# What is an advertorial?

> An advertorial is a paid ad written to read like an article. What it is, how to test one as an ad landing page, and what India's ad standards body says about labels.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-11
- **Category**: Creative
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/advertorial

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An advertorial is a paid ad written to look and read like an article or news story. In performance ads, it is usually a long landing page that explains a problem first and shows your product second.

## How it works

The ad promises a story, such as "Why your back hurts by 4pm". The click opens a page that tells it: a headline, a few short paragraphs on the problem, then your product as the answer. The buy button comes late.

It suits buyers who do not know your product exists, and products that need explaining. These buyers are often problem aware in the [awareness levels](/glossary/awareness-levels). A direct product page asks them to buy before they see why.

## A worked example

Suppose you sell a INR 1,299 laptop stand. You split traffic evenly between your product page and an advertorial. Each page gets 1,000 clicks at INR 10 a click, so each costs INR 10,000. The numbers are made up.

| Page | Orders | Cost per order |
|---|---|---|
| Product page | 20 | INR 500 |
| Advertorial | 30 | INR 333 |

Cost per order = ad spend / orders. The advertorial won this test. It may lose for a product people already know, so test it. See [CPA](/glossary/cpa) for the formula.

## Label it clearly

Label the page as an ad. Do not invent a news site, a reporter or reader comments.

In India, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) added Clause 1.8 to its code in August 2025. It says a paid or sponsored post by a media company on its social media handles must carry a clear label at the start, such as "Advertisement", "Ad" or "Sponsored". The release adds that the Norms of Journalists Conduct also require newspapers to clearly distinguish ads from content ([ASCI press release](https://www.ascionline.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ASCI_Code_Update_Media_Paid_Posts_Aug2025_PressRelease.pdf), 13 August 2025, checked 2026-10-20).

That clause covers media companies. Your own landing page is not a media post. A plain "Advertisement" tag at the top is still the honest habit.

## Tips

1. Open with the reader's problem, in their words.
2. Keep [above the fold](/glossary/above-the-fold) clean, with a clear headline and one image.
3. Link to the product only after the problem is clear.
4. Match the ad to the page. Both must tell the same story. Compare [lead ads and landing pages](/compare/lead-ads-vs-landing-page) too.

## FAQ

### Is an advertorial the same as sponsored content?

Close. Sponsored content is paid content on someone else's site or feed, labelled as sponsored. An advertorial is any ad written like an article, on your site or theirs.

### Does an advertorial suit every product?

No. It fits products that need explaining, such as a laptop stand or a software tool. A simple, well-known product may sell faster from a direct page.

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