♔ THE REAL VALUE OF BRANDED CONTENT

With so many different marketing, advertising and PR channels out there, it’s becoming harder and harder to be heard above the din.  The numbers change from source to source, but we know the average person is bombarded with thousands of marketing messages every single day.  The problem is that many messages can be blocked, through tools like digital video recorders, filters, or by simply clicking the X on an unwanted popup ad.  It makes you wonder why advertisers don’t develop content people actually want? 

The good news is that, despite ignoring corporate monologues, consumers are still hungry for relevant and contextual information. They seek knowledge and increasingly don't want to pay for it.   Just think of the last time you wanted to know how to do something, like give your dog a flea bath or get red wine out of carpet. You probably Googled "how to X."  Among the results were surely articles written by a company's representative. Maybe an article on "How to Give Your Dog a Flea Bath" was written by the marketing person at a flea and tick bath product company. Or maybe a carpet company rep wrote the one on the wine stain. The point is: these companies are providing valuable information to consumers and they're not charging for it. They're not asking visitors to register their email addresses or other transaction to get the information. So what are they getting out of it?

Trust.  By becoming a ‘go-to’ resource on a given subject, a brand can secure the trust of consumers, which makes the likelihood they will become customers ten times more likely. Think about your own buying practices. Do you buy brands because they are a (perceived) superior product? Of course. But what is also likely is that consumers have a level of trust with these brands that competitors don't - and finding ‘under-the-radar’ ways to permeate the consumer mindset and creating an emotional connection (and somatic markers) is imperative.

The reality is that many companies are still slow to join the content bandwagon, so chances are, you can still beat your competitors to it.  By providing all the useful information you can on your industry, you stand out as an expert, and people like companies that know what they're doing and talking about.

The Value of Branded Content  
Your content, in its many forms, is what will connect your brand to consumers in today's crowded marketing environment. By providing useful content, you can successfully extend value while connecting your brand to your prospects and customers. 


Our suggestion is to publish topical, relevant and professional content on a regular basis. Content that introduces and/or reinforces brand attributes, adds supplementary branded content, and also amplifies your brand while aligning it with relevant trending ‘topics’ (of interest to your sector).  This will have a positive affect, both on your SEO and PR activities.


Content marketing (in this case using articles) has proven to be one of the most cost-effective ways to establish your brand as a thought leader and expert in your industry.  The resulting amplification leads to increased sales and dove-tails into all other activities by intelligently integrating with digital properties (i.e. Blog/RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other relevant social properties.)  The best part is that all content can be measured on a case-by-case basis and can be optimized moving forwards, therefore extremely cost-effective.

Need some help putting a framework in place or developing branded content?  We can help.  Contact info@goodbuzz.ca for more information.