Businesses Should Consider Content Marketing Opportunities

Content marketing comes in many forms. Earned media is coverage of your brand gained through organic means and is non-paid. Earned media is great, but you lose control over the message. Coverage depends on an editorial team picking up your pitch. Branded content is content you create and pay for. Finally, sponsored content is paid-for content that you work with a publication’s editorial team to develop. Branded and sponsored content are typically labeled as “sponsored content” in magazines.

According to a research study by IPG Media Lab and Forbes, memory recall for sponsored content is twice as long as for traditional advertisements. Sponsored content also improves brand favorability and increases the likelihood of developing new business opportunities.

In the pages of Alaska Business and on our website, sponsored and branded content appears in the form of Business Profiles, HR Matters, Legal Speak, and our online Spotlight Digital Profiles. These are all marked as sponsored content, and our magazine does not accept content that does not fit these categories and requirements.

In a 2022 article titled Content Marketing Conundrum in MediaPost, industry expert Tony Silber contributed this quote which sums up sponsored content nicely. 

“It’s been shown repeatedly in studies that marketing that uses a journalistic format is very effective. The approach confers credibility, accessibility, and trust. It’s perfect for research or thought leadership. It’s focused not on what the marketer has to sell, but information of value to the reader,” says Tony Silber of MediaPost.  

From a marketing perspective, sponsored and branded content will support your strategic goals by positioning your business as an industry thought leader and expert. The content is customized to fit your needs and looks like editorial content. Business Profiles in Alaska Business include additional benefits like physical reprints, a shareable link from our digital edition to your profile, and a great-looking wall plaque to class up your office space! Our Spotlight Digital Profile pages are published online and have the added benefit of being search engine friendly.

As you plan your marketing strategy, keep in mind content marketing opportunities as a way to position your business as a market leader.