Branded content is an instrument of marketing communication through which content is published on the web at a relevant and strategic point by a company and subtly pointed out to products and services. The added value of the content comes first. Branded content should not have an advertising character, but should arouse interest in the user, whose attention is skillfully directed in the course of a content funnel. This approach corresponds to content marketing.
Branded content marketing means packaging the brand message in needs-oriented content and placing it at the relevant touchpoints of the target group. The company that publishes the content uses the content and trends to subtly and unobtrusively draw attention to the brand and what it offers. However, as soon as the content is too dominated by the brand in terms of content and visual appearance, it appears to the target group as too commercial and is therefore quickly perceived as advertising.
Therefore, with branded content, the added value for the target group should always be placed in the foreground, so that branded content marketing can work effectively and sustainably.
Also Read : Digital Branding: How Companies And Their Brands Become An Authority On The Web
Branded Content Goals And Function
Branded content aims on the one hand to strengthen brand awareness among the target group, serves to build the image, and is at the same time an instrument of inbound marketing.
- Brand Awareness: A brand gains attention through needs-oriented content that offers the target group an informative or entertaining added value. The target group remembers the added value and returns to the source, the brand, for future questions. The more the target group deals with the branded content, the stronger their bond with the brand develops.
- Image Building: A brand not only wins the attention of the target group through needs-oriented content but also consciously stages itself through the branded content. Depending on which topics are published in which form, the recipient has a certain image of the brand – be it the image of a solution provider who provides answers to everyday questions, or the image of a thought leader who communicates innovative and visionary ideas.
- Inbound Marketing: Branded Content Marketing serves a company’s economic goals. It is used to attract interested parties to the company’s commercial offer via the target group-specific, content-related added value. This is achieved through a subtle and strategic call to action, which is placed close to the content. These can be contact forms in addition to the text or information on downloading additional content.
The aim is to inspire and motivate the user to get in touch with the company or to make a purchase decision. From an economic point of view, branded content primarily serves to acquire leads and a chain of conversions that aim to conclude a purchase.
Branded content marketing pursues the development of a brand image by building a value system around a brand through added value in terms of content. In the name of the brand, content is communicated for which the brand wants to stand and which serves the interests of the target group.
The brand promise is directly associated with added value, which strengthens the effect of the brand essence and creates a sociological space for the target group on the Internet. The aim is to strengthen customer loyalty to the brand through the relevance of the content, and to win new customers who are convinced of the product due to the content or are at least interested in it.
Branded Content Marketing Seeding
Seeding branded content is a key lever for placing added value where the target group is and, if necessary, looking for answers. The content, format, and publication channel must form a unit that supports the brand message and corresponds to the media behavior of the target group.
To increase the reach and create multiplication effects, content is often published in cooperation with influencers; these can be thought leaders, entertainers, or journalists. At the same time, suitable publication channels are researched and contacted to place the branded content on target group-relevant platforms.
However, the content must not appear too commercial, as it is then neither recorded nor published by the media.is still perceived by the target group as interesting or credible.