Getting your advertisers on-board with syndicated content

Mar 13, 2017

By Metro Creative Graphics

Chances are you are already utilizing some syndicated material, which can run the gamut from news sources to TV listings and on to general-interest editorial articles and sections, recipes, puzzles, art and more. How and when you offer these items for sponsorship by potential advertisers can expand your reach, increase your professional footprint and boost your bottom line.

The key to selling sponsorship to any syndicated content is relevance: namely, does the material give your readers valuable information or offer welcome entertainment? In other words, how will it play in your local arena? Choose the syndicated material that best fits your target audience, and advertisers will want to be there with it. If articles on golfing won’t be well received in your area, what about pets? Or how about financial information? Or possibly seasonal events? There is content available for practically every subject for which you can think.

 

Pre-made Sections

Many companies, including Metro Creative Graphics, offer complete special sections that are ready for you to place your branding on and sell advertising into. In these instances, regular ads are sold for section pages that can cover traditional themes like home improvement and weddings, or reference hot topics like senior living or pets. Because the section is complete, selling becomes easier because you can show your prospects exactly what the section will look like, and where the ad will be positioned. Choose the titles that best fit your readership and personalize content for maximum results for you and your advertisers.

 

Native Advertising

and Sponsored Content

Buzzwords around the industry today center on native advertising and sponsored content. There are differences between traditional advertising and native advertising. Although ads ask people to buy things directly with an in-your-face message, native advertising provides something interesting and of value to the reader without a sales pitch. That’s where your syndicated editorial material can come in handy. Taking your first foray into native advertising can be as simple as attributing some tips from a royalty-free article to a local advertiser. For example, a feature about tires might warrant the addition of the line, “Check these tire-buying tips from Jim Sanders, owner of Sanders Tire in Middletown.”

When syndicated editorial material leans toward the advertorial and names specific branded products or services, selling sponsorship can be reserved for those businesses that offer the mentioned goods or services. Again, selling sponsorship becomes much easier when the advertiser has an affinity to the editorial content.

Metro Creative Graphics, Inc. is a provider of advertising, creative and editorial resources designed to help media companies create, sell and profit with their print, web, social and mobile efforts. Visit metrocreativeconnection.com or call 800-223-1600 for further information.

Tips on selling syndicated material

1. Know what you’ve got. Explore everything that is included with your syndicated services, and don’t dismiss the opportunities that may be out of your usual bailiwick. One simple promotion can change your annual revenue game.

2. Sell long-term. Because syndicated material is constantly being refreshed, you are able to offer your advertisers ongoing sponsorships. This makes it practically a no-brainer to sell sponsorship to seasonal tips, the Recipe of the Week, crossword, Sudoku or various other kinds of puzzles or material aimed at kids.

Because the material is readily available on an ongoing basis, spec layouts can be easily created to include above-the-masthead sponsors, for example, or Joke of the Day, Quote of the Day or any number of other opportunities that can arise from having access to relatable syndicated content. Above-the-masthead sponsorship translates well to premier ad positions on your website, too. These prime spots appear on every page of your site. Sponsorship can be as straightforward as a “sponsored by” notification.

3. Keep it local. When a home cook has limited time, he or she will use packaged goods to jump-start a family meal but will add touches to the meal to adjust it to the taste of the family. The same holds true of syndicated material—add your own touches and aim for local interest.

Puzzles and Games

Interest in puzzles and games has increased in recent years. Perhaps this is a reaction to our fast-paced lifestyle, where people just want a momentary respite from the daily race. The meditative quality of adult coloring books is noted as a major reason for the tremendous growth of these products as well. All types of puzzles and coloring books are available from syndicated sources. Metro, among other companies, provides these items monthly. When readers show an interest, advertisers want to be there, in print, on the web and on mobile platforms.

People are now bombarded with advertising from so many sources that they tend to go ad-blind more than they might have in previous years, and app software is increasingly blocking online and mobile ads. By sponsoring syndicated content, advertisers can better reach consumers with information that is relevant to them.