searching for suitable sites can be used to create even higher-quality content!
Summary
Sponsored content is a crucial element of any marketing strategy. It's a way to offer unobtrusive advertising while also providing numerous other benefits. Good article writing practices will help you create high-quality content that will attract your audience.
It's crucial to carefully select the audience and purpose of your content . This will help you understand how to write and who to target. Properly dividing your article will help structure it and ensure a smooth flow for the reader. The Linkhouse platform will help you choose the right publication venue , making the entire process quick and efficient.
Good luck!
The author of the entry is Paulina Gawęda
At Linkhouse, she supports marketing and PR activities. She's a passionate content marketing and customer experience enthusiast. Privately, she's a psychology student and a fan of nonfiction.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
It explains what a sponsored article is: content published on external sites that substantively expands on a chosen topic, subtly promoting a company and supporting SEO instead of intrusive advertising.
It shows why you should invest in sponsored articles at all – it highlights their benefits, such as higher Google rankings, building an expert brand image, reaching a precise target group, increasing website traffic and company recognition.
