Have you ever wondered what makes some brands more remembered and admired than others? Or what makes them connect with their audience in an authentic and emotional way? If so, know that the answer is very simple: they invest in branded content.
What is branded content?
Also known as branded contentis a marketing strategy which aims to create and distribute relevant, interesting and useful content for the target audience, without focusing on the direct sale of products or services. The aim is to generate value, trust and engagement, strengthening the brand's image and reputation.
The concept of branded content is not new and its origins are often attributed to various companies. However, it emerged in the 1930s, when Procter & Gamble sponsored radio programs aimed at housewives, with the aim of creating emotional connections with this target audience.
Since then, branded content has evolved and adapted to new media and platforms, such as magazines, television, cinema, the internet and social networks, among others. The important thing is that the content is relevant, original and aligned with the brand's personality and consumer expectations.
Why invest in branded content?
Investing in branded content brings several benefits for businesses, such as:
- It increases the brand's visibility and reputation: by producing quality and valuable content, the brand becomes better known and respected by the public and the market. What's more, this content can be shared on social networks, which increases the brand's audience and exposure on the web. internet.
- Create a lasting relationship with consumers: by offering content that generates value and emotion for consumers, the brand creates a deeper connection and builds customer loyalty.
- It generates authority and credibility: by demonstrating knowledge and expertise about its segment, the brand positions itself as a reference and a reliable source of information.
- It differentiates the brand from the competition: by creating unique and original content, the brand stands out from the competition and shows its differentials.
- Increases sales and profit: by creating content that educates, informs and entertains the public, the brand generates more interest and desire for its products or services, positively influencing the purchasing decision.
Successful brand content
In addition to the Protect&Gamble case we mentioned earlier, another example of successful branded content is that of Red Bull.
The energy drink company creates a range of content related to the world of extreme sports, such as videos, documentaries, events, magazines, materials for TV and cinema, among others.
Following the logic of branded content, this content doesn't talk directly about the product. But rather about the lifestyle, emotions and experiences it provides. With bold and well-planned strategies, Red Bull has become one of the world's most popular and admired brands in its segment.
Watch the video below, in which professional motorcyclist Robbie Maddison jumps over the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. Guess who sponsored the event?
Please embed video in article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLejkyXbJlc
Netflix is no exception and also invests in branded content to create an emotional connection with its target audience. For the launch of the series Orange Is The New Black, the streaming brand made a sponsored content for The New York TimesShe spoke about the needs and challenges of American women in prison.
Branded content vs. content marketing
In fact, these two terms are often confused, but they are not synonymous.
Content marketing is part of branded content. It consists of creating and distributing relevant content to attract, educate and convert leads into customers.
However, branded content goes further. This is because branded content seeks to create and distribute content that tells stories, generates emotions and creates connections with the public.
In a nutshell, we can say that content marketing focuses on the sales funnel, while branded content focuses on the customer journey.
But that doesn't mean that these two strategies are opposed or mutually exclusive. On the contrary! In fact, they can complement each other to improve the customer experience and increase sales.
The ideal is to combine both types of content, creating a balance between information and inspiration.
The role of branded content in the customer experience
The customer experience is the set of perceptions, feelings and emotions that the consumer has in relation to the brand, from the first contact to after-sales.
The branded content is one of the elements that influences this experience, as it helps to create an emotional connection between the brand and the customer, generating satisfaction, loyalty and recommendation. Branded content can:
- Attract visitors to your website, blog or social network by generating qualified traffic;
- Convert visitors into leads by creating content that educates and informs your audience about your products or services;
- Create a lasting relationship with your leads, keeping them interested in your brand and preparing them for a purchase;
- Sell more and better with content designed to persuade and influence your leads to make a purchasing decision;
- Delight your customers after their purchase, generating satisfaction and loyalty, increasing the chances of recommendations and new purchases.
How to create branded content efficiently?
Contrary to popular belief, it's not enough to just create random content and hope that it's successful. Absolutely not! You need to follow a few steps to ensure that they are relevant, interesting and useful to your audience. Here are some of them:
Define your target audience and your objectives
The first step to creating effective branded content is to get to know your audience's characteristics, needs, pains, desires and interests. That way, you can create content that suits their profile and expectations.
It's also important to know what results you hope to achieve with the strategy. Do you want to increase your recognition? Or your credibility in the market? Or perhaps the engagement of your followers? Or sales?
Choose your channels
Once you've defined your target audience and your strategy objectives, it's time to choose the platforms where you're going to distribute your branded content. You can publish your content on websites, blogs, social networks, etc. However, you should always take into account the behavior and preferences of your audience.
Create relevant content
Not least because this is a basic principle of branded content.
So create content that is useful, interesting and valuable to your audience, that solves their problems, answers their questions, teaches them something new or entertains them.
But remember that your content must also be original and creative, showing your brand's personality.
Make strategic partnerships
You can also partner with other brands, influencers or media outlets that have an affinity with your target audience and your values.
This can broaden your reach, increase your credibility and generate more value for your audience.
Measure the results
Finally, track and analyze the data and metrics of your branded content, such as traffic, clicks, shares, comments, likes, conversions, and more. This can help you assess whether your objectives are being achieved and identify points for improvement.
Doing branded content on your own or with a marketing and advertising agency?
As we've seen in this article, branded content is an important strategy for companies that want to stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape, as it helps to create an emotional connection with consumers, turning them into loyal customers and brand advocates.
But can you do it all by yourself?
The truth is that creating effective branded content is no easy task. It requires technical knowledge, creativity, planning and execution. That's why it's often best to leave this mission in the hands of someone who really understands the subject.
One professional agency can offer several benefits for your brand, such as:
- Saving time and money: a marketing and advertising agency has a qualified and experienced team that can do all the work for you, from research to producing branded content, saving you time and money.
- Quality and originality: a marketing company has a creative and innovative eye that can create original and quality content for your brand, without falling into cliché or plagiarism.
- Strategy and results: a professional agency has a strategic and analytical vision that can define the best objectives, channels and tools for your branded content, guaranteeing the best results for your brand.
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We are a team of marketing and advertising professionals who are passionate about what we do and we will transform your business through communication. Talk to our experts and have access to the best marketing strategies on the market to strengthen your brand and delight your customers!
