Blurred lines: here are the best practices for sponsored content

Do you hate pop-up ads with a fiery passion? So does the guy who invented them. Pop-up ads don’t engage users, they enrage them. In fact, we hate banner ads so much that we’ve tuned them out.

So what’s an advertiser to do? Well, capitalize on the internet’s love of content by partnering up with an editorial publisher. And what’s a publisher to do? Well, join forces with the “dark ones” that keep the publication afloat and remain ethical. Welcome to sponsored content.

The latest trend that is here to stay in both the advertising and publishing world is sponsored content. Sponsored content is when brands go editorial to create meaningful and relevant content that aligns with core brand values. As content creators, sponsored content is both rewarding (money!) and tricky.

The tricky part comes down to ethics. Technically, sponsored content can only work when content creators are telling a story and not overtly selling a product. It’s important to understand the ethics of writing editorially for advertorial purposes. There is a separation unless you disclose the nature of the article.

With that said, here are some best practices to consider using when it comes to sponsored content.

1. Transparency

If you want your publication’s authority and credibility to remain in tact, there must be transparency that the content is sponsored. Whether it’s a sponsored tweet, video or article, a marker that says “Sponsored content” or “Paid by” the sponsor will go a long way. The Federal Trade Commission also mandates that sponsored content is clearly distinguished from news or editorial content.

2. Clarify the author

The author (and owner for that matter) of sponsored content can be convoluted, and it’s important to remember to be specific. Did someone on your editorial team write it? Was it a freelancer contracted to write the sponsored content? Does your publication have its own department of writers and promoters specifically for sponsored content? This is especially important if the publication publishes news as it could be a breach of ethical conduct.

3. Content should fit the brand and publication

Sponsored content doesn’t mean sacrificing all of your independence or style. The content should represent brand values because the advertisers are paying for it. However, the content needs to represent the brand and the publisher. For example, if the advertiser wants to promote a health-food brand and goes to a health food publisher like Young and Raw, the article still needs to feel a Young and Raw article without emphasizing the health-food brand. No matter who the advertiser is, the content should still feel organic to Young and Raw’s voice and brand.

4. Ownership?

Settle this before any work is done: who exactly owns the content? This is a big, unaddressed issue as there haven’t been any public squabbles about this yet, but it does beg some attention. Does your publication own the content because you produced it? Does the advertiser own it because they commissioned it? Ownership needs to be established to see if the advertisers or publishers can publish elsewhere or publish multiple times. It’s a legal grey area right now, but whichever you choose, get it in writing.

5. Content is still king

Yes, the post may be “sponsored” by a bank or a restaurant chain or a television network. That doesn’t mean it’s any less engaging. In fact, make it more engaging. Good sponsored content should only be recognized by the “sponsored label” tag. As a publisher, it is your duty to make engaging, relevant, and share-worthy content.

One of the best publishers making sponsored content work for the company is Forbes. Forbes’s BrandVoice department ensures that all sponsored content fits for the advertiser, but most importantly the publication. It clearly marks posts with a BrandVoice banner. And it even settled some of the ownership squabbles by letting brands republish other commissioned work on their site.

Sponsored content is here to stay, at least for the near future, and in order for a publisher to keep integrity and independence, it’s important to understand the best practices to approach it. Otherwise, sponsored content will be just as hated as pop-up ads.

Image: Vandathai/Shutterstock