What does a sponsored article cost?
A sponsored article is content you pay a publication to run, clearly labelled as sponsored. Prices run from under two hundred dollars to tens of thousands, and the number on its own tells you very little. This guide covers what drives the price, how it differs from a press release, and what to check before you pay.
Key takeaways
- Price follows audience, brand, who writes the piece, promotion and permanence, not word count.
- A sponsored article and a press release are different products: one is a feature on a publication, the other is your announcement syndicated.
- Paid content must be clearly labelled (FTC) and its links marked rel="sponsored" (Google). Anyone promising otherwise is selling you risk.
- Judge value by real readers, relevance, permanence and whether it is indexed, not by the logo alone.
What a sponsored article is, and is not
A sponsored article (also called sponsored content, a sponsored feature or branded content) is a piece published by a publication in its own design and format, paid for by the subject, and labelled as sponsored. It may be written by the publication’s team, an agency or you.
- It is not earned coverage. Nobody chose to write it because it was news.
- It is not a display ad. It is an article people read, not a banner they scroll past.
- It is not an advertorial in disguise. If it is paid for and not labelled, it is misleading, and that is the problem, not the payment.
What drives the price
- Audience. How many people read the publication, and how closely they match who you want to reach.
- Brand. Household-name mastheads charge a premium for the name alone.
- Who writes it. Supplying your own copy is cheaper than a staff or agency writer interviewing you.
- Promotion. A homepage slot, newsletter placement or social posts cost extra and are where most of the readers come from.
- Permanence. Some pieces come down after a campaign; others stay up. Always ask.
- Extras. Links, images, video, exclusivity and reporting are often priced separately.
What people actually pay
There is no public price list for the industry, and most publications quote on request. What is on the record gives a sense of the spread:
| Where | Reported price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Major-brand branded content programmes (e.g. Forbes BrandVoice) | From ≈$50,000 | Campaign pricing with the publisher’s commercial team |
| “Guaranteed feature” vendors reselling big-name placements | ≈$990–$15,000 per piece | Ask exactly which site and which route you are buying |
| Specialist, trade and regional titles | Rate card on request | Often the best value for a specific audience |
| A Blue Leopard feature on a core publication | $97 per feature | Written for you, live within 24 hours of approval |
Our guide to what a Forbes feature costs breaks down the top end in detail.
Sponsored article vs press release
People often compare the two on price. They are different products that do different jobs.
| Press release | Sponsored article | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes it | You or your PR team | The publication, an agency or you |
| Format | An announcement in a standard release format | A feature in the publication’s own style |
| Where it appears | A wire service and its syndication partners | On the publication’s own site |
| Who reads it | Mostly editors, aggregators and search crawlers | The publication’s readers |
| Labelled as | A press release | Sponsored |
| Best for | An official record of news | Credibility and your name in search results |
The two rules every sponsored article must follow
1. Disclosure
The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on native advertising is that promotional content must be clearly identifiable as advertising: a plain label such as “Sponsored” or “Advertisement”, placed where readers will see it, typically near the headline. Reputable publishers do this as standard.
2. Links
Google’s spam policies require links in paid placements to carry rel="sponsored" (or rel="nofollow"). Buying links that pass ranking credit is a violation that can cost the site, and you, visibility. The good news is that the value of a sponsored article was never the link; it is the credibility of the coverage and the page itself ranking for your name.
How to judge value for money
- Real readers. Does the publication have an audience of its own: newsletter subscribers, social followers, visible engagement?
- Relevance. Would the people you want to reach actually read it?
- Quality. Look at recent sponsored pieces. Would you be happy to send one to a client?
- Permanence. Is the URL permanent, and in writing?
- Indexing. Search a recent sponsored piece’s headline in quotes. If Google has not indexed it, few people will ever see yours.
- Accountability. What happens if it does not go live, or comes down? Is there a refund?
What you get from us
We publish sponsored features on the core publications in our network and price them per feature, with no retainer:
- Start, $97: one feature and one cover on one title.
- Build authority, $297: four features on four titles, each with its own cover.
- Dominate your presence, $497: eight features on eight titles.
- Campaign, from $1,500: a flagship interview-style feature plus a planned run across the network, scoped on a call.
Every feature is written by our editorial team, approved by you, clearly labelled, with links marked sponsored, and built to rank on your name. It goes live within 24 hours of approval, or you get your money back.
Frequently asked.
Is a sponsored article bad for SEO?
No, as long as its links are marked rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow", which Google requires for paid placements. What hurts is buying links designed to pass ranking credit. A labelled feature can still rank for your name in its own right.
Do I have to disclose that an article is sponsored?
Yes. In the United States the FTC expects paid content to be clearly identifiable as advertising, and reputable publishers label it. Describe it accurately on your own site too.
Can I write the sponsored article myself?
Many publications allow it, and it is often cheaper. We write every feature ourselves from a short brief and you approve the final text, which keeps it to the publication’s standard.
How long does a sponsored article stay up?
It varies by publication, so ask and get it in writing. Blue Leopard features are permanently hosted and indexable.
Keep reading.
How much does it cost to get featured in Forbes?
The four real routes into Forbes, from free editorial to BrandVoice, what each costs and delivers, and a cheaper way to get a feature that ranks.
Read the guide CoverageHow to get featured in a magazine
Pitching editors, journalist requests, press releases, contributing and sponsored features: what each takes, what it costs, and which fits your goal.
Read the guide SearchHow to rank your name on Google
What decides who shows up when someone searches your name, and the steps that put pages you control on page one: profiles, a name page, features, schema.
Read the guideA feature that ranks on your name.
Written for you, live within 24 hours of approval, or your money back. From $97.