Today, there are many ways to use content marketing to draw the right kind of attention to your brand online. Using sponsored content and native advertising are two methods; the difference between the two, basically, is that the former is meant to inform while the latter is meant to convince.

In the early days of the internet, content marketing was fairly simple: brands would use keywords in online articles to raise their website higher in Google searches. However, the Google algorithm is now more sophisticated and rewards articles that reflect the way that people actually speak, so, in short, keyword stuffing no longer works that well.

What Is Sponsored Content?

Still produced by a brand, sponsored content doesn’t directly promote its products or services. Rather, it usually just provides information germane to the field. An example would be if a tractor company posts regular blog entries about agriculture in general on its website without promoting its own products directly. Here are 5 other great examples. The idea is that if readers find the content useful, they will have good feelings about that particular company and be more likely to buy their products. The aim is to build trust in a brand.

What Is Native Advertising?

Native advertising is a more traditional form of drawing attention to a brand where the marketer is simply attempting to convince people to buy or use a particular service. The “native” part of the term refers to placing the online advertisement in a context where it’s going to be seen by the target audience. For example, if a San Diego residential plumbing company has an advertisement on a website for San Diego homeowners, that’s native advertising. Services like Google Adwords can help place a brand’s advertising where it can do the most good.

Pros and Cons

An advantage of sponsored content is that it doesn’t annoy potential consumers. People generally know when someone is trying to sell something to them, and, if advertising is too direct, it can be a turn-off. A disadvantage is that casual readers might not make the association between the brand and the material it’s sponsoring.

An advantage of native advertising is that it’s clear and to the point. Sometimes it’s best to just cut to the chase and let people know what’s being sold and why it’s a good idea to buy it. Having said that, because advertising is everywhere (on television, billboards, etc.), people often tune it out.

If you need help writing content for your brand or client’s brand, UpScribed could be the answer. Learn more here.

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posted in Content