In the past, readers understood sponsored posts as advertisements where brands paid media outlets to publish news-style content. In newspapers, magazines, or online media, you'd typically see labels like "Advertising Feature" or "Special Contribution" marked in the top-left or top-right corner, clearly indicating readers that payment was involved.
However, this doesn't mean the content isn't engaging. It's just that the messaging often revolves around what the brand wants to communicate to readers, which can feel tedious. This is why readers "boycott sponsored posts." But if done creatively—like HOW HOW's "diving straight into the sponsored topic"—through vivid videos and entertaining content, it can actually generate massive engagement.
Getting back to the main point, there's actually another trick for making "sponsored posts" successful: "vanishing without a trace." This means featuring many different brand products in a single article—sometimes five or six varieties—where one of them is the main sponsor. When netizens question "What's being advertised here?" and other unknowing netizens start defending the post, that's when the sponsored content succeeds.
How so?
These types of sponsored posts typically appear on "anonymous social platforms" like Fashion Guide, Mobile01, Dcard, and PTT. They primarily employ "word-of-mouth marketing."
Word-of-mouth marketing is fundamentally about "topic packaging" and "word-of-mouth placement." The main objective is to "help netizens immediately understand brand positioning and product pros/cons," followed by "maintaining online discussion momentum" and "making articles easier for netizens to search for."
When consumers search using keywords, they discover netizen discussions and opinions. They get to know the product and develop interest before deciding whether to purchase. Product types are typically beauty, feminine hygiene, lifestyle goods, and so on. Even the title won't give away that it's sponsored.
Here's a direct example: typically, word-of-mouth marketing companies will conduct topic planning for the product before placement, such as
[TITLE]
Has anyone researched which moisturizer has the highest absorption rate?
[MAIN ANGLE]
Since starting skincare in university, I've hit plenty of plateaus! I've figured out what moisturizing texture works best for me.
My friend thinks lotion is great, but I'm the opposite—I think XX is the best.
XX brand's gel serum is famous, and it has a very unique texture. At first glance, it looks like a lotion, but when applied, it absorbs quickly with a hydrating feel. It's the best moisturizer I've ever used.
[Other brands with mediocre textures can be interspersed to highlight why you should choose XX.]
Once the main angle is set, it gets distributed to "everyday consumers" who've worked with them before, allowing them to improvise and compare 4-5 products. Why use everyday consumers?
Because their shares are "authentic, with writing that doesn't carry a commercial tone," making it harder for netizens to detect the post as sponsored. With "topic design" like this, different operations are used for different products from the same brand.
This type of operation typically uses headlines like "Year-end clearance! Classic skincare rankings showdown," "My skin is so dry~~~ but this moisturizer really saved me," "Mask every day! Real poreless skin in five days—sharing without holding back," "I want to be beautiful too... How does everyone do it?" These are just random examples, but honestly, you really can't tell these articles are sponsored. When someone questions whether the post is an ad, netizens below start arguing, some rushing to defend it. At that moment, the brand probably smirks to themselves, because this is another successful word-of-mouth placement—after all, more comments means higher engagement.
This is what's called "online buzz"—more articles and comments mean higher online buzz, which strengthens brand discussion and makes it easier to promote to the masses. Conversely, marketing budgets also increase accordingly.
Speaking of "comments boosting engagement," there's also a little secret worth mentioning: word-of-mouth marketing doesn't just involve sponsored articles—it also involves "sponsored tweets." Everyday consumers are sent to comment on articles, reinforcing the article's theme. Unsuspecting netizens gradually come to believe the product is genuinely great, or when they later search and find the article, seeing numerous netizens enthusiastically recommending it drives them to purchase.
In the online world, truth and fiction blur together. While sponsored products aren't necessarily bad, never let someone else's words influence your own judgment and values.
