WaPo Sponsored Stories, Tumblr’s Big Year, Pitfalls of Content

The Strategist picks the day’s most interesting stories for the content aficionados who love the backstory and reading between the lines. Here are the gems you need to kickstart your Wednesday:

Why the Washington Post is Smart to Try Sponsored Content (Paid Content)

Sponsored brand content is a strategy that faces plenty of scrutiny, but writer Mathew Ingram makes the argument that the tactic is actually pretty darn awesome. The Washington Post debuts its BrandConnect feature today.

Is writing necessarily evil or salesy because it comes from a brand? Not really. And in the midst of a struggling publishing industry, sponsored content opens doors for an additional revenue stream.

At the end of the day, sponsored content can fulfill the exact same goals as traditional journalism — to be useful, unbiased, and valuable to the end reader.

Tumblr Expects to Be Profitable This Year (All Things D)

You read that right — there’s money to be made in the business of social. According to writer Liz Gannes, the company expects a key revenue driver to be the addition of paid post promotion on its mobile apps.

Tumblr is the 50th most-use iPhone app in the United States. To actually become profitable, Tumblr would need a year-over-year gain of around 800 percent. Think they can do it?

Why Brands Need to Avoid the Hype Surrounding Content Marketing (The Guardian)

There’s no escaping the fact that content marketing rocks, but you need to treat it for what it is.

Content marketing is a tool for engaging consumers. What it is not is a band-aid for your company’s brand management problems. Steer clear of the bandwagon to develop a voice that’s truly authentic and unique to you.