The Works by Content Works: April 2025

What goes into an impactful sponsored content story? There are a few tried-and-true elements a sponsored content story should have to be impactful. Here are three to consider:

1. The hook: Whether you’re looking to provide readers with a profile on your business, product or service, a thought leadership piece or promote an upcoming event, the opening line of the story, called the hook, tells readers why they should care about the topic at hand and why they should continue reading the story. Sometimes, a hook establishes a problem that readers didn’t even know they had! A well-written hook captures readers’ attention so they don’t click away.

 
Value: In the body of the story, it’s important to provide readers with value for their time spent reading the story. This could be in the form of expert advice or tips to help readers make a decision, or perhaps how attending the event being promoted is going to benefit them or solve a problem they have.

3. CTA: Finally, a clear call to action (CTA) at the end of the story tells readers exactly what they should do next. This is your opportunity to incite readers to take specific action (visit your website, sign up for your newsletter, take a survey, etc.). If the hook and value provided in the body of the story were strong, the CTA should be a no-brainer for the reader.
4.  

Here are five examples crafted by the expert team at Postmedia Content Works in which each sponsored content story had a well-written hook, provided value in the story and concluded with a clear CTA.

For more examples and to learn about working with Postmedia Content Works, visit www.postmediasolutions.com/en-ca/direct/sponsored-content/.

 Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec

 As part of a partnership with AITQ, we created several pieces of content for Tourisme Montreal. Focused on promoting the region to readers in Western Canada, we created interactive articles on several different topics, from the fun festivals in the region to the amazing food destinations. With interactive, clickable elements and large-scale imagery, we created a fun and visual environment for readers to learn more about the city and offered valuable information so they can plan their next trip!

Read the content here: The Province x AITQ

EDC

There’s never been a more important time for Canadian exporters to have access to advice, support and financing to help them grow and succeed. EDC has been supporting Canadian businesses for over 80 years and in this article, we reminded readers of the resources available to exporters from EDC and that EDC is pledging an additional $5 billion to help Canadian businesses navigate export challenges.

Read the content here: Calgary Herald x EDC

 Mastercard

According to federal statistics, Canadians lost as much as $638 million to fraud in 2024. As part of their consumer and business education efforts during Fraud Prevention Month, Mastercard’s sponsored content story reveals that while many Canadians believe they can spot a scam, very few are acting on prevention tactics. The story highlights the ongoing challenges consumers and businesses face as fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated tools, including AI. An interactive infographic embedded on the story page allows readers to access three tips for fraud prevention and additional information.

Read the content here: National Post x Mastercard

Merck Canada

National Immunization Awareness Week was April 21 to 30, 2025, and Merck Canada wanted to be a part of the conversation around the vital role of vaccines in securing the health and well-being of Canadians. We took a three-pronged approach to the content: focusing on the importance of preventive medicine in protecting health; addressing the issue of vaccine fatigue and the consequences of misinformation; and sharing highlights from the recommended immunization schedules for all stages of life, with a focus on Merck's long-standing commitment to vaccine innovation. We leveraged an interview with Dr. Christine Palmay, a family medicine physician, to share insights on the importance of vaccination in protecting families across Canada and vaccination as a powerful public health tool. To add to the timeliness of the piece, we shared data from a recent measles outbreak in Ontario to reiterate how crucial it is that people get the recommended immunizations to protect themselves, their family members and others in their community.

Read the content here: Healthing x Merck Canada

Tourism Kamloops

Kamloops offers a variety of outdoor adventures during the summer, and its tourism board aimed to show the breadth of activities available for different kinds of visitors. Working with Content Works, an interactive quiz page was created to achieve this goal. Users are prompted to take the quiz to discover their traveller type, and a short itinerary is shown at the end depending on the results. The page features stunning photos of Kamloops and the activities available, further enticing users to click through the short quiz.

Take the quiz here: Vancouver Sun x Tourism Kamloops