Potential Advertiser FAQ’s

Q: Can I find out how many readers are in my area?
A: Yes. You can email Keriann for more detailed analytics.

Q: Can I do a vendor listing and then move to sponsorship after I get a feel for your readers and their interest in me?
A: You can absolutely start in the vendor directory and move to sponsorship later. Any unused time in your 12-month directory listing (since it’s free with sponsorship) would be prorated. In fact, starting in the directory and moving up to the front page when you’re having some success there is a strategy we highly recommend.

Q: Why can’t I buy just a sponsored post/BANNER AD, etc.?
APW advertising does work a bit differently than other sites by focusing on building relationships with our sponsors and maintaining a consistent presence of their work on the site (with both paid advertising and editorial content). That’s why we have a membership model, rather than a la carte banner ads and sponsored posts, and we find that advertisers tend to do best when they maintain that holistic presence as front page sponsors.

For example, a reader may first hear about you in a sponsored post, and make a mental note to look at your work again after she’s set a date. Meanwhile, your sidebar ad pings you from the corner of her eye each day as she reads APW. Finally, when she’s ready to get serious about hiring a vendor like you, she searches through the directory, and is again reminded to reach out to you.

Q: What kind of results can I expect from my sponsorship?
A: As with any kind of advertising, your results may vary. As a rule of thumb, we consider an initial 3-month sponsorship to be successful with a handful of inquiries and at least one booking—as in, the cost of your advertising is covered and then some. After that, as you become a consistent presence on the site (through your sidebar ad and directory listing, and enforced by appearances in real weddings, other editorial content, sponsored posts and flash sale ads), and the clients you acquire through APW can (and we hope will) grow into a significant portion of your business.

That said, of course, past results have run the gamut: from sponsors book their entire year within a three-month introductory package, and sponsors who didn’t book anything immediately. We can’t guarantee results, but we can guarantee we will work with you to one-on-one to produce the best results we can.

Q: What can I do to make sure that I get the most from my sponsored Post?
When we bring you on as a sponsor, we have a thirty minute onboarding call with you where we work hard to figure out exactly the best way to pitch your product to our audience, and discuss what makes your business awesome, unique, and a fit for APW. At the end of the call, we’ll formulate a strategy for your first post, including discussing what quotes you might want to write, or photos you want to send it. (If you want, we are also happy to give you tips on ways you can make your website the best possible marketing tool for our readers.) We find that sponsors who take that call seriously, and follow through on sending us great content for their post tend to do well. Sponsors who don’t do the legwork tend to do less well.

Meaning, in short, getting the best results from your post has a lot to do with your hustle, which is a damn good thing. (But you already knew that hard work pays off, right?)

Q: Can MY introductory sponsored post include a special discount/contest/giveaway? Does that usually work well?
A: Your post can include a reader discount, but it doesn’t have to. Some sponsors swear by offering discounts, others don’t. That would definitely be a strategy question that we’d love to get into when crafting your post. We generally discourage giveaways, since they both involve complicated legal requirements and don’t tend to produce the best results. Our readers respond well to great products—you don’t need to give them away for free.

Q: How long is my initial sponsorship and what happens when it ends?
A: The introductory new advertiser package is for 3 months of sponsorship (sidebar ad, directory listing and access to sponsored posts and other perks). When that period is up, you will receive an invoice to renew for another 3 months. We also offer 6 or 12 month terms, which is a monthly savings of $25-50, and means less invoices. You can choose to renew your sponsorship at those rates or to move to the vendor directory. If you chose to continue front page sponsorship, your directory listing would continue to be included with that.

Sponsored posts currently remain published for two years. This is in order to comply with Google’s best practices: It keeps everyone’s most relevant information (rather than outdated pricing, URLs, or sales offers) at the top of search results, as Google would trust the APW site less if it had incorrect information or multitudes of broken links. It also minimizes the number of posts on APW with the same major keyword so Google discern which post is the most valuable. This policy is subject to change at APW’s discretion and with any changes to Google’s recommendations.

Q: Can I send you my product to review or feature in a DIY? Will you cover my product/website/etc. without my being a paid sponsor?
We very rarely review products or websites outside of clearly marked advertising posts. However, feel free to reach out to team@apracticalwedding.com if you have a product that you think will be a great editorial fit for APW. You’ll hear back if we do decide to publish something about your product.

The APW Store is Here

APW Wedding e-shop

go find all our favorites from around the internet, and our free planning tools

Shop Now
APW Wedding e-shop

Planning a wedding?

We have all the planning tools you need right now.

Budget spreadsheets, checklists, and more...

Get Your Free Planning Tools