What is sponsored content?
Sponsored content is a type of targeted content that positions your brand in a positive light. It’s an article that comes across as organic and fits seamlessly within Insider Guides’ broader content offering – in other words, it looks just like any other article on the website and covers a topic relevant to Insider Guides’ audience. The difference is that sponsored content contains an underlying promotional message. The purpose of sponsored content is to create a positive association between the brand and the article.
Examples of sponsored content include:
- An interview with a student who attends a particular educational institution that focuses on their study experience.
- An informational piece on a topic such as what students need to do when they move into a new home, with mention of a particular service provider.
- A list of fun experiences in a particular city with mention of a certain business.
What isn’t sponsored content?
While the difference may be subtle, sponsored content is not an advertorial. The purpose is not to purely focus on the services or products provided by a particular brand, but to create a positive association between the content and the brand.
For example, a list of the ten most popular degrees at a certain university is not sponsored content. However, an article exploring a particular career path that includes a mention of that university’s degree offerings can be considered sponsored content.
Similarly, a list of reasons why you should buy a particular brand of mobile phone is not sponsored content. However, a list of things to consider when buying a mobile phone could be a valuable piece of sponsored content.
How will my brand be integrated into the article?
Brand integration may appear in the form of in-content mentions or a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of the article. Any in-content mentions and the CTA can include a hyperlink to your website.
Examples of in-content mentions include:
- Julia, from Hong Kong, studied at the University of XX and completed a Bachelor of Arts. She can’t recommend the University enough, emphasising how much support the international student team offered when she first arrived in Australia.
- If you’re looking for a new mobile phone, you might want to check how much space each model offers. The new XX, for example, offers an impressive 512GB of storage.
Examples of CTAs include:
- Ready to kickstart your study journey? The University of XX offers a range of degrees across several areas. Click here to learn more. <link added>
- With 512GB of storage and a range of high-tech features, the new XX is the ultimate phone for students. Head to the XX website to learn more. <link added>
Who is the audience?
International students are the primary audience. This means content needs to be relevant to them, with the goal of improving, enhancing or supporting their study experience in Australia.
They don’t necessarily need to be current students; Insider Guides creates content relevant to various points of the student journey:
- Offshore – thinking about their study options/considering Australia
- Offshore – preparing to arrive in Australia
- Onshore – newly arrived in Australia
- Onshore – already studying in Australia
- Onshore – preparing to graduate/leaving Australia
How will they know the content is sponsored?
Insider Guides is always transparent about the fact that an article is sponsored. The article will clearly state that it is sponsored by a particular brand, and will include the brand’s logo at the top of the page. This is on top of any in-content mentions and CTA.
How does the process work?
The process can vary between projects, but generally you can expect the following steps:
- Complete sale with Insider Guides Account Manager and establish number of sponsored content pieces to produce.
- Introduction to Insider Guides Editor to firm up ideas/angles for sponsored content that suit your marketing objectives.
- Once ideas/angles are established, Editor will work with you to source relevant information, contact details for any interviewees and any other resources.
- Editor will commission an article to a writer and aim to have the article completed within 2-3 weeks.
- First draft of the article will be sent to you for review and feedback. It will include a suggested image, your branding, and a CTA if provided.
- Once feedback is received, Editor will revise and update the article accordingly for a second review.
- Once the article is approved by you, it will be published on the Insider Guides website.
Can I provide my own content?
In most cases, we do not accept guest posts or external content due to our strict editorial style. However, if you supply a press release or your own content, we may be able to use parts of it in the content we create, depending on the goal of the article.
How will my piece of sponsored content be promoted?
Insider Guides will promote your piece of content through the following channels:
- Home page (either featured article or a list of the most recent articles)
- eDM (released every Thursday; Insider Guides will choose a promotion date most relevant to your piece of content, unless there’s a particular date you want to promote it)
- Facebook (Insider Guides will choose a promotion date relevant to your piece of content, unless there’s a particular date you want to promote it)
We also encourage you to share the content on your own channels, especially if the content is relevant and useful to your students. This could be as a link on your website or in your online newsroom, on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), through your eDM or internal newsletters, or simply by sharing with your colleagues or student cohort.
What are the technical requirements from me?
- Logo – preferably high resolution Jpeg or PNG. Square and horizontal formats are both acceptable.
- If you want to provide your own images to accompany the article, visual assets will need to be approved by the editorial team. If the style or resolution of the image is not suitable, we will provide you with alternatives. If you do not have an image you would like to use, we will be able to source it for you.