Sponsored articles are a great way to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. However, not all articles of this type are created equal! Some are very popular, while others are placed last in search results. So, where is the difference between them? Probably in the selection of the elements they are made of. In this post, we will present as many as 17 parts that make up an influential sponsored article and tell more about them.
Is the appearance of the sponsored article important?
Sponsored articles are a great way to attract potential customers with your offer. Just… how to write them? How can you provide the reader with what he needs without discouraging him from reading? Creating good sponsored material is not as easy as it might seem at first.
The appearance, structure and content are essential to a sponsored article created to promote a brand. It can bring users to your website and support its positioning. For this reason, it is supposed to encourage and provide valuable insights to customers visually. However, there is no single, perfect recipe for building a sponsored article because it all depends on what industry the text relates to and to which target group it is intended. Nevertheless, the elements used must be carefully thought out.
To create a material that will bring the best results and positively impact the recognition of the entire brand, you should use various components that affect its attractiveness. So, what should you keep in mind if you want to create genuine Sponsored Content? We have some ideas up our sleeve.
What does an effective Sponsored article look like?
A well-structured sponsored article has nothing to do with advertising. It cannot be too long either, because Internet users do not spend as much time reading as they used to. On the web, recipients look for short, substantively rich content that can provide specific information on the desired topic. This is why long articles are rarely read in full. On the other hand, a too-short sponsored post will not bring tangible benefits because the material will not be well developed enough. Therefore, it’s essential not to go to extremes and adopt specific rules in your content marketing strategy, e.g., each text should have a minimum of 1500 words.
In the case of sponsored articles, building a positive brand image is an important aspect. This goal can be achieved in different ways. The language of benefits, statistics, linking to subpages, and encouraging to check more detailed information about the product are just some of them. We cannot forget about SEO – because an outstanding sponsored article should be adequately saturated with key phrases – or about links that play the first fiddle in link building. You can get lost in all of this, right?
We know, we know – we are not extending it anymore. So now is the moment where we present you with various ways to make your Sponsored article more attractive!
17 elements that make up a great article
# 1 Title
This is the first element noticed by the recipient… or at least it should be so. It is up to him whether an internet user will read a sponsored article. Fascinating, eye-catching and even unconventional titles have the power to attract audiences. If you want users to choose your text from among many items that appear, be sure to take care of this element. People will be attracted to a suitable headline. It doesn’t need to reveal everything in the text. However, it may take the form of a question or provide several solutions. It must be catchy and encouraging to click.
# 2 Introduction
The introduction is a preview of the central part of the text. It can present a simple story, essential facts, a brief description of the current world situation, etc. The first sentences are crucial because if the headline attracts the recipient, the introduction cannot spoil it. The beginning of the opening (as well as the title) is intended to draw the reader’s attention and slowly implement it in the subject of the sponsored article. For this reason, you should introduce the client to the text in an exciting way and let him know what questions he will find the answer to in it.
# 3 Contents
Adding a table of contents is a good idea for sponsored articles as they are usually not short-lived. This element greatly facilitates the navigation through the text. In addition, it allows Internet users to read the entire article without having to scroll through the page. Internet users encouraged by the headline usually want to know the answer to their question as soon as possible. For this reason, they often do not read the complete text but simply check the parts that interest them most. The table of contents will help them find these materials quickly. It is also an attractive solution for the authors of entries because, with this component, they will organize all the information they want to use more efficiently.
# 4 Core content
Your sponsored article should give your readers specific value and convey proven knowledge. The main content must be relevant to the page’s topic on which the entry will be published. Always have your audience in mind because that’s what you write with them in mind. Should the access be addressed to young people or seniors? In which industry? Please answer a few similar questions and adapt the language and text to the people who will read it.
# 5 Advertising content
Since it is a sponsored article, it probably contains advertising content. However, it is not an intrusive promotion that evokes waves of customers. On the contrary – it puts the brand in a bad light. The fact that you create a sponsored entry does not mean that its entire interior should praise your offer. You cannot focus heavily on the advertising nature of the text but its usefulness. Readers are with you because of the substantive value you provide. The advertising content is only the icing on the cake, i.e., providing a specific solution that indicates that your product or service is what the Internet user is looking for.
# 6 Attractive structure
Another basis when creating a sponsored publication is to compose the text professionally – it suits the readers and makes it easier to explore. An attractive structure can completely change its face. Adding subheadings, justifying the text, dividing it into paragraphs, adding graphics, etc., will help. Customers will not like the wall of lines and will surely remember less of it than you expected.
# 7 Text highlights
It is worth highlighting those sentences that, in your opinion, bring more value to the article. Listings and bullets will make it easier to read and navigate. To do this, use different text formatting to highlight important fragments by bold or even quotes. Focus on creating readable content and make sure that the elements used to match each other and create a coherent whole. Tables, graphics and charts can also be a good idea, which will make the message even more attractive.
