Guide

Press release, sponsored article, guest post, interview: what is what?

Not every piece of news needs the same format. This guide explains what each content type does, who writes it and when it fits best. Plus a yearly planner and tips, so your publications appear in the right magazine at the right time.

Content types in detail What fits when?Plan your year

At a glance

The main formats compared

The short version for busy readers. Each content type is explained in full further down.

Format	Who writes it	Best for	Shelf life
Press release	You, for newsrooms	Real news with news value	Short, while the news is fresh
Sponsored article	The editorial team, on your behalf	Your company, your service, your offer	Long, the article stays online
Guest post	You, under your own name	Showing expertise, building trust	Long
Interview	The editors ask, you answer	Personality, attitude, expertise	Long
Product feature	The editorial team, with your material	One product or service in detail	Until the next model
How-to guide	The editorial team or you	Answering your customers' questions	Very long
Announcement	The editorial team, short and to the point	Opening, date, appointment, job offer	Short, until the date
Mention	The editorial team	A recommendation in a fitting article	Long

In detail

What each content type does

Thirteen formats in three groups: longer articles, short formats and placements, links for search engines and artificial intelligence.

Longer articles

Texts with substance. They stay online, get found and get linked.

Also known as: Press information, news release

Press release

A factual news item that a company writes itself and sends to newsrooms. It answers the five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) plus how, is written in the third person and ends with a press contact. Whether and how it is covered is up to the editors.

Who writes it: You or your agency
Fits when: there is real news: an opening, a product launch, an award, new figures or new management.
Tip: Put the most important point in the first sentence. Facts instead of superlatives, plus a quote and a good picture.

In the networkBookable as an individual service and a good basis for any sponsored article.

Also known as: Advertorial, sponsored post

Guest post

A specialist text that you write yourself and that appears under your name. It shares knowledge from your daily work instead of selling. A short author line with a link shows who is behind it.

Who writes it: You, as the expert
Fits when: you want to show that you master your field and build trust before anyone buys.
Tip: Answer a question your customers keep asking. One concrete example convinces more than any self-promotion.

In the networkBookable individually as a guest article.

Also known as: Conversation, Q&A

Interview

Questions from the editors, your answers, edited for publication. An interview shows the people behind a brand: attitude, experience and a voice of their own. Good quotes can be reused many times later.

Who writes it: The editors ask, you answer and approve.
Fits when: an anniversary is coming up, new management takes over, you have something to say about an industry topic or your face should become known.
Tip: A good portrait photo and two or three clear statements that only you would make.

In the networkBookable individually.

Also known as: Product portrait, service portrait

Product feature

A detailed article about a single product or service, with a picture series, features and technical details. It helps people who are already comparing and close to a decision.

Who writes it: The editorial team, with your material
Fits when: a new product launches, a collection comes out or a service needs explaining.
Tip: Pictures from several angles and the facts customers ask for: size, material, price, availability.

In the networkBookable individually.

Also known as: Guide, explainer, evergreen article

How-to guide

An article that answers a specific question: What should I look out for when buying, how do I find the right provider, what does it cost? Guides hardly ever go out of date and are favoured by search engines and answer engines alike.

Who writes it: The editorial team or you
Fits when: you want to be found all year round, regardless of season or news.
Tip: The headline is the question your customers type into search. Your company appears as an example, not as an advert.

In the networkCan be produced as a sponsored article: the editorial team writes it around your service.

Short formats and placements

Fast, timely and right where readers are already looking.

Also known as: News item, announcement

Announcement

The short format for an occasion: opening, event, product launch, appointment, job offer or anniversary. A few sentences, one picture, one link, published in the news section of the right title.

Who writes it: The editorial team, based on your information
Fits when: a date is fixed. An announcement lives on good timing.
Tip: Publish well before the date and put date, place and registration in the very first sentence.

In the networkTwelve times a year in both memberships, also bookable individually as an event announcement.

Also known as: Name check, in-text recommendation

Mention

Your name with a link in an existing article that matches your topic. Not a page of its own, but a recommendation right in the flow of reading, exactly where someone is looking for a solution.

Who writes it: The editorial team
Fits when: there are already well-read articles on your topic, such as city guides, how-to guides or best-of lists.
Tip: Several mentions in different titles work like a web of recommendations.

In the networkTwelve times a year in both memberships.

Also known as: Highlight, top placement

Home page teaser

Your article does not just sit in its section but is featured prominently on the magazine's homepage, where everyone who opens the title sees it.

