Sponsored social media content is an everyday occurrence these days. Wherever teams and leagues push out content, there’s a good chance there’s a sponsor logo lurking somewhere. All too often though sponsored content is forced or screams advertisement. When content becomes forced, it just adds noise to the med-blog.com and little value to the sponsor.
The good news is you can do sponsored content right with cross-department planning, creativity and a fresh look at things. If you want to do sponsored social content right, then here are some guidelines to get you started:
No. 1- Content comes first.
You should approach sponsored social content like you do every other piece of social content: Focus on creating value. Whether the content is to inform, entertain or educate, the value does not come from logos or brand names; the value comes in the heart of the content.
When you approached sponsored pieces with a content-first approach it ends up being a win-win for the sponsor and fans. Why? Because it doesn’t add noise to fans’ timelines and fans wan to pay attention (which has worth to the sponsor).
No. 2- Integrate sponsors gracefully.
Repeat after me: Do not create content just so you can slap a sponsor to it. Instead, integrate sponsors with content you would produce anyway. This makes it more valuable to fans and the organization.
Social media is all about being authentic. This philosophy should translate to content, even sponsored content. Find ways to integrate sponsors naturally and authentically with the content and their product.
No. 3- Be selective.
Social media content is starting to look like a billboard with logos on anything and everything. Stop the madness because it just cheapens the content. Instead, choose the number of sponsored content series selectively. Spend time ramping up series with a creative and strategic point of view. A few strong/valuable sponsored content franchises beat many lousy ones. It’s about quality over quantity. Trust me.
No. 4- Don’t make logos the hero.
Slapping a logo on your graphic or “presented by x” in the copy does not add value to anyone. The logo is not the hero. The sponsor name is not the hero. Don’t annoy your fans by serving your fans what they perceive as ads. Make the content hero, then integrate authentically. That’s how you win.
No. 5- Keep it consistent with the brand.
Good sponsored content doesn’t stand out from the rest of your content and scream ad (hat tip to@LynneaPhillips for this great point on Twitter). Instead, it should have a similar, consistent look and feel to everything else. If a fan scrolls through your Instagram feed and can immediately see it’s sponsored, they are going to tune it out. Try to keep your sponsored content consistent with the rest of your content as much as possible. Again, it’s all about being authentic to make people listen.
Now you are probably asking how you put these rules into practice. Below are some good examples of sponsored content.
WHY: This is a great example of sponsored social content that makes sense. There is a strong tie to the sponsor’s product with content theme.
WHY: This snapshot is from the Vikings Instagram page. As you can see, their sponsored content fits in nicely with their look and feel.
WHY: This is another example of sponsored content that makes sense. It’s on brand for Cooper and valuable to fans.
Louisville rallied together during an emotional 2013 Championship run. #MarchMadness #RealStrength http://t.co/XxUOJl9qvo
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2015
WHY: The Dove Real Strength sponsored content for March Madness is how you sell social. It’s probably the strongest piece of sponsored content I’ve seen, period. Dove leveraged their sponsorship to showcase how the men of the tournament demonstrate real strength through uplighting, heartwarming and emotional stories. The content couldn’t be more on brand for Dove, and it was also extremely compelling for fans (just look at the engagement below). Wins all the way around!
WHY: This is another great connection between the content and the sponsor. “Drive” goes hand in hand with Ford.
WHY: The value here is in the content. Fans like to see the players all dressed up; it gives a peak into their off -the-field style. This is a great example of taking a content first approach and integrating a sponsor.
WHY: Who hasn’t been to Cold Stone on their birthday? The logo is subtle here and the connection is strong.
These examples skim the surface of good sponsored content. What examples have you seen? Share them below!
Thanks for reading!
