.svg)
.svg)
Attracting customers in a sea of online competitors is a fine art. To stand out, you need to post engaging, relevant content that captures people’s attention and builds trust. Branded content is an effective tool that prioritizes storytelling and creating an emotional connection.
This guide breaks down branded content marketing and helps you understand how to use it effectively to build your brand. We will cover how branded content marketing differs from traditional content and marketing and share the tools you can use to make it effective.
Branded Content Marketing at a Glance
“But I’m already doing content marketing,” you say. And “How is branded content marketing different from my existing content?” you wonder. Let's discuss.
How It Differs From Other Marketing Approaches
Traditional marketing and advertising strategies inform potential customers about your product or service and how it benefits them. Brand and content marketing refer to strategies you use to market yourself (or your company as a whole).
Take Apple, for example. The company takes a human-first approach to advertising. Its recent iPhone ads featured cinematic short films made by ordinary iPhone users. But Apple’s best branding tool by far was its co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs.
Jobs engaged customers through passionate talks, unique company events, and brilliant advertising. Under his leadership, Apple became known for innovation, excellence, and quality.
Key Features That Set Branded Content Apart
Traditional advertising is all about making the sale. Branded content marketing aims to connect your brand with people’s emotions through storytelling, value-first delivery, and subtle branding.
Formats That Work Best for Branded Content
Appeal to your potential customers’ emotions through these types of content:
- Videos: Use exciting visuals, music, and storytelling to connect to your audience.
- Podcasts: Establish yourself as an industry expert by weighing in on topics that matter to your customers.
- Microsites: A microsite is a specific website or small collection of webpages devoted to one campaign. These sites let you focus your messaging on a particular target audience.
- Influencer collabs: People trust their favorite influencers. You can build on the existing relationship by collaborating with these internet personalities.
- Documentaries: A well-done documentary is informative and thought-provoking. Using these strategically can establish your authenticity and connect you to your audience.
- Other formats: Depending on your audience, you can also use livestreams, infographics, ebooks, blog content creation, and other formats to strengthen your brand image.
Real-World Branded Content Examples That Work
If you’re unclear about what counts as branded content, use these real-world content marketing examples for inspiration.
Red Bull
Red Bull, the energy drink, has built its brand as the go-to for high-energy adrenaline seekers. Its branded content includes Red Bull TV, which broadcasts live sports such as surfing and downhill mountain biking.
The company also sponsors athletes in multiple disciplines and uses behind-the-scenes footage and other documentary techniques to draw people to the brand.
Red Bull’s branded content works because the company has created a brand around shared interests with its customers. The company is passionate about extraordinary human accomplishments, and its branded content invites potential customers to add more excitement to their lives.
Red Bull Media House
Red Bull parlayed its branded content into broader success by founding Red Bull Media House. This company is an extension of Red Bull TV, but it produces and distributes branded content for the company.
What started as a way to showcase extreme sports and lifestyle content has grown to a multi-media endeavor producing TV, film, and published materials. Its content stretches beyond athletes wearing Red Bull hats or cliff diving off a Red Bull-branded platform. The company produces exciting features and award-winning movies, such as The Alpinist.
Some of the company’s branded content is more obvious, such as the Red Bulletin podcast. Others are more focused on an audience, such as the podcast “Beyond the Ordinary.” Hosted by Myles Youngblood, this podcast highlights successful people from all walks of life.
Dove’s Real Beauty
This personal care brand specializes in skin and hair care products for women. Its Real Beauty campaign launched in 2004 as an antidote to the often unattainable beauty standards common in advertising in the early 00s.
The ads feature women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. Most of the ads touch on aspects of self-confidence. They include discussions with real women about aging, body confidence, social media filters, and other factors that shape how women see themselves.
This campaign helped Dove connect with women in a way that no other brands were doing at the time and made the brand seem more authentic.
Patagonia
Anyone who has visited Colorado is familiar with this high-end outdoor clothing retailer. But Patagonia’s branded content centers around encouraging people not to shop. Patagonia is an early adopter of sustainable and ethical business practices. The company has been dedicated to saving the Earth since its founding in 1973.
Its branded content uses storytelling and powerful imagery to shed light on topics most people would rather not see. The Artifishal campaign highlights how stocking salmon hurts wild members of the species. Its documentary Tribal Waters showcases how the Eastern Shohone and Northern Arapaho tribes continue to fight for the Wind River.
These thought-provoking videos solidify Patagonia’s reputation as a brand that cares about how it impacts people and the lands on which they live.
How To Build a Branded Content Strategy
Setting a foundation for your branded content will help you create impactful stories that speak to your audience. Nail down your brand and content strategy before starting production.
- Set your content marketing goals: Determine what you want to accomplish with your branded content.
- Know your audience: Profile your best customers and identify common traits to determine what kind of content to produce and where to post it.
- Stay consistent: Don’t switch up your voice and tone in your branded content. Keep it consistent with your existing branding so audiences know it’s you.
- Create and test: Track results from each campaign to know what’s working with your audience and what you need to improve.
Collaborating With Creators or Partners
Partnering with influencers is a great way to expand your reach, but you need to be strategic. Look for people whose following matches your target audience. Find creators whose content fits your niche.
It’s tempting to reach out to the biggest creators on social media, but if they don’t fit your brand, the collaboration may backfire. If you partner with someone who seems to work with everyone, your customers could see it as fake or disingenuous. Partner with creators who match your values.
How To Measure Branded Content Success
Traditional marketing performance indicators, such as click-through rate and conversions, aren’t relevant to branded content. Instead, track metrics such as length of time on site, brand reach, social media engagement, and referred traffic.
Use social listening tools such as Sprout Social or Mention to track how people are talking about you online. Use Google Analytics and data from your website hosting platform to monitor engagement on your website. If your branded content is successful, customer sentiment online should reflect your intended brand image.
Bring Your Brand’s Story to Life With Branded Content
Branded content advertising can help you grow your business by enhancing your relationship with customers. A strong brand gives you a competitive advantage and often inspires brand loyalty. Don’t try to do it alone. Compose.ly offers fully managed content services. We will match you to writers who understand how to tell stories that engage your audience to build your brand.
Contact us today to learn more.
