Adverts come in all shapes and sizes, with varying lengths and content. They can be guides (top 3 wedding destinations), videos or printed publications; they can be short or long (top 10 best-selling products). To keep the aesthetic tone of advertorial, advertorials must adhere to these format rules:
Body copy - The body of the advertorial must always include text. Including text helps to establish the theme of the advertorial. For example, a leather goods company may create a video advertorial explaining their range of handbags, wallets and purses. The same company might create a short article (around 200 words) describing the benefits of using leather products.
Images - Photographs and images - play a key role in an advertorial. If images appear to go with the text, they must compliment the style of the text and compliment the images. Good examples of images include: product images, company logos and promotional banners. They may also include video images or still shots. The size of the images should not be too large, as this may cause the advertorial to look overcrowded and overpowering.
Links - All links to external sites should be included in the text. Links to internal sites should also be included within the text, but many times links are placed outside the text. Links to internal pages should link back to the main website, so that users reading the text will not have to travel outside the article to find out more about the business. Links to external sites need to include text that explains how to find out more information, and where to locate the external site.
Calls to action - This is another crucial section of the advertorial. Many people who read text only tend to skim it. For this reason, many companies place a call to action within the advertorial. It may be as simple as saying: "Please take a minute to fill in our simple questionnaire to learn more about..." Call to action can include things like: "Please visit our website to register and receive our free offers". The call to action is what will get the reader to act.
Be clear and concise - This is perhaps the most important part of the advertorial. Make sure you are able to read the text on each page without having to re-read the whole advertorial! This may mean removing some advertorial material or changing the wording slightly. You may also want to consider using a font size that is easy to read. Again, this is not something you want to do in a hurry.
Keep your language simple and English - When writing an advertorial for the internet, it is important to keep the language simple and English. You need to make it as appealing as possible to the target audience and keep it concise. Using slang or fancy words will only alienate your readers, so keep the language simple and English.
Be consistent - If you follow the principles we have mentioned so far, you should have no problem creating an excellent advertorial. Just remember to keep your language consistent and refrain from including any technical terms in your advertorial. People who surf the internet are very familiar with the internet and will automatically turn off if there are too many technical terms or if the message is too vague. By being consistent and delivering the same message each time, you will be able to get your message across effectively.
Make sure it is relevant - When it comes to writing an advertorial for the internet, keep your advertorial up to date. It should contain current information about the product or service you are promoting. It should not be outdated, because if it is then you will lose your current customers. Surfers often look for current content, which can be provided by the website they are visiting. If you do not include current information on your advertorial, it will not be relevant to the website visitors.
Use good quality photos - When it comes to writing an advertorial for the internet, remember that photographs play a big role. If the photos are poor quality or not correctly composed, it will actually make the website less pleasant to look at. It is therefore important to make sure your photographs are of a high quality, and there are no grammar and spelling mistakes in them. Poor photos make it difficult to understand exactly what your advertorial is about.
Be concise and to the point - As previously mentioned, it is vital that your advertorial is as brief and as relevant as possible, but this does not mean it cannot be very appealing. Make sure that your text is as clear as possible, and is not filled with unnecessary information. In addition, if you have any images, make sure they are positioned so they are easily visible. Also make sure that your text links are all positioned on the page where they are most relevant to the item or service that you are advertising.The newly launched www.TheAdvertorial.com is a one stop shop for all marketing and advertising needs.
