Call it what you will, sponsored, sponsored posts, sponsored advertising, sponsored content, native advertising or even big media outlets fancy way of saying guest posts, but TechCrunch launched sponsored posts June 2015. You can see the interface below:
I love it. It is something actually I have blogged about in the past outlining how large media outlets could launch sponsored advertising;’ specifically mentioning TechCrunch. Besides feeling right, it is nice that industry leaders in the Tech industry are adopting sponsored posts. Why?
It is no longer black hat or gray area to do sponsored advertising. Plus, TechCrunch provides a great example of how this type of advertising can fit into their normal posts. It looks like a normal post on TechCrunch. You don’t need to stick up a red flag, highlight the post and add flashy lights to let the entire world know it is a sponsored post. Just clearly mark it as such and leave it be.
If you are a blogger and looking for additional revenue sources, ditch the banner ads and just selling sponsored advertising (i.e. sponsored posts) and copy TechCrunchs format.