Is advertising the driver of trade? Do you agree with this statement? This cliché has become so worn out that this text begins with it. And for a good reason. After all, in marketing, you often have to work with clichés, prejudices, and stereotypes. The very craft of marketing is mainly about destroying myths and creating your mythology. Marketing is not only about “selling” but also about “making people buy.” And like every craft, it has its tools. PR professionals, in particular, play a crucial role in shaping these narratives and influencing public perception.
Pros and Cons for PR professionals and digital marketing specialists
Today, we’ll discuss advertorials and whether your company needs them (spoiler alert: they do).
1. AdBlock, but not broken- Pros and Cons for PR professionals
The modern business needs to be heard. Yet it’s hard to achieve this when the advertising around you has become background noise. Consumers are tired of it. You can spend a budget creating a banner on a popular media resource. Still, one click on the ad blocker has already brought your efforts to nought.
So we find ourselves in a situation with a lot of advertising. It is becoming increasingly difficult to target consumers with your messages. Direct advertising has not been an effective marketing tool for a long time, especially in the digital segment. For high-quality work with the audience, you need the most organic, hidden content that will not contrast with the content of the digital platform through which you plan to broadcast your messages. If you need just such a tool, you need an advertorial.
2. You need an advertorial ASAP
If you have yet to learn what an advertorial is, here’s a brief explanation. This is paid material published on a media resource and designed as the usual content for this resource. Yes, this is often a paid article with a corresponding label that informs the consumer that they are reading/watching paid content. And the task of the communication specialist is to make this content interesting and valuable.
For this, you should pay attention to a couple of critical points:
- The advertorial does not contrast stylistically with the resource’s content: Research the content of the media you are going to publish. As a rule, editorial offices do not write advertorials themselves but only post them. Therefore, the author must adapt his product to the platform on which it will be published.
- The advertorial should be informative: Remove everything that is directly related to your brand from the text. The material that remains should be informative, engaging and structured. And most importantly, it should be relevant.
- Know your audience: Successfully targeting content according to consumer preferences gives you a greater guarantee of being heard. Users vote with a click for what they are interested in and what they like. Choose the appropriate topic for the resource where you will post content. Once again, it’s worth reminding you that your story should be organic and not discordant with the platform’s content but complement it.
To engage the target audience with the material, it is crucial to reach out to them through the communication channels of the platform that hosts the text. Online media has pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Scale your message to these platforms as well. Of course, remember to ensure that the content on the side platform you choose looks organic and can directly interest the consumer.
Like any advertising content, advertorials must pass the audience’s criterion, which is sceptical of advertising from the beginning. At the same time, if a consumer has already visited a resource with which the customer cooperates, it means that this consumer is looking for content. This is why creating an advertorial that stimulates the end user is challenging yet exciting.
Also Read: Pros of Influencer Marketing and PR for CBD Brands
Why we are in favour of fair play
Naturally, labelling content as paid for will make your potential audience wary. It’s a disadvantage, but it’s fair game. Media resources that position themselves as independent platforms exist thanks to selling advertising space, sponsorship and materials. We advise you to cooperate primarily with those resources that communicate with their audience about why they can create content. Without high-quality and cost-effective advertorials, there would be no high-quality editors in market conditions.
For you, these will be resources with a good reputation and cooperation with them will be expensive. However, converting your work into results will be worth the effort.
Conclusion on Pros and Cons for PR professionals
In conclusion, advertorials are essential in today’s marketing landscape, offering a way to engage consumers who are increasingly adept at ignoring traditional ads. When crafted carefully to blend seamlessly with editorial content, advertorials can provide value, build trust, and subtly promote your brand. Despite initial wariness about paid content, transparency and high-quality information can turn skepticism into an engagement. Investing in well-crafted advertorials on reputable platforms ultimately enhances your brand’s reputation and fosters stronger consumer relationships.
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