Who writes it: The editorial team places your article
Fits when: an article matters most: for the season, a product launch or an opening.
Tip: A strong cover image decides whether people click. Landscape format, ideally without text in the picture.

In the networkTwelve times a year in both memberships.

Also known as: Banner, display ad, video ad

Ad placement

A classic advertising space next to matching articles: banner, video or interactive banner. Clearly recognisable as an advert, one click leads to your website.

Who writes it: You supply the creative
Fits when: you want to show a brand, a promotion or a date over a longer period.
Tip: One message, one picture, one button. The space works best next to an article on the same topic.

In the networkTwelve times a year in both memberships.

Also known as: Directory listing, business entry

Local company entry

Your company in a curated directory or city portal: contact details, short profile, services and link. Anyone searching for your industry in your city finds you there.

Who writes it: The editorial team, based on your details
Fits when: your customers come from the region. And always as a foundation that works all year.
Tip: Write name, address and phone number the same way everywhere. This helps search engines and map services match you correctly.

In the networkTwelve times a year in both memberships, also bookable individually.

Links for Google and AI

Invisible to many, decisive for being found.

Also known as: Inbound link, dofollow link

Backlink

A followable link from an editorial article to your website. To search engines it is like a recommendation: the better the context matches your topic, the more it counts.

Who writes it: Comes with sponsored articles, mentions and listings
Fits when: you want your website to rank better on Google.
Tip: Link to the page the topic is about, not always just your homepage. And better regularly than many at once.

In the networkTwelve times a year in both memberships, also bookable individually as a backlink placement.

Also known as: Citation for answer engines

Frontlink

The backlink points to you, the frontlink shows you: name, service and place appear in the text in a way that artificial intelligence and answer engines such as ChatGPT can give you as the answer, even if nobody clicks.

Who writes it: The editorial team, in fitting articles
Fits when: you want to be found and recommended by artificial intelligence.
Tip: Always use the same combination of name, service and place. The website front-link.com explains it in detail with examples.

In the networkTwelve times a year in Marketing.Member.Show.

How it works

From admission to reporting

This is how your articles come about in the club, month by month.

Admission & briefing
We get to know your business, your themes and your goals, and set your industry magazine.
Editorial plan
We map your placements across twelve months: themes, formats, magazines and dates, in advance.
Monthly publication
Every month new placements go live, editorially produced and approved by you first.
Reporting
You see every publication and link, documented and easy to follow.

What fits when?

From occasion to the right format

Almost every occasion can be told in several formats. This is how to combine them well.

Occasion	Fitting formats	Timing
Opening or new location	Announcement ahead of the date, then a sponsored article with pictures, local company entry	Announcement two to four weeks ahead, article on opening day
New product, new service	Press release as the basis, product feature, later a how-to guide	At launch, the guide a few weeks later
Event, trade fair, open day	Announcement ahead of the date, follow-up as a sponsored article	Four to six weeks ahead, follow-up within a week
Award or certification	Press release, announcement, mentions in fitting articles	Right away, while it is new
Anniversary	Interview or portrait as a sponsored article, plus a home page teaser	In the anniversary month
New management, new partner	Announcement of the appointment, then an interview	As soon as it is official
Hiring	Announcement with the job offer, interview with the team	Ongoing, especially before peak season
Seasonal business	Sponsored article with home page teaser, ad placement	Six to eight weeks before the season starts
Showing expertise	Guest post, how-to guide, interview	All year, ideally monthly
Being found on Google and by AI	How-to guides, backlinks to fitting pages, frontlinks, company entry	Permanently and spread evenly
Local visibility	Local company entry, mentions in city and how-to articles	Set up once, then keep it current
New markets, international customers	Sponsored articles in several languages, each in the fitting title	Before entering the market, then regularly

Plan your year

Which topics are read when

Many industries have their own rhythm. This overview shows when which topics are in season. Always publish a little earlier than demand begins.

January and February

New year and good intentions: health, fitness, finance, training. Holidays, weddings and renovations are planned now, and many trade fairs take place.

March and April

Spring and Easter: home, garden, property, cars and motorbikes. In holiday regions such as Mallorca the season begins, restaurants and hotels reopen.

May and June

Summer is coming: travel, events, weddings, terraces and beach clubs, fashion and beauty. A good time for openings and events.

July and August

Holiday season: lifestyle, leisure, food and travel are strong, many business topics pause. Ideal for preparing guides and autumn topics.

September and October

Fresh start after summer: trade fairs, training, business decisions, autumn and winter. If you want to be visible for the Christmas season, publish now.

