- Promotional channels, sometimes referred to as marketing channels, are used by an organization to advertise its products and services and communicate with the target audience.
- News coverage is one of the most difficult promotional channels to secure, but it is also one of the most valuable. Editors are bombarded with pitches daily, so the brand needs a compelling and ideally topical story to tell.
- Other promotional channels include guest posting, influencer outreach, advertorial, and native LinkedIn feed advertising.
Key Concept | Description | When to Apply | Advantages of Following It |
---|---|---|---|
News Coverage | News coverage is a valuable promotional channel, but it requires compelling and authentic news stories to catch media attention. Building rapport with media staff and effectively pitching ideas can increase the chances of coverage. When seeking media exposure and publicity. | 1. Enhanced brand visibility and credibility through media coverage. 2. Potential for reaching a broader audience through news outlets. | 1. Missed opportunities for media exposure and brand recognition. 2. Reduced credibility and visibility without effective news coverage. |
Guest Posting | Guest posting involves writing content for industry-related websites with backlinks to products or services. Finding sites with related content and substantial audiences is crucial. Content should be relevant, engaging, and provide value to the audience. When looking to expand online presence and authority. | 1. Increased website traffic and backlinks for SEO. 2. Establishing thought leadership and credibility in the industry. | 1. Limited online presence and authority without guest posting efforts. 2. Reduced opportunities for website traffic and SEO benefits. |
Influencer Outreach | Influencer outreach relies on building relationships with social media personalities, considering shared values and content sharing. Collaborating with influencers can help reach their engaged audiences effectively. When targeting specific consumer segments through influencers. | 1. Access to engaged audiences of influencers. 2. Authentic endorsements from trusted personalities. | 1. Reduced reach and authenticity in marketing efforts without influencer collaboration. 2. Missed opportunities for influencer-led campaigns. |
Advertorial | Advertorial involves promoting products or services in a journalistic or editorial style. It can be controversial but reach a wide audience. Image advertorials present a favorable view, while journalism advertorials attract media attention to specific areas. When aiming for creative advertising with potential controversy. | 1. Opportunity for creative and attention-grabbing advertising. 2. Potential for reaching a broad audience through editorial-style content. | 1. Risk of controversy and mixed reactions with advertorial content. 2. Potential for brand image challenges with this approach. |
Native LinkedIn Feed | Native LinkedIn feed advertising blends seamlessly with users’ feeds. Sponsored content formats allow showcasing products, services, and thought leadership without appearing overly promotional. When targeting professionals and thought leaders on LinkedIn. | 1. Seamless integration into users’ feeds for higher engagement. 2. Opportunity to showcase products, services, and expertise. | 1. Missed opportunities for targeted advertising on LinkedIn. 2. Reduced visibility among the LinkedIn professional audience. |
Understanding promotional channels
Promotional channels, sometimes referred to as marketing channels, are used by an organization to advertise its products and services and communicate with the target audience.
The expectation today is that most businesses employ an omnichannel strategy that results in a seamless and consistent product or brand experience. Gone are the days when a blog supported by pay-per-click advertising was sufficient.
So which promotional channels are effective today? Let’s find out.
News coverage
News coverage is one of the most difficult promotional channels to establish, but it is also one of the most valuable. To receive coverage for their brand, companies must be able to pitch an idea to the media in the form of a real, authentic news story.
The best way to secure press coverage is to do something that will catch the media’s attention. With 44% of journalists pitched at least 20 times a day, an organization with a compelling story is more likely to be noticed. It’s also important to build rapport with media staff and learn how to successfully close a deal.
Guest posting
Guest posting is a more traditional promotional channel that is nearly as old as the internet itself and comes in many different forms. It can be as simple as writing a blog post on an industry website with a link back to a product or service.
However, guest posting is rather saturated these days and as a result, organizations need to do a little extra work in preparation. For best results, it is important to find a site with related content whose audience is more substantial. The content of each post should reflect an awareness of current trends or at least be useful to the target audience. Ideally, there should also be a link back to a targeted product or landing page.
Influencer outreach
Influencer outreach is another promotional channel that, to some extent, relies on the quality and size of an influencer’s social media following. But there is much more to this promotional channel than knowing who has the most captive audience.
Companies that want to use influencer outreach need to build authentic relationships with social media personalities based on reciprocity, content sharing, and common values.
Advertorial
Advertorial is a less common promotional channel that involves a publication promoting a product or service in the style of a journalistic or editorial piece. Within this form are two relevant sub-types. Image advertorials involve the publication painting a favorable view of the company or its products among readers. Journalism advertorials, on the other hand, are used when an organization wants to attract media attention to a chosen area of interest.
This is a controversial promotional channel and the merits of which are routinely debated by publishers, businesses, and governments alike. However, sites such as Forbes have had success in offering their vast audience to interested brands.
Native LinkedIn feed
A few years back, brands discovered that the less their advertisements looked like, well, advertisements, the more consumers would engage with them. Facebook was one of the first to offer cleverly disguised ads, with LinkedIn following suit thereafter.
LinkedIn’s sponsored content comes in the form of single image, video, carousel, and event ads. Each format is a way for a brand to promote itself by showcasing its products and services or establishing itself as a thought leader.
Promotional Channels and Their Effectiveness:
- News Coverage: News coverage is a valuable but challenging promotional channel to secure. Companies need compelling and authentic news stories to catch the media’s attention. Building rapport with media staff and effectively pitching ideas can increase the chances of coverage.
- Guest Posting: Guest posting is a traditional channel where organizations write content for industry-related websites with backlinks to their products or services. Finding sites with related content and substantial audiences is crucial. The content should be relevant and engaging, reflecting current trends and providing value to the target audience.
- Influencer Outreach: Influencer outreach relies on building authentic relationships with social media personalities. It’s not just about the size of an influencer’s following but also about shared values, reciprocity, and content sharing. Collaborating with influencers can help reach their engaged audiences.
- Advertorial: Advertorial involves publications promoting products or services in a journalistic or editorial style. There are image advertorials that present a favorable view of the company and journalism advertorials that attract media attention to specific areas. This approach can be controversial but can also reach a wide audience.
- Native LinkedIn Feed: Platforms like LinkedIn offer native advertising formats that blend seamlessly with users’ feeds. Sponsored content, such as single images, videos, carousels, and event ads, allows brands to showcase products, services, and thought leadership without appearing overly promotional.