‘What do we charge for branded content?’ How to form packages and determine the right price

When talking all things branded content with our clients, one question always comes up: What should we be pricing this at?

Developing a pricing system for branded content campaigns and packages can be tricky, as it usually varies by publication type and reach. Our rule of thumb is to create tiered packages that can be customized to meet the needs of each publisher—and advertiser.

We always start out our clients with Gold, Silver and Bronze packages, or something following a similar format. For smaller news organizations, pricing can range from around $750 for the lowest package, up to $1,500 for the highest. Larger media organizations can typically charge between $2,000 up to $5,000 for bigger packages, on average, per month.

Here is an example of how publishers can roll out their own packages and what elements they should look to include. Not every option needs to change between packages, but each package should increase enough in value to justify the upcharge.

Bronze Package example – $750

• Website placement: Story on the homepage for 1 week + 1 related section front for 1 month
• Social Media distribution: 1 post per month on 1 channel
• Display ads: Run of site advertisement for entire month
• Newsletter distribution: Story in 1 daily/weekly newsletter
• Print ad: 10% discount on a new print ad

Silver Package example – $1,000

• Website placement: Story on the homepage for 2 week + 2 related sections front for 1 month
• Social Media distribution: 1 post per month on 2 channels
• Display ads: Run of site advertisement for entire month
• Newsletter distribution: Story in 1 daily/weekly newsletter + 1 topical newsletter OR Story in daily/weekly newsletter twice if topical newsletters aren’t available
• Print ad: 20% discount on a new print ad

Gold Package example – $1,500

• Website placement: Story on the homepage for 2 week + 2 related sections front for 1 month
• Social Media distribution: 1 post per month on 2 channels + paid campaign
• Display ads: Run of site advertisement for entire month
• Newsletter distribution: Story in 1 daily/weekly newsletter + 2 topical newsletters
• Print ad: 30% discount on a new print ad

Do you need help building and selling your own branded content program? Contact David Arkin by emailing david@davidarkin.com.