Content Guidelines for Advertising

To maximize the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, follow these guidelines and ensure timely submission of all content.

Send your submissions for review to adops@thehackernews.com via email. Utilize Google Docs for seamless collaboration, and remember to include all relevant information and documents in your email to streamline the process.

1. Contributed Articles

Submit your article to our site for the opportunity to have it featured as organic content, giving your message maximum exposure. Advertisers can utilize this opportunity to write promotional articles that showcase their products, services, events, webinars, whitepapers, reports, and research, thereby enhancing their exposure and generating leads.

Here are some different forms of content for your reference that other vendors have published with us.

• Product Walkthroughs: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, Article 5, Article 6
• Listicles: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, Article 5, Article 6, Article 7, Article 8
• Event/Webinar Coverage: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, Article 5
• How-to Guides: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, Article 5, Article 6, Article 7
• Research, Survey Results and Case Studies: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, Article 5, Article 6

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your contributed article successfully reaches and influences your target audience.

• Ensure the article is original and unpublished
• Include a featured image (728 x 380 pixels)
• Write in the third person for objectivity
• Avoid mentioning competitors or comparing products
• Content can include solutions or product walkthroughs without presenting them as reviews
• Keep the article length between 300 and 3,000 words
• Use headlines within 50 to 100 characters
• Up to 12 images (728px width, max height 700px) are allowed within the content
• Limit hyperlinks to 3 for promotional pages and use descriptive anchor text
• Avoid linking to publication's competitors and prioritize credible sources
• Submit the article in a clear format (Word document or Google Doc)
• Deliver creatives to the publisher 5 days before the scheduled advertising slot
• Note that the publisher may reject or modify content that does not meet guidelines
• Late submissions may not be considered
• If using remarketing pixels, provide the original codes from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google, and avoid third-party services.

2. Newsfeed Native Placement

This placement is intended to blend in with the appearance and feel of the naturally listed articles on the website. To ensure better performance, make sure you submit deliverables that make it look natural in the feed and relevant to the target audience.

Required deliverables include a headline, description, thumbnail, and landing page URL. It is highly recommended to provide at least 2 different sets that will be rotated for better performance.

• Headline: Engage in 80 characters or less
• Description: Convey message in 100 characters or less
• Image/Thumbnail: Optimize at 364x190 pixels, under 150 kb
• Select images with minimal text for better engagement
• Use acceptable image formats: JPG, PNG, GIF
• Submit creatives to the publisher at 5 five days prior to the scheduled slot
• Late submissions may not be published

3. Webinars

THN webinars offer advertisers a distinct opportunity to demonstrate their expertise in technical subjects, effectively engage their targeted audience, and collect valuable leads. These webinars are pre-recorded and broadcasted as live events on the agreed-upon date.

• The advertiser must choose a relevant and engaging topic, provide knowledgeable experts as special guests, and inform the publisher of the selected topic at least 40 days before the scheduled broadcast date.
• The publisher manages the webinar, including recording, promotion, registrations, hosting, moderating, and editing.
• To assist publishers in preparing the registration page, advertisers must provide topic details, speakers' profiles, and digital headshots a minimum of 35 days prior to the event.
• To effectively promote the webinar, the advertiser must submit article content at least 3 days prior to the assigned article slot.
• The publisher chooses a moderator who will host the event, who will introduce speakers, facilitate Q&A sessions, and ensure a smooth flow of discussion during the session.
• The advertiser coordinates guest appearances for the recording, following the moderator's guidance. It is recommended to schedule a consultation between the moderator and guests at least 2 weeks prior to the event to ensure thorough preparation.

4. Solution Spotlight Placement

Maximize the visibility of your cybersecurity solution to our readers by utilizing this effective, full-width, attention-grabbing placement.

Required deliverables include a logo, headline, tagline, description, key features, and two CTA buttons with landing page URLs.