# 8 Pictures
There are photos in our list, which, above all, attract attention. There does not have to be a lot of them. They just have to make the message more friendly. The photo displayed immediately after starting the entry announces that it will not be another boring website. It can show employees or the brand’s activity with the logo in the background. It should not be too extensive as we do not want to confuse the customer. It is worth betting on original photos and putting the stock ones aside just in case.
# 9 Infographics
When mentioning the photos, let’s also take a closer look at the infographic. This element is visually attractive and can present the most critical information, interesting facts, summary, etc. It should also not take up too much space because the space available for the text is smaller. An adequately designed infographic will attract attention and strengthen the educational value of your publication, so if you’ve never used this element in your materials, it’s time to try it.
# 10 Checklists
The checklist contains a detailed description of the actions taken to complete a given task. The more specific and detailed are steps, the greater their effectiveness and value to the reader. It is simple to build, connects, clearly shows the next stages of the procedure and facilitates navigation in the text. The use of this element in sponsored materials ensures that no vital information will be omitted or forgotten.
# 11 Statistics
Ready statistics is a tool that enables a graphic or verbal presentation of the obtained information. Facts, data, numbers, statistics, or case studies are valuable elements of each sponsored material. Currently, access to all data is straightforward, but despite this, not everyone can draw value from it for themselves. For this reason, statistics are often used in articles that show the already processed data and add more meaning to the entry, especially when these statistics are rare or difficult to obtain.
# 12 Links
Be sure to include a link to your website, subpage, or other entry when writing a sponsored article. This is an ideal way to increase the visibility and recognition of your brand on the market. Thanks to this, you take part in link building, which is a long process that aims to get links to your website from external sites. It is worth focusing on it because recent link building activities provide the recipient with valuable content and answers to the questions asked. To get strong links, you can just create sponsored articles – this is one of the more popular forms. It is especially worth publishing content on high-quality and eagerly visited websites by Internet users.
Linkhouse is a link building platform and content marketing that will help you build links. He also writes advertisements, sponsored articles, forum entries, NAPow, or adding links to existing publications. It is an excellent solution for those just starting their adventure with link building.
# 13 Keywords
The article’s content should contain the appropriate number of keywords that are necessary for positioning. Their proper selection is one of the most important SEO activities. If you choose the right strategy, you will notice an increase in the visibility of your website in the search engine. But remember, too much is unhealthy – overloading is not a good signal for browsers. Unfortunately, some sponsored articles are created only to fit in with the Google algorithm, but they do not bring any substantive value to the reader. Don’t make this mistake in your own case.
# 14 The language of benefits
The language of benefits is a specific communication style with the client and an effective way of presenting your offer. It focuses not on its features but on the recipient’s benefits from using it. The consumer never buys the product itself but the benefits of it. Using this language in your sponsored content will avoid talking about the product itself and over-praising it. Instead, you will create a vision of having the client in front of the client. In this way, you make the environment aware of how their life will change after the purchase. The skillful use of the language of benefits requires a great deal of effort. It would help if you remembered all the time that when describing a given product and offer, they are not the focus, but the user and his needs. Therefore, when writing, refer to emotions, focus on the essential values and sell promises.
# 15 Expert statements
Your brand doesn’t have to appear in every second sentence – this usually scares off readers. Instead, you can bet on fascinating statements of experts or industry specialists. The author of each report provides the entry with incredible value because it enriches your material with a favorable opinion, adds relevant information, introduces interesting facts from the industry world. It is essential to use concise statements to the point, as sponsored publications are usually of a limited length. Generally speaking – experts’ own contribution can substantially enrich the entire article.
# 16 CTA
Be sure to add a call to action in your listing. It is one of the key elements, which should be high conversion and increasing the group of loyal readers. The use of call to action in content brings relatively high results with little financial outlay. The most significant advantages of CTA include: better visibility in organic search results (thanks to a higher CTR), lowering advertising costs, encouraging you to take specific action and increasing your sales potential. For your CTA to work dynamically, be sure to match the wording of your CTA to the recipient of the text. Otherwise, the recipient may feel that your CTA does not apply to them and skip it.
# 17 Summary
The summary is a crucial element of the sponsored article and is no less important than the other elements. At the end of the text, it is worth adding a short paragraph that contains conclusions. In this section, you can also verify the entered data, briefly present research results, analyze findings, conclusions of the considerations, advise on the next steps, etc. In the end, it is worth mentioning your brand directly and linking to your website/offer. Such a summary will make it easier to remember essential information and emphasize it additionally. Don’t force yourself to add the subsequent sentences here because the problem is quality, not quantity.
Time for a sponsored article!
These are all the elements that make an excellent sponsored article. We mentioned both the ingredients that affect SEO activities and the visual aspect of the content. Writing sponsored texts is not an easy task. Creating them should be well thought out. If you expect satisfactory results, take the time to develop the right strategy, find an attractive place for publication, prepare and build content that will attract users to your website.
