As any digital marketer will know, getting a brand’s name out there is an important part of the battle for recognition – and, eventually, for driving sales or conversions. The trouble is that this is much easier said than done: in an age in which the internet is saturated with content from all sorts of providers all jostling to get their own name out there, it’s perhaps now more difficult than ever to set up a website, publish it online, and simply let it get the traction it needs without assistance.
That’s why a marketer will often consider promoting either their own or their clients’ brands on third-party sites. There are several different ways to do this: some marketers will pay third-party websites to include pre-written content from their client, while others will seek blogs, reviews or directory listings written by the site owner. Whatever route you choose to go down, it’s vital to ensure that you’re defending yourself.
Check the audience
If you’re planning to use a third-party website such as a directory or a blog to promote your brand, it’s first important to check that the audience of the site you want to partner with is relevant for your product. Say, for example, that your product is high-end kitchen furniture. If you approach a third-party website with content catering to young people who are unlikely to have enough disposable income or indeed a predisposition to buy this sort of furniture, then it’s unlikely to be a good match – and you’re at risk of wasting your money.
Sometimes, the site owner will point this out themselves. For directories or blogs that have a strong and highly engaged audience base, a piece of sponsored content from you that jars with what they’re used to won’t go down very well. However, other brands that perhaps have a more transient or occasional audience may be only too glad to accept your money and publish your piece even if it’s irrelevant – so ensure that you check that there’s a good match first.
Confirm timeframes and roles
All too often, brands that choose to partner with third-party sites end up getting burned in other ways. Sometimes, for example, third-party sites make assumptions about content workflows. Some sites assume that this will all be down to you, the paying client, while others may expect or even demand that their own in-house authors should be the ones who produce the content. Asking upfront, and getting the answers written down, is therefore essential.
Watch out for fraud
The above pitfalls may sounds problematic, but they’re often ones that can be avoided by doing a light bit of due diligence or simply communicating a little better. However, it’s unfortunately the case that sometimes third-party brand promotion providers can be outright fraudsters – and you need to always be on your guard to defend yourself against this. Fraud in this field can take several different forms.
First off, it can sometimes focus on audience statistics: it’s possible to artificially generate fake Google Analytics reports, for example, which could mislead you. Using a website-ranking tool such as Alexa might be able to help you authenticate any claims made, while asking the site administrators for temporary access to data analytics systems is wise. It’s also possible to outsource protection tasks, especially in e-commerce: hiring an Amazon seller protection agency that can ensure that third parties aren’t damaging your brand is a great investment to make.
Another type of fraud that can occur in this field is payment-related. In an age in which anyone can set up a website, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to follow up if there’s a payment dispute. Some marketers have been scammed by third-party sites that disappear once payment is made: as a result, it may be worth using an escrow service, which keeps the fee you are paying in a safe place until you are satisfied with the content – at which point you can release it.
Choosing a third-party site to help promote your brand isn’t unusual, and it’s one that many marketers do every day. However, as a savvy business leader, you’ll need to be sure that the site you choose to use is one that isn’t fraudulent and one that suits your desired audience, timeframe, effort level and more – otherwise you may end up losing out.