Athletic Business
  • Up Next: June 2025
  • Media Planner
    • 2025 Media Planner
    • 2025 Editorial Calendar
    • Audience Overview >
      • Print
      • Digital
      • Why Audited?
    • Specs >
      • Print
      • Website + E-News
      • Retargeting
      • Custom E-Mail
      • Architect Portfolio
      • Product Spotlight
      • Sponsored Content
      • Video
      • Webinar
    • Packages >
      • AB Leaders Program
      • Where Do I Start?
      • For Architects & Consultants
      • Premium Partnership
    • Rates >
      • Net Rates
  • Media Solutions
    • Print >
      • Magazine Advertising
      • Cover and Insert Options
      • Sponsored Content
      • New & Improved
      • Product Spotlights >
        • June 2025
        • July/Aug 2025
        • Sept 2025
        • Sept 2025-NRPA
        • Oct 2025
        • Nov/Dec 2025
      • Upcoming Issues >
        • June 2025
        • July/August 2025
        • September 2025
        • October 2025
        • Nov/Dec 2025
    • Digital >
      • Architect Portfolio
      • Custom E-Mail
      • E-Newsletter
      • Facility of the Week
      • Podcast
      • Retargeting
      • Social Media
      • Sponsored Content
      • Video Promotion
      • Virtual Workshops
      • Webinar
      • Website
    • Our Stats >
      • Digital Media
    • Testimonials
    • Case Study
    • Our Advertisers
  • AB Show 2025
    • 2025 Contract
    • ABshow.com
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Payment
    • Privacy Policy
  • AB.com

BEST practices

Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content is an attractive option for advertisers looking to communicate their industry expertise in greater detail than a traditional print or digital advertisement. By telling your brand’s story in the form of an article, you will stand out from traditional advertising with these benefits:
  • Establish your brand as a thought leader in the industry
  • Share your brand's expertise
  • Provide in-depth content in an engaging way to the Athletic Business audience
  • Capitalize on an increasingly popular form of advertising
What Makes for Effective Sponsored Content? 
Quality sponsored content starts with the audience in mind first, not your sales pitch. Effective sponsored content educates and informs the reader while only subtly (if at all) referencing your brand. Some companies decide to hire freelance journalists to write sponsored content, ensuring the article is of sound journalistic quality. Ask yourself:
  • Is this content written with the Athletic Business audience in mind?
  • Are we sharing our expertise with the audience rather than simply pitching our products?
  • Is the information included in the article objective?
  • Will the reader benefit from this content?
  • Will our headline attract readers beyond those familiar with our brand?
If you answered “yes” to the questions above, you’re on your way to creating quality sponsored content that will resonate with our audience! Check out a great example of Sponsored Content.

​What Makes for Ineffective Sponsored Content? 
Poor sponsored content ignores the reader and focuses solely on your brand. It will read like a sales pitch or press release rather than an informative article. Consider this dating analogy: “Content marketing is like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, there won’t be a second.” Like a bad first date, ineffective sponsored content is only about you. It turns readers off and won’t have the effect you’re seeking.

​
Additional Tip: Running a Traditional Ad Next to Your Sponsored Content 
Advertising partners frequently inquire about including a print ad next to their sponsored content piece. While that decision is entirely yours to make, the practice is discouraged by Athletic Business.

The purpose of sponsored content is to “look and feel” like the strong editorial content our audience is accustomed to seeing in Athletic Business, not a traditional advertisement. Placing an ad directly next to your sponsored content can lead the reader to believe the entire piece is simply an extended sales pitch, rather than an informative, beneficial article.

The choice is yours, but our recommendation is to place your traditional advertisement elsewhere in the magazine, allowing your sponsored content to make an impact on its own.
Printed Sponsored Content Example:
AB Sponsored Content - Print
Sponsored Content from Print Issue of AB
Digital Sponsored Content Example:
AB Sponsored Content - Digital
Sponsored Content on AthleticBusiness.com

Questions? Let Us Help.

Tell us a bit about yourself, or contact us directly, and we will be in touch.
Let's Get Started
Athletic Business Cover Art 2016

CONTACT

22 E. Mifflin St., Suite 910
​Madison, WI 53703
​P: 608-249-0186
​E: [email protected]

What Our Clients Are Saying

"After engaging with AB, the qualified leads have grown considerably such that we are looking at increasing our sales staff to handle the volume and the numbers on the back end support that growth.  We are reaching the educational institutions and non-profit organizations at a higher rate and the impact can be traced back to the landing pages links clicked from the digital or print advertising through AB ."

  –Cihan Ozdemir, Project Engineer | DynaDome


CONNECT WITH US

View our privacy policy.
  • Up Next: June 2025
  • Media Planner
    • 2025 Media Planner
    • 2025 Editorial Calendar
    • Audience Overview >
      • Print
      • Digital
      • Why Audited?
    • Specs >
      • Print
      • Website + E-News
      • Retargeting
      • Custom E-Mail
      • Architect Portfolio
      • Product Spotlight
      • Sponsored Content
      • Video
      • Webinar
    • Packages >
      • AB Leaders Program
      • Where Do I Start?
      • For Architects & Consultants
      • Premium Partnership
    • Rates >
      • Net Rates
  • Media Solutions
    • Print >
      • Magazine Advertising
      • Cover and Insert Options
      • Sponsored Content
      • New & Improved
      • Product Spotlights >
        • June 2025
        • July/Aug 2025
        • Sept 2025
        • Sept 2025-NRPA
        • Oct 2025
        • Nov/Dec 2025
      • Upcoming Issues >
        • June 2025
        • July/August 2025
        • September 2025
        • October 2025
        • Nov/Dec 2025
    • Digital >
      • Architect Portfolio
      • Custom E-Mail
      • E-Newsletter
      • Facility of the Week
      • Podcast
      • Retargeting
      • Social Media
      • Sponsored Content
      • Video Promotion
      • Virtual Workshops
      • Webinar
      • Website
    • Our Stats >
      • Digital Media
    • Testimonials
    • Case Study
    • Our Advertisers
  • AB Show 2025
    • 2025 Contract
    • ABshow.com
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Payment
    • Privacy Policy
  • AB.com