REPOST: The Washington Post Now Sells Ads in the Comments

A new form of advertising has hit the news website of The Washington Post: ads in the form of comments.  What do these ads have to offer both advertisers and websites and how would they change user experience.  Lauren Indvik of Mashable discusses this new feature at length, available in full here.

The Washington Post is adding another ad unit to its arsenal, this one appearing in-line with the comments section of its opinion pieces.

Dubbed "Sponsored Views," the ad unit allows advertisers to post and spotlight their responses to opinion columns. The units aren't quite "native" — they exist in a nebulous space between the article and the comments, differentiated by a yellow background. They do, however, allow advertisers to be more contextually relevant and engaging, since their messages address the articles beneath which they appear. They also require a different set of skills from advertisers: They must be able to deliver on-the-spot copy, not visuals.

Here's an example from CTIA, in response to a May 19 editorial about the growing danger of cyberattacks:

Image source: The Washington Post. Screenshot available from Mashable.com

In a statement, The Post indicated that the ads are designed primarily for advocacy, communications and government affairs professionals who want "to place their message in front of key constituents." Beyond CTIA, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Cato Institute and Center for American Progress have all purchased Sponsored Views.

Pricing starts at $500 per article and varies depending on duration and publication date, running as high as several thousand dollars for newly published pieces, a spokesperson for The Posttold Mashable. Ads can run up to 600 characters in length, and are subject to approval by The Post's advertising staff before going live online. Up to three Sponsored Views can appear on a single story.

The Post offers other areas for advertisers to contribute content, including its "BrandConnect" platform. The program, introduced in March, allows advertisers to produce and place their own articles, videos and other forms of sponsored content on the site, right alongside articles and multimedia produced by The Post's newsroom. Forbes, BuzzFeed and The Atlantic offer similar types of ads.

Online advertising isn't the only source The Post is looking to for new revenue. The paper is also rolling out a paywall for its website and mobile apps this week.

Wayne Gattinella is the CEO and President of DoubleVerify, a leading advertisement verification company. Visit this website for more information.