Understanding Advertorials and The Role They Play in PR Strategies
In our recent blog “PR Is Changing in the Music Industry” we talked about the rise of advertorials and the blend of PR and Marketing. Well my friend, the time has come to FULLY embrace this blend of two worlds and discover the power of combining Advertorials with Earned Editorial content.
What is an Advertorial?
An advertorial is a blend of an advertisement and editorial content, designed to look like an editorial article rather than an ad. It’s a strategic tool that leverages the informative and engaging style of traditional editorial content to subtly promote your music to the right audience.
Key Benefits of Advertorials
1. Enhanced Credibility:
Advertorials are presented in a format similar to editorial content, which can enhance the perceived credibility and trustworthiness of the message. Readers are more likely to engage with and believe information that appears to be an objective article rather than a straightforward advertisement.
2. Effective Storytelling:
Advertorial pieces allow for deeper storytelling, giving artists the opportunity to provide context, background, and detailed information about their music and (somewhat) control the narrative. This narrative approach can be more engaging and persuasive compared to traditional ads, and definitely comes off as more authentic for the reader.
3. Targeted Audience Reach + SEO Benefits:
Advertorials can be tailored to specific publications that align with the target audience of the business. By appearing in a trusted source read by the intended demographic, the advertorial can achieve more impactful and relevant exposure. similarly, well-crafted and well-placed advertorials can boost SEO efforts by incorporating keywords naturally within the content. This helps improve search engine rankings and drives organic traffic to the business’s website.
4. Content Longevity:
Unlike traditional ads, which may have a short lifespan, advertorials can remain relevant and accessible for an extended period (often remaining up on for the publication’s lifetime). This longevity ensures ongoing engagement and visibility.
5. Alignment + Strategic Publication:
You should be choosy with where you decide to utilize advertorials…the advertorial should align with the tone, style, and subject matter of the publication in which it appears so that it captures the interest of the target audience effectively. This seamless integration ensures that the content feels natural and engaging to the readers of that publication. If you’re unsure, seek the help of a PR professional to help you determine the best placement for your music. Choosing the right publication and placement within that publication is key.
Understanding The Use of Advertorials in your PR Strategy
Understanding the distinction between advertorials and editorials is essential for effective communication and strategy. Editorials are unbiased, informative articles written by journalists or content creators without commercial intent. In contrast, advertorials are paid content created with the goal of promoting your music while maintaining an editorial style. Advertorials are considered “guaranteed press” while Editorials are never guaranteed and are ultimately up to the editors and writers being pitched.
There is definitely a place for both methods within a PR strategy - and in the modern day and age of PR, we find that utilizing them together in a “hybrid” approach results in the best outcomes. Advertorials offer a powerful way to engage audiences, build trust, and promote products or services through compelling storytelling and strategic placement, while earned editorials foster the trust and general industry credibility that is often sought out by artists. Plus, not all publications offer an advertorial option… so in order to reach ALL types of media it’s best to leverage both.
At Pressed Fresh Collective - we have developed a unique Hybrid Media package to help artists leverage the power of both of these elements within their PR strategy. If you’re interested in learning more, get in touch with our team!