How Advertorials Can Double Your Marketing Response Rate
“A split-run test of two mail order ads showed that an ad that looked like a magazine article pulled 81 percent more orders than the identical copy, set in ad-style.” – Readers Digest, quoted in Entrepreneur.com
Advertorials—ads that look like magazine articles—have a proven track record of producing higher response rates than graphic ads. While a traditional advertisement uses a dynamic headline with catchy text and graphics to drive home its message, an advertorial is a text-rich, full-length article that offers significant marketing potential:
- Your company can show a real need and how your product or service is a solution.
- Readers will develop trust for you as a recognized expert instead of a self-serving salesman.
- Advertorials placed in specialty magazines such as Christian Academia Magazine reach the right set of readers who have needs that your expertise, product, or service can help them solve.
On its own, which is better, an advertorial or an advertisement? It depends on the type of outcome or effect you desire. Explore the differences below:
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADVERTORIALS AND ADVERTISEMENTS
| Provides a way to introduce or explain complex purchases, new types of products, ongoing services, costly expenditures. | Necessary for a more immediate effect through simple messages (e.g., clearance sale, new product, limited time offer) |
| Establishes and relies on the writer’s expertise, which builds credibility when promoting their product or service. | Establishes and relies on your branding and logo, which is important for consistently planting an idea (e.g., your company’s image, the fact that your services are available). That is why effective advertising is not an isolated event, but part of a strategic campaign. |
| Brings attention to the need that your product or service can fill. Offers more opportunity to convince the reader of the need. | Assumes the prospect already has a need for your product or service. |
| Appropriate for building a relationship with potential customers. | Appropriate for more immediate and short-term calls to action. |
| Employs a soft-sell, indirect marketing approach. | Employs a hard-sell marketing approach that often includes a direct call to action. |
| May rely heavily on a story. | May rely heavily on graphics. |
| Should be interesting so as to keep the reader’s attention longer. | Should grab attention quickly (e.g., a compelling headline noting benefits, compelling graphics). |
| For information-rich, online magazines (like Christian Academia Magazine) there is a good chance that articles (and related ads) will appear in top results of web searches (e.g., Google). | Traditional ads could potentially appear in image searches, but not in web searches where most customers will be looking for your product or service (e.g., Google). |
Would an advertorial or an advertisement better serve your company? Instead of thinking about one or the other, think strategically: plan a marketing campaign with multiple vehicles and exposure venues. The return on marketing dollars is determined by the overall marketing campaign not just one ad placement.
The highest response occurs by placing a traditional advertisement next to your article. The ad takes advantage of the momentum produced by the article, which directs the eyes of targeted readers to your call to action in the ad.
Return also depends on quality. That is why it can be cost effective to contract with professionals. Our team of creative professionals can help you write engaging advertorials or design strategic advertisements.
Other strategies to increase response: Putting your ad next to your article is great. Also, give the reader a reason to click on your ad (e.g., click here for a free white paper, click here to take a survey, click here for a free consultation…). Make sure to send us the desired web address.
People tend to see an ad several times before they respond. So, run your ad for a number of issues.
Especially run your ad before and after a conference. The ads before a conference are pre-selling. Talking to you at your booth will not feel to them like a blind date. And running the ads after your conference keeps you at the top of the prospects’ minds. They are reminded of the impression they had at your booth.
Traditional Advertisement Rates
For traditional advertisements, we can help you develop your advertising goals, advertising concept, and a graphic design that catches attention and reinforces your message. Click on our rates below for more information:
Ad rates for Christian Academia Magazine
Ad rates for Directory of Resources for Christian Academia
Advertorial Services and Rates
For advertorials, we offer a range of services. We can sharpen the focus and effectiveness of an article you have written by editing for style and grammar. Or we can help you get started on your article by helping you form and articulate your ideas, outline your article, or even write a professional advertorial for you.
Advertorial rates for Christian Academia Magazine depend on the services required and the advertising purchased when the advertorial is submitted.
If advertorials are well written (e.g., do not require significant editing), we do not charge for the first two submissions from a company. After two submissions, a base price of $99 is required for an advertorial. This includes up to 3 hours of editing for style, grammar and organization of content. This $99 fee is waived if you purchase at least $225 of advertising when you submit the advertorial.
If you need help preparing an article, the following services are available:
- Advertorial coaching provides your company with one-on-one help with our advertorial writer to help you identify the theme and focus of your article, the targeted readers, and produce an outline of information and illustrations about your product or service: $50/ hr.
- Advertorial writing includes a one-hour interview with our lead advertorial writer who will identify your article’s main purpose, the targeted readers, and gather the necessary information and illustrations about your product or service to produce a quality advertorial: $295.
Contact David Agron, Managing Editor, to discuss how we can help you build trust, credibility, and relationships with targeted buyers that deliver high response rates from quality customers.