Content branding: raising awareness of your brand image
At a time when people are increasingly susceptible to banner blindness - that is, being so used to online ads that you simply don't see them anymore - brands need an innovative strategy to engage consumers and regain their attention.
Content branding campaigns are increasingly becoming the benchmark technique used by today's top marketers to get customers to sit up and take notice.
What is content branding?
Visit "content brandingis a technique for content marketing in which companies don't try to advertise their goods, products or services at all. Instead, branding focuses on establishing an emotional bond between the public and the brand.
It's important. At its core, branding is about capturing what your company stands for - your values, your meaning and your intentions. A content marketing strategy allows companies to express these qualities and encourage the public to associate their own values with the brand.
In many ways, the content branding takes the opposite approach to traditional marketing and advertising. Rather than opting for direct sales, branded content aims to create conversations around the brand itself, as opposed to selling a specific product or service.
The best way to illustrate such a concept is undoubtedly with a few examples.
So let's take a look at some high-profile branded content marketing campaigns, so you can see exactly what we mean by "content branding".
DuoLingo's TiKTok
You probably know DuoLingo as the website and app that helps users learn a new language, but the company has been in the news on TikTok for another reason: its self-proclaimed "unbalanced" mascot.
DuoLingo has amassed over 4.5 million followers on TikTok thanks to its constant stream of content featuring the company's iconic green owl mascot. Although many of the videos don't mention the company's products and services, the account's ability to create funny and trendy content has helped to increase brand awareness on the app, something many brands struggle to do.
The case of Lego content branding: The Lego Movie and its sequels are a good example.
Once again, while Lego movies (and the various Lego TV series for that matter) don't ask consumers to interact with or buy Lego products, they are nonetheless huge endorsements for Lego toys.
Indeed, companies such as Lego use the branded content to highlight their values.
In Lego's case, it's about family fun, good times, laughter and imagination - the building blocks of a compelling campaign for a toy product that's sure to inspire young children to ask their parents for a new Lego toy for their birthday after watching such a great movie.
What is brand content?
Visit brand content is a technique for content marketing which aims to create and distribute relevant content to reinforce brand image, generate traffic and build customer loyalty. Here's how to set up an effective brand content strategy:
- Define your targets: precisely identify your target audience. Who are your potential customers? What are their preferences and needs?
- Analyze the competition: Study your company's competitors. What types of content do they produce? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- Search engine optimization (SEO): Create relevant content using relevant keywords to improve your visibility on search engines.
- Develop an editorial strategy: Establish a clear editorial line. What topics will you cover? What tone will you adopt?
- Create quality content: Produce blog posts, videos, infographics, etc., that meet the needs of your audience.
- Promote your content: Use social networks, newsletters and other channels to distribute your content.
- Measure results: Track conversion rates, ROI and audience engagement.
By setting up a brand content strategyYou can create a positive experience for your prospects and build customer loyalty while strengthening your digital presence.
Developing content branding - what you need to know
More and more brands are recognizing the immense power of branded content to engage a target audience. In fact, according to recent figures, the branded content sector is expected to be worth $402 billion by 2025.
The reason is that branded content works.
A recent Nielsen study reveals that nearly two-thirds of consumers (65 %) rated branded content highly, and more than half found it unique (56 %).
When consumers like a piece of content, they're far more likely to be receptive to its message - far more so than traditional banner ads or display ads.
In fact, studies have shown that branded content is 22 times more engaging than banner ads, and generates greater brand affinity and message recall than pre-roll ads.
The numbers speak for themselves. If you're thinking about developing a branded content strategy for your business, here are a few things to keep in mind as you start coming up with ideas.
Branded content should get people thinking about your brand rather than your product.
This is the key element that differentiates branded content from other forms of marketing. The idea of branded content is to connect with your audience on an emotional level. In other words, your branded content should be about the brand values you share with your audience, not about your product.
Content branding is about adding value for your target audience
Once again, brand marketing is an inverted version of traditional advertising, with the ultimate aim of convincing your target market to buy your product or services immediately.
Branded content turns this traditional method on its head by focusing entirely on bringing added value to customers - giving them something extra for free (knowledge, education, laughter or any other value-added experience), rather than trying to take something away from them (i.e. their money).
Branded content is about creating emotional connections, often through storytelling.
Appealing to people's emotions to engage, connect and convert them is a proven advertising method.
However, unlike traditional advertising, which uses rational arguments to convince people to adopt a certain course of action - such as choosing one product over another - branded content attempts to establish a deeper connection that genuinely arouses emotions.
This is what many brands are doing by integrating storytelling into their content branding.
Techniques for implementing a content branding strategy
Visit content branding is an essential component of the digital marketing which aims to create and distribute quality content to attract, convert and retain prospects. Here are some key elements to consider when implementing a content branding strategy on social media:
Objectives in line with those of the company
Before creating content, define specific objectives in line with your company's overall vision. These objectives can include increasing brand awareness, generating leads, converting prospects into customers, etc.
In-depth knowledge of your audience
Understand the needs, preferences and behaviors of your target audience. Use analytics to gather information about your users, and adapt your content accordingly.
Audit your social media use
Evaluate your existing social network accounts. What content has worked well? Which channels are most relevant to your audience?
Profile and page optimization
Make sure your social media profiles are complete, consistent and reflect your brand image. Use relevant keywords in your descriptions.
Creating a content calendar
Plan your publications around the times when your audience is most active. Vary formats (articles, videos, infographics) to maintain interest.
Attractive, relevant content
Produce quality content that meets the needs of your audience. Use relevant keywords to improve your SEO.
Performance monitoring and adjustments
Use analysis tools such as Google Analytics to measure the effectiveness of your strategy. Adjust your actions according to the results obtained.
Data protection and compliance
Respect the rules of personal data protection when collecting information about your prospects. Inform them about how their data will be used.
In short, content branding on social media is a powerful way to connect with your audience, strengthen your online presence and achieve your marketing objectives. Don't hesitate to customize your approach to suit your industry and your specific needs.
