Instagram is giving advertisers the ability to publish sponsored posts from users’ accounts through an update to branded content ads.

Branded content ads were introduced last year as a way for influencers to identify when their posts are sponsored by a company or brand.

The ads look just like organic posts published from the user’s account, only they have a tag reading: “Paid partnership with [brand name].”

Example of a branded content ad.

Creating the ads required much coordination between the influencer and the brand. The content had to be published as an organic post first, and then the brand would go through Instagram to promote the post as an ad.

Now, Instagram aims to streamline the process on both sides.

Instagram is launching a new process where advertisers can publish branded content ads without the need for influencers to create an organic post first.

“Now brands have more flexibility with fewer constraints when they want to run Branded Content ads,” Instagram states in an announcement

The new process allows brands to craft an ad with the creator’s own account and even publish it. With the the creator’s approval, of course.

Here’s more about how the new process works, followed by information on additional updates to branded content ads.

Branded Content Ad Creation Process

Instagram’s new process for publishing branded content ads involves three steps.

Step 1: The advertiser sends the user a request for ad creation access.

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Advertisers can send requests for ad creation access by going to Settings > Business > Branded Content > Request Ad Creation Access.

From there the advertiser can type in the person’s name and send off a request.

Step 2: The creator accepts the request for ad creation access.

On the creator’s side the advertiser’s request will show up in the activity tab where all other notifications are found.

After tapping on the notification, the creator will be taken to a screen where they can see see all their approved ad partners and pending request.

Tapping on “Approve” will establish a partnership between the creator and the brand.

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The notice at the top indicates what the creator is approving access to:

“These partners can create ads and submit them for your review. Only the ads you approve will go live.”

When the request is approved the advertiser can immediately begin submitting ads for review.

Step 3: The creator receives notification of a created ad for their approval.

Advertisers will take care of crafting the ad, which they then submit for the creator’s approval.

Tapping “Approve” will publish the ad from the creator’s account. As Instagram notes on the approval screen, the ad is posted from the creator’s account but won’t appear on their main profile page.

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If the creator isn’t satisfied with the ad they always have the option to hit “Decline.” They can also choose to pause the ad after approving it.

Other Updates to Branded Content Ads

In addition to launching a whole new process for publishing branded content ads, Instagram is rolling out these updates:

• Branded content ads are rolling out to Reels and will begin testing in Live in the coming weeks.
• Branded Content ads in stories can now include tappable elements, such as @mentions, location, and hashtags.
• Businesses can now promote branded content posts with product tags.
• Businesses and creators can set age restrictions for their branded content feed posts on Instagram.

For more information on how to join Instagram’s branded content program, as either an advertiser or a creator, see details here.

Source: Instagram Business

 

 

 

Earned media is publicity gained organically from promotional efforts, like press coverage, social media mentions, and search engine rankings.

But why is earned media important? And how can you get more of it?

In this post, we’ll explore:

If money changes hands at any point, that’s not earned media. It’s paid media. Examples of this include TV and radio ads, billboards, sponsorships, and online advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.)

If you have complete control over the asset or channel, that’s not earned media either. It’s owned media. Examples include anything published on your website, newsletters, etc.

However, not everything is so clearly defined. When it comes to things like SEO, it becomes a little muddier.

To rank on Google, you need to create content, which is owned media. But you can only influence where Google ranks that content and for what keywords it ranks for. You don’t have full control over it.

For that reason, in our opinion, SEO is earned media.

It’s all about control. You can control both paid and owned, but you can’t control earned media. And since you can’t fully control where you want to rank in Google (you can only influence it), it’s earned media. 

Earned media is what every business strives for, and there are two main reasons for that:

1. Earned media is often cheaper over the long-term

In 2019, when Parachute launched its new wool mattress, the company opted for earned media over paid media. It seeded the product with editors and influencers, which resulted in tons of articles and Instagram Stories from people who tested the mattress.

In total, they spent around $20,000 on PR and product gifting. According to Ariel Kaye, Parachute’s founder, they would have had to spend at least $2 million on Facebook Ads to get the same number of impressions as they did from this earned media campaign.

And unlike paid media—where you have to spend more for more impressions over time—earned media is the gift that keeps on giving.