• The logo image should be 200x200 pixels and under 100 kb in size.
• The combined length of the product and company names should not exceed 60 characters.
• The tagline should be concise and accurately represent the product's category.
• The description should be limited to 300 characters.
• The list of key features should be concise, accurate, and limited to a maximum of 6 features.
• Each key feature should not exceed 25 characters.
• Both buttons can have custom call-to-actions and unique hyperlinks and button text should be short and within 20 characters.
• Creative materials must be submitted to the publisher 5 days before the scheduled advertising slot.
• Late submissions may not be considered for publication.

5. Display Advertising

Following is the list of required deliverables, along with their specifications, that advertisers must meet:

• Advertisers must adhere to the specified size requirements for banner creatives as mentioned in the media kit for their chosen placement.
• Landing page link.

Important guidelines to consider:

• Accepted image formats are JPG, PNG, and GIF, with a maximum file size of 150 kb.
• For advertisers seeking to rotate multiple creatives, we offer the flexibility of up to 3 different creatives. This allows for promoting various products or engaging returning readers. Each creative can have its own landing page URL as well. Alternatively, advertisers can request to update their creatives once every 15 days.
• Creative materials must be submitted to the publisher 5 days before the scheduled advertising slot.
• Late submissions may not be considered for publication.

6. Native Content Recommendations

Native Content Recommendations are specialized advertising units designed to drive clicks by seamlessly blending into the website's design. They resemble natural content rather than traditional ads, featuring attention-grabbing headlines, relevant topics, and visually appealing images to attract readers.

Following is the list of required deliverables, along with their specifications, that advertisers must meet:

• Thumbnail image: Size of 364x190 pixels or 728x90 pixels
• Headline: Maximum of 55 characters.
• Brief description: No more than 95 characters.
• Landing page link.

Important guidelines to consider:

• Image file size should not exceed 150 kb.
• Select an image with minimal text to enhance engagement.
• Advertisers must deliver the specified creatives to the publisher at least 5 days before the scheduled advertising slot.
• Advertisers can request to update their creatives once every 15 days.

7. Dedicated Email Marketing (e-Blasts)

Our email campaign template is designed to promote specific offers, events, webinars, or resource downloads with a strong call to action.

Advertisers must provide the required creatives as per the specifications below:

• Logo: Transparent PNG image, maximum size of 200 x 200 pixels.
• Headline: 50 to 100 characters in length.
• Tag: Concise and relevant to the campaign.
• The content should be concise, ranging from 50 to 300 words. It can include one image with a maximum width of 600 pixels and a maximum height of 400 pixels. Additionally, it is allowed to include one hyperlink.
• Button: Concise text (under 20 characters) with a hyperlink.
• Advertisers can suggest subject lines for the e-blast, but the publisher has the final say in determining the subject line to ensure optimal effectiveness and prevent spam reports.
• Creative materials must be submitted to the publisher 5 days before the scheduled advertising slot.
• Late submissions may not be considered for publication.

8. Native Newsletter Placement

The campaign is effective with engaging headlines, relevant topics, and visually appealing images.

Advertisers must provide:

• Headline: 50-100 characters
• Description: Max 250 characters
• Image: 364 x 190 pixels or 728 x 380 pixels, under 150 kb, with minimal text
• Link to the landing page

9. Social Media Promotions

While it can be challenging to determine what is appropriate for inclusion in social media promotions, advertisers should strive to adhere to the following guidelines. However, it is important to note that the publisher reserves the right to reject or modify any content that does not align with the publisher's editorial standards or guidelines.

Important guidelines to consider:

• Keep your content concise and to the point, aiming for posts around 280 characters or less to capture short attention spans.
• Utilize eye-catching visuals such as photos, videos, graphics, and other media to attract your target audience.
• Familiarize yourself with the rules and guidelines of each social media platform and ensure compliance.
• Refrain from using controversial or polarizing themes and strive to maintain neutrality and respect towards all groups.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the submission process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at adops@thehackernews.com and bizdev@thehackernews.com. We will be happy to assist you with any additional information you may need.