When small businesses want a press release, or notoriety in a blog or publication, there's some confusion about how the article is written, and what should be in the article. This confusion stems from a misunderstanding of what is considered news, and of the different between advertorial and editorial.
Advertorial is a media term, one that many small businesses may not have heard before. It's the portmanteau of "advertisement" and "editorial," and an advertorial typically has the tone and content of a press release. An advertorial may look like a news article in a blog or magazine, but doesn't read like a news article because of its biased presentation. When most small businesses want brand exposure, they typically want an advertorial because they want to control the content and the company messaging. Another key difference is that with an advertorial, you are most likely paying the publication for the press, while with editorial content, the publication may be paying the writer, or no payment may be exchanged at all.
However, most small businesses asking for these article marketing services ask for news articles or editorial content because that's what's most predominant in blogs and online publications. They want control of the messaging and the content like in an advertorial, but news and editorial cotnent are not advertising, and should not be treated as advertising, even though the article may be good for brand awareness. Understand that with news and editorial cotnent, you have to relinquish control because you aren't in control. The blog, publication, or writer is, who needs to present a balanced and unbiased story, which means that perspectives that conflict with your company messaging may be presented. It means that your competitors may be featured as well. It means that you might not be featured as prominently as you had hoped.
Overall, this difference needs to be made clear to those who seek content marketing or business blogging services. Understanding the difference between advertorial and editorial, and the difference in the amount of countrol and message each has will lead to successful results in your content marketing strategy in the long run.