Press articles often link back to the product or company, which improves their SEO. And these articles may also rank in search and send referral traffic over time.

2. Earned media is great for brand building

The “lack of control” with earned media is a pro, not a con.

Since brands can’t control the message, it’s seen as more trustworthy by consumers. Third-party reviewers can offer their unbiased opinion about a product, and people can share their honest thoughts about a company or product on social media.

As finance writer Morgan Housel puts it:

The information age promotes a lot of good behavior. But more powerful is its ability to reveal bad, inefficient behavior. What used to be policed by a handful of reporters and review publications is now done by billions of everyday people on the prowl for anything that doesn’t look right.

In other words, if real people are singing your praises, and it’s clear that you didn’t pay or incentivize them to do so, that helps your brand stand out in the market. This is especially true for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands.

Think about it. Parachute isn’t the only mattress company selling online today. Purple, Casper, Leesa—the list goes on and on. Most consumers probably can’t tell these companies apart, even if they see their ads.

Earned media is the way to be remarkable in front of potential customers.

Here are some examples of how earned media looks like in the wild.

1. TV segment
2. Newspaper/magazine feature
3. Niche/trade publications
4. Twitter mentions
5. Reddit discussions
6. Review sites
7. Influencers
8. Search engines

TV segment

This is the most traditional form of earned media. Appear in a TV program and reach millions of viewers in their living room.

Ahrefs has yet to appear in a TV show, but authors like Eckhart Tolle have sold millions of books thanks to Oprah’s recommendation.

Newspaper/magazine feature

Last year, Bloomberg featured our data on the most popular Google searches in a Businessweek article. We didn’t pay for this. Our ongoing promotional efforts led the author to find our content, and he decided to include it in an article.

Niche/trade publications

Since we’re based in the relatively small SEO industry, we get regular mentions in niche-focused publications like Search Engine Journal.

Kari recently tweeted how much she loves the Ahrefs blog. We didn’t ask her to do this. We earned her praise by relentlessly publishing and promoting industry-leading content for years on our blog.

Reddit discussions

Another user also shared how much they loved our blog. But instead of sharing it on their social accounts, they decided to share it with a much bigger audience on Reddit:

Review sites

We also get plenty of users regularly sharing about their experience with our product on review sites like G2:

If you’re a local business, then review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google Maps are important too.

Influencers

Rand Fishkin is an influencer in the marketing industry with over 440,000 followers on Twitter. He decided to share one of our articles with his audience. We didn’t ask him to do that.

We earned the share because we published an article with tons of unique insights, all gained from our real-world experience.

Search engines

According to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, our blog receives an estimated ~558,000 monthly visits. Take note: these are all organic visits. They’re not from ads.

Google ranks our content high on their search engine, thus sending traffic our way.

Just because you cannot control earned media doesn’t mean that you cannot influence it.

Here are some ways you can get more earned media for your company.

1. Use HARO
2. Pitch to appear on podcasts
3. Rank for “source keywords”
4. Do something newsworthy
5. Attend trade shows
6. Send your product for reviews
7. SEO

1. Use HARO

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a free service that connects journalists to sources. After you sign up, you’ll receive daily emails from the service with requests from journalists.

Here’s an example of what an email from HARO would look like:

After receiving the email, all you have to do is to check if you meet their requirements and reply. If they use your answer in their post, they’ll usually credit you with a mention and backlink.

As these journalists will likely get plenty of responses from other people, how do you stand out and make sure your answer gets selected? Here are some tips:

• Provide actual expert insight. Huffington Post journalist Casey Bond says, “Whenever you call in an expert it’s because they are supposed to be providing something to you that you can’t figure out yourself or find easily.” Don’t try to give a summarized answer from an article you Googled. Provide real insight that can only come from expertise or experience.
• Share your credentials. Unfortunately, HARO has been abused by unscrupulous SEO professionals looking for quick links. Journalists have called them out at times and have become wary. HARO remains a great place for them to source expert quotes, but you need to prove that you’re a real expert on the topic. That means sharing your credentials, social media handles, and more.

You can learn more about using HARO effectively also here (tip #6) or in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73lj6m6Xulc

2. Pitch to appear on podcasts

If you’re a subject matter expert, HARO isn’t the only way for you to gain earned media. The ubiquity of podcasts means you can also appear as a guest and share your expertise.

