Have you heard about the Trojan Horse? The Greeks used a big wooden horse to hide soldiers inside, fooling the Trojans by sending it as a peace offering. Today, this story is remembered as a symbol of great strategy.

The same strategy is being used now by marketeers in content marketing, sharing content to attract readers, but as soon you click, there it comes, the sponsorships like a flood. Sometimes it’s even impossible to read the article without accepting or buying whatever is being offered. This strategy is being compared metaphorically in the article ,Trojan Horse Marketing written by Tom Fish Burn ,as sometimes audiences can feel deceived.

We as marketeers must ask ourselves if using the trojan marketing is ethical, or not. I get caught by this experience multiple times a day and is annoying.

The article Trojan Horse Marketing mentions that, at the end of the day, the long-term objective of any marketing program is sales. So, content marketing is a balance of storytelling and salesmanship.

I believe sponsored content marketing is not unethical, if it is well balanced.

  • Always deliver what you are offering
  • Deliver real value,
  • Be honest with your audience
  • Do not overload your content with sponsorship