Sponsored content is something that's now very much intertwined with blogging and if you aren't there with your own blog just yet, the chances are you are hoping one day soon it will be.
However, it's not all about landing that sponsored post and then getting the job done. It's about working to a brief while maintaining your true voice and then hopefully adding a bit of sparkle to it that will draw people to want to read it. It's also about impressing the brand you are working for to avoid glitches and in the hope they will want you to create content for them again in the further.
From selecting the right proposals to working in a time-effective way with some handy tools to creating natural content in your usual style. I hope this can be used as a guide to creating killer sponsored content both for your client and readers!
Practical Tips for Creating Killer Sponsored Content
Choose wisely
The first step before agreeing or even replying back to a brand is deciding if it's a good fit for your blog and your readers. Yes, you may want to say snatch their hand off and make it fit but if you know deep down your readers won't be interested in the product or topic then you really have to make the right choice. But if you do decide to go ahead realise your readers may very well sense you just aren't into that product/ haven't really tried it out fully, therefore risking how they see you, which could ultimately lose you readers and pageviews! It's simply not worth it!
Produce eye-catching imagery
It's a fact that most readers preferto read organically produced content over paid for content and often read until the disclaimer or will rush through the post with little interest. However, a great way to engage your readers into your sponsored content is to produce high-quality images for it, packing the post full if possible. This will not only break up the text but get your readers reading until the very end. If you are struggling with creative ideas for your images look at the aesthetics of the brand, especially their Instagram page, to gain inspiration.
PRO TIP: Before resizing any images for your blog post, copy the images you will be sharing on social platforms and resize to Instagram's image size (1080 pixels x adjusted by height) to keep your image quality sharp.
Negotiate with the client for natural content in your usual style
Thankfully a lot of brands/companies these days will give you free reign with your content, allowing you to write how you normally would. However, from time to time you will be given a brief that asks for unnatural wording and even for statistics/facts and figures to be included. This is definitely a curveball that you can either try to make fit as best as you can or simply be honest with the brand. I've now realised that the latter option is the best to go for as more brands are flexible once you explain the situation or at least the brief will be made easier and more natural for you. If you know the style of your post won't seem like your own then be honest with the brand and work together on a few changes.
PRO TIP: Create a catchy or attention-grabbing blog post title including keywords
Be Relatable
One of the best ways to create a connection with your readers is to be relatable, and I'm not talking about forced relatability here either! I'm talking about being relatable about the price of a product, sharing how you believe it's worth the investment and saving up for if it's £££ rather than suggesting it could be a mid-week treat. Or even explaining how the product has genuinely solved a problem for you that you know others may have - for example, an AHA toner I will be writing about soon has not only helped keep blemishes at bay on my face but has actually improving my back ache as I use it on my back after each shower! Basically, your focus should be on being real, open and honest!
SUGGESTED READ: HOW TO WRITE KILLER BLOG CONTENT
3 Professional Tools When Working On Sponsored Content
Hello Sign
For years when a client sent over a contract that needed to be signed I would have to go to the effort of printing it out, signing it by hand and then scanning it back in. But these days we have eSignature platforms that get the job done in minutes. My preferred choice is Hello Sign as you can upload your signature in advance (from an image, drawn on a tablet or phone etc) and have it on file to add to any document when necessary. Such a handy time-saving tool!
We Transfer
Before hitting publish on your blog post the brand will most likely want to see a draft copy, along with your images. This can either be too much for your email platform or take time to upload so I prefer to use We Transfer which allows the sharing of large files up to 2GB for free. We transfer also lets you know when your recipient has downloaded the files which is a pretty handy feature.
Canva
Canva is a great platform for creating many things when it comes to blogging - media kits, designed Instagram stories and even eye-catching Pinterest pins. However one overlooked use is creating an invoice template, especially as there are over 172+ invoice designs here to choose from! You can even add your own blog logo to make it your own. Then every time you need to write out an invoice you can go to Canva fill in the blanks of your invoice template and save it.
SUGGESTED READ: 5 THINGS NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT BLOGGING
Let me know if you have found this blog post useless, especially if you have upcoming sponsored post!
Fee xo.
