FT to publish paid posts

The Financial Times is revamping its approach to branded content, with the aim of giving advertisers more options, writes Jessica Davies of Digiday.

Davies writes, “The publisher is uniting its existing content marketing packages and launching a sponsored content offering ‘paid posts,’ under a newly branded unit, FT Squared, dedicated to these kinds of advertiser partnerships.

“‘We’re launching Squared and paid posts to show advertisers we’re serious about content marketing,’ said Dominic Good, FT’s global advertising sales director. ‘We’re not racing to predict that it will become 30+ percent of our revenues by a certain date, but it’s an important step forward.’

“Brands will be invited to ‘take a point of view’ on topics and write their own paid posts, which will then be served alongside an image in a prime position on the FT home page. Once a reader clicks through the ad labeled ‘paid post’ they will be taken to a branded-content page which can include videos, and other articles and images of that brand’s choosing.”

Read more here.