Branded content has changed marketing.
In a world that’s absolutely saturated with advertisements, branded content offers us a fresh alternative. When done right, branded content marketing can really captivate and build substantial connections between a brand and its audience.
In this blog, we will explore some current strategies and techniques for creating effective branded content marketing campaigns, along with some handy examples of successful branded content marketing.
Let’s get into it.
Understanding branded content marketing
Unlike traditional advertising, which often interrupts and bombards consumers with sales messages, branded content marketing focuses on creating valuable and entertaining content that inspires the audience and strengthens brand identity through a strong campaign.
From out-of-home ads like billboards to pop-up online banners, these days, it can be incredibly daunting for a brand to “cut through the noise” and actually capture the attention of its target audience.
Enter the era of branded content marketing.
Instead of interrupting consumers with traditional advertising, branded content invites your audience to engage with your brand's story. It goes beyond shamelessly promoting products and services, focusing on creating stories that align with your audience and your brand's values and mission.
Telling compelling stories can help you create emotional bonds with your audience, boost trust, and leave a long-lasting impression. This builds brand awareness, loyalty, and credibility—all good things.
With the rise of AI, consumers are becoming increasingly resistant to traditional advertising methods and are seeking more authentic and engaging content. In fact, a recent study found that 50% of consumers can detect content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), and 52% of respondents reported less engagement when reading AI-generated copy.
By creating valuable content, you can establish your brand as a B2B thought leader and build trust with your audience, setting you apart from 90% of what’s out there. But in order to build that trust, you need to tell a good story—one that will resonate.
Crafting your brand's story
As mentioned, crafting your brand's story is a crucial part of branded content marketing.
Naturally, it involves defining your brand's values, mission, and unique selling proposition and creating narratives that resonate with your target audience. A well-told story plays on people’s emotions; it makes them feel something.
By telling tales that evoke emotions you create an emotional connection, establishing a strong bond and building that brand loyalty. Of course, content plays a massive role in personifying your brand's story, acting as the means to communicate your values and engage with your audience.
Once you’ve got your brand story on lock, you can start to develop branded content marketing collateral that will help increase your brand's visibility and engagement.
Key strategies for branded content marketing
Creating effective branded content requires a well-thought-out content marketing strategy that aligns with the brand's goals and target audience.
Here are some key strategies for success:
- Aligning content with brand values and mission
- Innovating with multimedia content for maximum impact
- Storytelling and emotional connection
- Influencer and community collaboration
- Data-driven personalized marketing and targeting
Let’s dive deeper into these strategies and how best to leverage them:
Aligning branded content with brand values and mission
As mentioned, your brand story is the foundation for your branded content marketing efforts. Once you have an idea of the story you want to tell, aligning content with brand values and mission is the next step.
Of course, to do this, you have to know your core values and mission. These will guide the content creation process and inform the content's messaging, tone, and style. This is also a great way to really differentiate and establish a unique identity in your market.
On top of that, you need to align your content with the needs of your target market is essential. By tailoring content to your target market, your brand can deliver relevant and engaging content that captures their audience's attention and ultimately, drive brand awareness and loyalty.
Innovating with multimedia content for maximum impact
These days, in our digital-first world, we have to think differently.
Look beyond traditional formats and see how you can leverage multimedia content to create maximum impact. Multimedia seems like an outdated term; we’re referring to a combination of different content formats, such as videos and podcasts. This approach can help you to reach and engage with a wider audience and deliver a compelling brand message.
As you can see above, videos are the front-runner in branded content marketing. This flags a shift in consumer preferences, where visual and auditory storytelling is preferred for capturing audience engagement. Video lets you convey emotions and messages quickly, making them perfect for sharing brand stories and values.
According to Forbes, 95% of marketers observe an increase in brand awareness through video marketing.
While Dash reports that 75% of people watch short-form video content on their mobile, so when creating content make sure to prioritze responsiveness and accessibility.
Podcasts are also a big one for branded content marketing. They offer a convenient and portable format for delivering interesting, valuable content and building a dedicated audience.
With the current state of affairs in digital marketing, brands should be using a mix of formats for branded content, whether that’s videos, blogs, infographics, or podcasts, (or all of the above) to effectively reach and engage audiences across platforms.
Overall, a strong branded content campaign incorporating various multimedia formats can generate higher engagement, reach a wider audience, and create a memorable brand experience.
Check out this example from Vitality.
Leveraging emotions for deeper engagement
As mentioned above, any decent marketer knows that playing emotions is a powerful strategy for creating a strong bond with your audience. When customers feel emotionally connected to a brand, they are more likely to trust and then hopefully advocate for it.
This emotional connection goes beyond rational decision-making and taps into the subconscious mind, where emotions significantly shape attitudes and behaviors. To implement effective emotional storytelling, evoke joy, excitement, inspiration, or empathy, and focus on narratives that are relatable, authentic, and aligned with their core values.
These stories should reflect the brand's personality and mission, making them more believable and trustworthy. Utilizing real-life examples, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content can add authenticity to the storytelling.
Additionally, make sure you’re being consistent across all channels to maintain a cohesive brand image. By sharing meaningful stories that connect with the audience's values and experiences, brands can build a loyal community, increase content engagement, and enhance their brand's emotional appeal.
Collaborations and partnerships in branded content
As we know, influencer marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Influencers present incredible opportunities for brands. They have established themselves as trusted sources of information; they have a dedicated, highly engaged following.
When an influencer creates branded content, it feels more like a recommendation from a friend rather than a pushy advertisement. By collaborating with the right people, you can tap into their audience, leveraging their clout and influence to create genuine connections.
Collaborations can be big or small. They can include sponsored posts, product reviews, and social media takeovers, or they can involve full-scale events, or long-term collaborations, among others.
Engaging with your community through user-generated content, contests, and interactive campaigns can bring a sense of belonging and loyalty. By encouraging customers to share their experiences and participate in brand activities, you can create a community of brand advocates (the dream).
When brands collaborate to create digital content, it can offer their target audience a unique and valuable experience. Co-creating content helps your brand expand its reach and strengthens your credibility by associating with reputable brands. It allows you to showcase your expertise, share resources, and create content that is truly valuable and relevant to your audience.
This collaborative approach allows brands to tap into new markets, gain insights, and ultimately achieve their marketing goals.
Personalization and customized content experiences
Personalization is the big trend on everyone’s mind lately. It’s quickly becoming tablestakes in any marketing strategy.
Content is the bedrock of a personalized marketing strategy. By tailoring content to match the preferences and interests of your audience, your brand can create a more meaningful and relevant brand experience.
Personalization can take many forms, from targeted email campaigns to personalized product recommendations. Leveraging tools like Foleon can transform content into an interactive experience, enabling real-time data collection on user engagement and preferences through interactive elements.
Customized content experiences not only increase brand engagement but also strengthen brand loyalty. When customers feel that a brand understands and caters to their unique needs, they are more likely to become loyal advocates for the brand.
Using a platform like Foleon, you can craft engaging and personalized content, enhance user satisfaction, drive conversions, and effectively meet your marketing objectives.
Conclusion
As we’ve shown, branded content marketing is a powerful tool that can enhance your brand's visibility and engagement. When done right, any of the strategies outlined above can create authentic connections with your audience.
Whatever strategy you use, be sure to measure success, stay agile, and embrace trends. Stay innovative, stay connected, and watch your branded content strategy soar.