This is a strategy we’ve used at Ahrefs.

In 2019, our Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Soulo, set a goal to appear on more than 20 podcasts. He accomplished that in only four months.

How do you find podcast opportunities?

A straightforward way is to identify someone of a similar caliber who’s been on multiple podcasts.

Let’s use Tim as an example.

First, we’d paste his website (ahrefs.com) into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, go to the Backlinks report, and type his name in the “Include” box.

Second, we’d eyeball the list to see the podcasts he has been on.

Third, we’d find the podcast hosts’ email and reach out to see if they’re willing to interview us.

Recommended reading: 12 lessons I learned from doing 20+ podcast interviews in 4 months

3. Rank for “source” keywords

In her presentation for the 2019 Chiang Mai SEO conference, SEO consultant Stacey MacNaught said this:

Journalists have no access to data or premium tools—that’s an advantage.

What does she mean? Journalists often need to back up their arguments with data. And when they do, they usually mention and link to the source of that data.

For example, take our mention in Bloomberg. It came as a result of us having some unique data that helped the author make his point.

But here’s the thing: you can’t just create any old data, publish it wherever, and expect publicity. If you want to earn coverage from this tactic, you need two things:

1. Interesting data. When we say interesting, we mean interesting to relevant journalists.
2. Delivery mechanism. Having interesting data is a start, but unless you have a way to get it in front of the relevant journalists, you’ll struggle to earn coverage.

There are tons of ways to do the two things above. For example, you could create or curate data about a trending topic, then use a tool like Content Explorer to find relevant journalists and pitch your resource.

That’s the “traditional” route and it works, but another tactic that worked for us is to create content around so-called “source” keywords.

Source keywords are the terms journalists are likely to be searching for when looking for facts and data to reference in their upcoming posts.

Examples include:

• [topic] statistics
• [topic] stats
• [topic] facts
• [topic] figures

To find these keywords, enter a few relevant keywords into Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, go to the Phrase match report, and use the “Include” filter to find keywords containing words like statistics, stats, facts, and figures.

Look through the list for a good keyword to target.

For example, if we owned a coffee site, we could potentially target either “coffee nutrition facts” or “coffee statistics.”

From there, create a post by curating a list of up-to-date statistics (owned media). Then, reach out to any sites linking to competing but outdated statistics pages on the same topic to build links to your page (earned media).

We did this in 2020 for the term “SEO statistics.” As a result, our page has earned links from over 350 websites and ranks #2 for its main keyword.

Learn how we did this step-by-step in this post or this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMcA-8nalL8

4. Do something newsworthy

Do you want to be in the news? Then be the news.

When done right, PR stunts can help generate tons of earned media mentions on publications and across social media. I’m sure you’ve heard of at least a few of these campaigns, from Red Bull’s stratospheric dive to Dove’s Real Beauty campaign.

It doesn’t have to be crazy expensive either.

For example, KFC cleverly leveraged their Twitter account to get earned media. They secretly followed 11 people and waited for someone observant enough to notice it was a play on their “secret recipe” —five spices (the five Spice Girls) and six herbs (six people named Herb).

The tweet went viral and helped KFC capture a ton of earned media in marketing-focused magazines and major news publishers.

Now, there is no surefire way of creating a PR campaign that will guarantee press.

However, this question from Tim Ferriss might get you started on the right foot: “What if I couldn’t pitch my product directly? What if I had to sell around the product?”

I’d also recommend reading Trust Me, I’m Lying, Ryan Holiday’s book on PR and media.

5. Attend trade shows

In 2016, I was working for a wearable tech startup (now defunct) that was launching a massage jacket. To prepare for the launch, we decided to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to show off our product.

That trip resulted in a ton of mentions on top publications like Tech in Asia, Digital Trends, and Business Insider.

The Tech in Asia article even got syndicated to another massive (at the time) publication: Mashable.

This was an amazing return for a relatively unknown startup based in tiny Singapore.

There is no doubt that trade shows work in getting earned media mentions. After all, journalists and bloggers specifically attend these trade shows to find exciting things to cover.

