How a New Media Model Puts You in the Driver’s Seat

We all love getting positive media coverage. It gives us a credible ‘thumbs-up’ and gets the word out about what we have to offer and how we make life better for our target audience.

But today, the breadth of publications has lessened as the publishing world continues to be transformed by the digital revolution. So – how do you get your message out when you can’t get as much traction in earned media as you would like?

Simple: Pay to play.

Sponsored editorial content looks like earned media from a journalist, but has the distinct advantage of being controllable. Yep, you control the story and your message comes out exactly the way you want it.

Sponsored Media – the Backstory

Sponsored media is a growing and thriving category that merits a role in PR and marketing programs. Of course, earned media is the gold standard for any PR program, but sponsored media can round out the program and fill gaps with controlled messaging and timing.

A spinoff of advertorials, which are special paid articles inserted with care into traditional media publications, including everything from Bloomberg Businessweek to trades such as Electronic Design. These publications label the articles as advertorials or brand content and typically present them in a different layout so they are not mistaken as earned media. The goal is to protect the integrity of the publication and provide transparency while allowing the sponsor to get their message out to readers.

Fast forward to today, and we see a new breed of communication: sponsored media properties. In stark contrast to advertorials, sponsored media makes no apologies for the pay-to-play business model and operates as a vehicle to level the playing field – giving companies of all sizes and stature a platform to tell their story.

Fuel for your Content Marketing Engine

As with all media, some are better than others, but there is no denying the value that sponsored media properties offer. The top echelon has reach strategies built into to their offerings to ensure your article gets exposed to key audiences. Others simply provide a platform that appears to be editorial, but the heavy lifting of pushing out your article to target audiences is on your plate. That’s not all bad when you consider most companies have a content marketing machine that’s focused on nurturing prospects and leads with valuable content.

But how do you find these new mavericks of the media trade? Well, that is a bit tricky. Today most of these media properties reach out directly to companies that come into their view through news releases and other means. Here at Lages, we’ve taken on the task to capture these media properties and have compiled a list.

So why not take a test drive?  Remember, you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to sponsored media!