How to Write Sponsored Content

Jamie Schwartz reports:

"Sponsored articles are articles written on a community-driven or news website that are paid for by the advertiser to be a part of the community posts or editorial content of the website, but they include a contextual link. The benefit that they provide is blending the sponsored article with other editorial articles or content from the host website and showcasing it in front of the host website’s readers.
Pros of sponsored articles:

• Increase your target audience: By showcasing your educational content on another company’s website you are leveraging their audience reach and expanding the number of eyes that see your content. You can redirect them to your website by including a few links on your post.

• Build on your brand personality: Writing sponsored content helps a larger pool of people than you usually reach acknowledge your expertise in an area and learn about your products or services. Educating others helps you build your brand awareness and allows your target audience retain a positive memory of you.

• Grow your thought leadership presence: Encouraging a few of your senior staff members to write articles on professional development within your industry or industry trends can enhance your target audience’s sentiment towards your brand as it will educate and inspire your readers.

How to create your sponsored articles:

• Decide what you want to write about and who you want to target. Afterward, you will want to identify a few websites [that] fit the target audience you have selected and focus on either providing the value you want to write about or working with similar customers as yourself. This will help you ensure that your content will be showcased to readers who care about what you have to say and can learn from it.
• Once you have your audience, topic, and host website selected you can start drafting a few topics to write about. Start with a general topic and come up with some great headlines. The more engaging your headline is the more likely people will click on your article to read it. Buzz[S]umo did some great research on this topic[;] check out what they have to say here.
• Craft your article by following our digital writing tips. Don’t forget to engage your reader by setting up a good plotline with an exciting story always featuring a hero tackling down dragons and rescuing the day; in other terms presenting business challenges and how you recommend solving them.
• Last but not least, don’t forget to include your logo, pictures you have crafted or infographics, conclude with your main message, and link back to your site."