November and December

Gifts, Black Friday, Christmas and New Year's Eve, plus reviews of the year and outlooks. Budgets and plans for the new year are made in these weeks.

How-to guides, guest posts and company entries are not tied to any season. They are the foundation that seasonal articles build on.

Good timing

Seven rules for the right moment

Earlier than demand
Search engines need time to find and rank new articles. Seasonal topics should therefore appear six to eight weeks before your customers start searching.
Regularly, not all at once
One article a month has more impact than twelve in one week. Readers, search engines and answer engines then see a company that is consistently active.
News fast, knowledge any time
Announcements and press releases date quickly, so publish them promptly. Guides and guest posts work for years and fit into any quiet week.
One occasion, several formats
Start with an announcement, tell the story in a sponsored article, draw attention with a home page teaser and anchor the topic with mentions.
The right context
An article only works where your audience reads. The magazine's topic, language and region must match your customers.
Lead time for approval
Allow time for material, draft and your approval. If you have pictures and facts ready early, you are online sooner.
Reuse it
Share every article on your social networks and in your newsletter, and show it on your website. That way it works twice.

What to have ready

The better the material, the better the article. These points help the editors and speed up approval.

Occasion and goal in one sentence
Three to five key messages: what is new, what do readers gain?
Facts such as date, place, prices or figures, as far as they should be mentioned
Two or three good landscape pictures, with the necessary rights
A quote or a contact person
The right landing page for the link
Who approves the article

Common mistakes

And how to avoid them.

Advertising language in a press release: Unique, leading, revolutionary: editors delete words like these. Facts and figures are more convincing.
No news: Without a real occasion, a press release is the wrong format. A how-to guide or guest post fits better.
Everything at once: Ten articles in one week followed by silence work less well than a calm, steady rhythm.
Too late for the season: If you only publish when the season starts, you are found when it is already under way.
Linking only to the homepage: If the link leads to the right page, readers arrive where they want to be and search engines understand the topic.
Pictures without rights: Photos taken from the internet can get expensive. Use your own pictures or ones with a clear licence.

Questions

Frequently asked questions about content types

What is the difference between a press release and a sponsored article?

You write the press release yourself, and the editors decide whether to cover it. The sponsored article is commissioned: it is guaranteed to appear, with pictures and a link, and it is labelled as advertising.

How promotional can a guest post be?

As little as possible. A guest post lives on expertise. The more factual it is, the more credible it seems and the more likely it is to be read, shared and linked. The author line with a link shows who is behind it.

How long should an article be?

As a guideline: an announcement 150 to 300 words, a press release 300 to 500, a sponsored article or interview 600 to 1,000, a how-to guide or guest post 800 to 1,500 words. More important than length is that every paragraph has something to say.

How often should I publish?

Regularly. One article a month is a good rhythm, plus announcements whenever there is news. That keeps you visible without overwhelming your readers.

What does a backlink do, and what does a frontlink do?

A backlink helps your website in search engines because a fitting magazine points to you. A frontlink makes sure artificial intelligence can name you with your name, service and place. Together they cover classic search and the new answer engines.

Can I send a finished press release?

Yes. It is a good basis: the editorial team turns it into a sponsored article or an announcement that suits the magazine and its readers. You approve it before publication.

Which content types are included in the membership?

Eight kinds: sponsored articles, ad placements, home page teasers, announcements, backlinks, mentions, local company entries and frontlinks. Media.Member.Show includes seven of them twelve times a year (84 placements), Marketing.Member.Show all eight (96 placements). Interviews, product features and guest articles can be booked individually.

Guide

Which format suits you?

Tell us what you are planning. We recommend the right format and the right magazine.

Ask on WhatsApp ↗View membership

Press release, sponsored article, guest post, interview: what is what?

The main formats compared

What each content type does

Longer articles

Press release

Sponsored article

Guest post

Interview

Product feature

How-to guide

Short formats and placements

Announcement

Mention

Home page teaser

Ad placement

Local company entry

Links for Google and AI

Backlink

Frontlink

From admission to reporting

Admission & briefing

Editorial plan

Monthly publication

Reporting

From occasion to the right format

Which topics are read when

January and February

March and April

May and June

July and August

September and October

November and December

Seven rules for the right moment

Earlier than demand

Regularly, not all at once

News fast, knowledge any time

One occasion, several formats

The right context

Lead time for approval

Reuse it

What to have ready

Common mistakes

Frequently asked questions about content types

Which format suits you?