Sponsored post, press release or guest post: which one do you need?

• You have news: a press release.
• You want a specific audience to learn about you, on your terms: a sponsored post.
• You have real expertise to share and time to write: a guest post.

You pay a publication to publish an article about you or written by you. It should be labelled as sponsored, and links in it should carry rel="sponsored".

You get the most control over what is said and where it appears. It costs money, and readers know it is paid, so it works best when the piece is genuinely useful rather than an advert.

An announcement written in news style: a launch, funding, a partnership, a hire. You either send it to a wire service, which spreads copies across many sites, or place it on specific publications.

It only works when there is real news. Without it, a release reads as an advert and few people read it.

An article you write for another site because the editor wants it for their readers. Done properly it is unpaid and editorially reviewed, which is why it carries more weight.

It takes time: pitching, writing and edits. Sites that charge for "guest posts" are selling sponsored posts and should label them that way.

• Cost: guest post lowest in money, highest in time. Sponsored post and placed press release cost money but little time.
• Control: highest with a sponsored post, lowest with a guest post, since the editor decides.
• Credibility: highest with a guest post or earned coverage, then a well-placed press release, then a sponsored post.
• Speed: sponsored posts and placements can go live within days; guest posts often take weeks.

Many startups combine them: a press release for the news, two or three sponsored posts on the sites their customers read, and a guest post or two over the following months. Whatever you choose, check that the sites are real, relevant and indexed before you pay.