But of course, don’t assume that you’ll get earned media just because you’re there. You still need to be newsworthy.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of potential products to talk about at a gigantic conference at CES. Journalists have to choose from these options and report on the few they think their audience will most enjoy (or at least find novel).

In our case, our product positioning—the world’s first massage jacket—caught their attention. Not only had it never been done before, but we also had an actual prototype for them to test.

That made it noteworthy, which resulted in our media mentions.

Recommended reading: How to Dominate Any Tradeshow, and Why Even Solo Entrepreneurs Should Try

6. Send your product for reviews

Another way we got earned media was by reaching out to journalists and offering them a jacket to test.

This was how we managed to secure further press mentions on publications like Engadget and Refinery29.

This strategy works even if you’re an established name. For example, Tim Ferriss sent out more than 1,000 advanced copies of the 4‑Hour Body, which resulted in a ton of Amazon reviews and turned the book into a bestseller.

Most recently, we gave a preview of Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to journalists, which resulted in mentions on Search Engine Journal and Tech Radar:

Now, if you’re an established brand, then getting these reviews should be relatively easy. But what if you’re new, like the jacket company I worked for? How do you know which publications you should reach out to?

The easiest way is to figure out who has reviewed or featured products similar to yours, then reach out and offer them your product for testing.

To do this, brainstorm 2–3 competing brands. For example, if you’ve created new email marketing software, your competitors would be companies like MailChimp and AWeber.

Go to Ahrefs’ Content Explorer and enter a query like mailchimp AND aweber

You’ll see tons of pages that mention both competitors.

You can then export the list of unlinked domains, reach out, and try to get your brand mentioned alongside your competitors.

7. SEO

Content creation (owned media) is the prerequisite to rank on Google. But as mentioned above, you cannot control where and how high your content ranks. (Unless you pay for it a la Google Ads, which is paid media.)

For that reason, in our book, SEO is a form of “earned media.”

While you cannot dictate your organic ranking position, you can influence where it ranks. This is known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and broadly speaking, it involves:

• Knowing what your customers are searching for. Do keyword research to help you figure out which topics you want to appear for in Google.
• Creating optimized content. Pouring your heart and soul into a piece of content doesn’t guarantee that it’ll rank. You need to bake SEO into your content right in the beginning by following a proven SEO framework.
• Building links. Links are an important Google ranking factor. If you’re following the strategies above, you’re likely already getting links back to your site.

Looking to learn more about SEO and how to do it? Read this post or watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvwS7cV9GmQ

Final thoughts

If there is a thread that connects all earned media and its strategies together, it would be word-of-mouth. And the easiest way to boost word-of-mouth is to delight your customers.

The concept is relatively simple:

• Create a product or service your customers love and enjoy;
• Offer helpful and friendly customer service that solves their problems;
• Create entertaining and educational content that helps your customers with their questions or problems.

If you check these boxes, your customers will naturally share your content on social media, leave positive reviews, and tell their audience about you.

Did I miss any useful tips for getting earned media? Ping me on Twitter.

Twitter is bringing back verifications after shutting down public applications three years ago. The program is relaunching with a few changes made to the process.

Currently the plan is to relaunch applications in early 2021, which allows for time to gather feedback about how the verification program should be handled going forward.

Twitter states in an announcement:

“We plan to relaunch verification, including a new public application process, in early 2021. But first, we need to update our verification policy with your help.

This policy will lay the foundation for future improvements by defining what verification means, who is eligible for verification and why some accounts might lose verification to ensure the process is more equitable.”

Twitter is giving the public a look at the first draft of its new policy, which identifies six types of accounts that qualify for verification.

Eligible for Verification

The six types of accounts identified as being eligible for verification are:

• Government
• Companies, Brands and Non-Profit Organizations
• News
• Entertainment
• Sports
• Activists, Organizers, and Other Influential Individuals

In addition to belonging to one of the above six categories, the criteria for becoming verified is reasonably simple.

“To receive the blue badge, your account must be notable and active,” Twitter states in the draft of its new policy.

Notability is defined by falling into one of the categories listed above. Being active on Twitter means the account must be:

• Complete: Including a profile name, bio, and profile and banner images.
• Present: The account must have logged into Twitter at least once in the past six months.
• Secure: The account must have a confirmed email address or phone number.
• Respectful of Twitter Rules: The account must not have had a 12-hour or 7-day lockout for violating Twitter’s rules in the past six months (excluding successful appeals).

