Sponsored Features

Sponsored features are the premium advertisement product offered by afrol News, lending our own news media's credibility to the advertiser.

One says one positive article is worth more than a thousand ads. This is surely true because it treats the difficult issue of credibility of your message to the public. Sponsored features assure just that; they pose as a positive article but are in reality an advertisement campaign.

Technically, sponsored features are an online advertisement supplement edited by experienced afrol News journalists in cooperation with the advertiser, providing a high-impact, broad and credible presentation of your product.

Sponsored features are published as other articles or features on the afrol.com website, but given prominent and permanent exposure in the feature section of each page during the entire contract period. While they are marked as "sponsored features", their appearance, format and quality content is equal to other afrol News editorial content. They are also distributed in the same way as other afrol News articles, including to subscribers and partner media.

These ad supplements can contain photos, videos and contact information (including links) according to the wishes of the advertiser.

Sponsored features on the afrol.com website have always gone through the professional editing of especially experienced afrol News journalists, even in the cases where the majority of their content is provided by the advertiser. This is to assure that they blend in with the journalistic quality product of afrol News.

This premium advertisement product can be made in several ways. Our recommendation is to let afrol News journalists shape the product from zero, of course in constant dialogue with the advertiser. This way, by letting an outsider (the journalist) define the feature, you make sure it does not come through as an advertisement piece (low credibility in the public) but as a journalistic product (high credibility). Our journalist will make present his/her ideas and discuss the product's development with the advertiser all along the way. If desired, our journalists may also travel to your location or market to ensure the best possible product.

Other advertisers may have already prepared fully complete texts with photos, either their own features or press releases, which they want to publish on the afrol.com website as a sponsored feature. They will be met with professional advice and proposals on how to adapt their texts to fully blend into the editorial product of afrol News.

Note that, while sponsored features blend in with the editorial product of afrol News, they do not form part of our editorial product, being advertisements. They will therefore be marked as "sponsored features" when published. Nevertheless, our experience shows that well-edited sponsored features attract as many readers as other features. Their popularity among readers is only related to how interesting you let us present your product, including a catching title, introduction and photos. It is our job to make the feature attract public interest, and that is exactly what we know best.

Experience has shown that sponsored features are the most successful way of creating credibility for a product. In our experience, good examples of products that do well in the "sponsored feature" format include travel destinations; travel products; projects seeking investors; cultural products; handicraft producers; technology-related products; health-related products; companies and other entities seeking to establish in new markets; companies, projects and institutions seeking to gain public or government trust; and entities seeking skilled employment. Surely, there are more products that could gain from a good sponsored feature.

Rates

It is impossible to provide a fixed price for a sponsored feature as it depends very much on the journalistic work put into each individual feature/article. Some are based on text and photo proposals provided by the advertiser, others include journalistic research and interviews and other advertisers prefer to have a journalist on the spot (therefore including travel costs).

However, we can give you an overview of how rates are calculated:

Journalistic work: From case to case
Publication: A one-time fee of €250
Monthly rates: Depending on visibility (placement only in one section/country or all over the afrol.com site). Typically between €50 and €150 a month.
Discounts: Discounts are given for publication periods surpassing 3 months

Ordering a sponsored feature

Start by sending us an e-mail to marketing@afrol.com and let us know what you have in mind. We promise to dedicate all the necessary time and effort to make sure you get just what serves you best!