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Ineligible for Verification

Twitter also clarifies what will make an account ineligible for verification.

An account will not receive a verification badge if it meets any of this criteria:

• A parody, newsfeed, commentary, or fan account.
• The account represents pets or fictional characters (unless directly affiliated with a verified brand or entertainment production).
• The account has engaged in severe violations of Twitter’s platform manipulation and spam policy (such as the buying and selling of followers and engagement)
• The account represents individuals or groups associated with coordinated harmful activity or hateful content.

Loss of Verification Status

Lastly, Twitter reserves the right to revoke an account’s verification badge if it does any of the following:

• Becomes inactive or incomplete.
• The person is no longer in the position which initially made them eligible for verification.
• Attempts to impersonate or mislead people by changing their display name or bio.
• Commits a severe violation that results in immediate suspension.
• Publishes tweets that repeatedly violate Twitter’s rules.

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The policy notes badge removals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will not be done automatically.

Additional Information

Twitter’s verification policy is currently being shared for public feedback and is not final. The policies described in this article may change before the final version is published.

The public feedback period will last two weeks from November 24, 2020 to December 8, 2020. Anyone can submit feedback by completing this survey.

People should be able to apply for a Twitter verified badge in early 2021. More information will be shared when it’s available.

For more details, see the full draft of Twitter’s verification policy here.

Google published a guide with tips to help creators create more compelling Web Stories. The goal of the tips is to encourage publishers with ideas of how to create better Web Stories.

Web Stories Content Format

Web Stories is a form of content meant to be consumed as snackable content for users who are typically on the go or needing to quickly pass the time with light content.

Google promotes Web Stories across various properties including Search, News and Discover. This gives publishers an opportunity to attract more traffic.

Web Stories can be considered as an additional traffic channel. For example, YouTube and podcasting are traffic channels, ways to obtain visitors that goes beyond the traditional blue links in search results.

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As such, Web Stories are an opportunity to tap into and grow a devoted following that returns day after day for more content.

Web Stories Creative Tips

Along with the 7 creative tips, Google also linked to a YouTube series devoted to getting publishers introduced to the Web Stories format and all the creative possibilities.

1. Use Video

2. First-person storytelling.

3. Take Advantage of Your Brand Identify

4. Display Infographics and Dynamic Visuals.

5. Get a Boost from Illustrations

6. Post Quizzes and Polls

7. Build Excitement Through Animations

Google explains that using videos is useful because they are engaging. The Web Stories format requires using a 9:16 aspect ratio that’s in portrait mode.

Here’s are examples of portrait mode videos:

Portrait Mode Web Stories Videos

Google doesn’t explain why the first-person storytelling format is beneficial other than giving the Web Stories a “personal touch.”

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The encouragement to use your brand identity makes sense in the context of having a visually recognizable logo and color scheme that story consumers immediately identify with your brand in a pleasant way. When they watch a new video there’s going to be a sense of familiarity and comfort associated with the visual continuity of your Brand Identity.

Google recommends original illustrations or cartoons for livening up the Web Stories. They say that (sometimes) stock images and videos aren’t enough.

In my experience, stock images can be considered a starting point for your images. If you have an image processing software like Photoshop, one can alter a stock image or combine two more stock images and create a unique image.

That said, good original content can be best.

Storytime – Google Web Stories Video Series

Google’s also published a video series that provides insights on how to make great Web Stories. The helpful video series is called Storytime and the playlist is available here.  The videos are short and do not demand much attention or commitment of time.

The topics begin with an introduction, offers examples of high quality web stories and moves on to production tips, how to build a narrative, how to surface your Web Stories content for more traffic and other topics related to the technical aspects of creating attractive Web Stories.

Put in the Effort and Reap the Rewards

Web Stories may sound like a daunting way to bring more traffic. But that slight learning curve can be considered a barrier to entry to the lazy, untalented and the unambitious. Which means there’s more opportunity for those willing to put some time into learning the new format and enjoying the rewards.

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Citations

Read Google’s Tips

7 Creative Tips to Improve Your Web Stories

Google’s Storytime Video Playlist