Updated October 29, 2024
Getting your brand noticed by consumers is no easy feat.
Why is that?
Because in such a saturated market, it’s harder to capture the attention of your audience and even harder to get them to stick around long enough to find out what you do and why they should buy from you.
So what can you do to make your brand stand out?
Creating branded content is a good place to start.
With the right skills and knowledge, you can create powerful branded content that shows consumers who you are, what you do, and why they should buy from you instead of one of your competitors.
Sounds good, right? Keep reading to find out how you can make this a reality.
What is branded content?
Before we get into the thick of it, let’s clarify what we mean by “branded content.”
Simply put, branded content is any type of content that shows your audience what you stand for as a brand. It allows you to reflect your brand values to evoke an emotional response from your audience.
Take Dove as an example.
The company provides personal care products, but what does the brand stand for?
Head to its homepage, and you’ll find out for yourself.
As soon as the page loads, you’re greeted with a message from Dove. The company describes itself as “the home of real beauty.”
Its site also features a social media campaign in a bid to prevent digital editing on photos.
Dove’s brand aims to redefine beauty standards, and this is immediately evident from its website. Its branded content shows consumers what the company sells and what its values are.
But branded content doesn’t stop with content writing. It can be videos, social media posts, eBooks, and anything else that allows you to leave an impression on your audience.
Now that we’ve cleared that up let’s look at the three ways you can create powerful branded content.
1. Identify your core brand values
Before you start creating branded content, you need to know what your core brand values are.
Without this information, your content will lack the direction it needs to create a compelling story for your audience.
So how can you identify your core brand values?
Unfortunately, we can’t answer this question for you. It’s up to you to figure out what these are for your business. But here are a few questions you can ask yourself to get things moving:
- What sets your business apart from your competitors? Having the same core values as your competitors won’t help you stand out from the crowd.
- What does your team think your brand values should be? Get input from people around you and take their opinions into account. They might have a different perspective you haven’t considered.
- What do the brands you admire do? If you’re struggling to identify your core values, look at some brands you admire and see what they’re doing. Don’t copy them, but use them as inspiration.
2. Create a brand content strategy
As with anything in life, a little organization goes a long way. Creating a brand content strategy is a great way to get your content organized.
With a solid brand content strategy in place, you can structure the type of content you want to create and align everything with your brand values.
It also allows you to focus on what you want your brand voice to be and how you plan to get that across to your audience.
This will help you produce a compelling story, which goes a long way when trying to grab the audience’s attention.
So, how do you create a brand content strategy?
There’s no set formula for creating the perfect brand content strategy.
But there are some best practices you can follow to give your strategy the best chance for success.
Let’s take a look at what these are:
- Identify your target audience: To create a successful content strategy, you need to know who you’re trying to target. Make sure you know who you’re targeting and why.
- Choose the types of content you want to create: Be clear about what types of content you want to create and why.
- Where will you publish content?: Choosing the right platforms to publish and promote your content is important. Choose the wrong platforms, and you might not reach your target audience. Spend some time figuring out exactly when your content will go live and where it’ll be promoted.
- How will you manage content creation and publication?: Your strategy should outline your timeline and who’s responsible for what areas of content production.
- What are your goals?: Without an end goal, how will you know if your strategy has been successful? Make sure you’re clear on what your goals are, how you’re going to measure them, and how you’ll keep on top of progress when content production goes live. We’d recommend creating SMART goals.
3. Think about the face of your brand
Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer for a second.
Let’s say you’re looking for a new pair of sneakers. You’ve narrowed it down to two brands, one of which has been endorsed by an influencer you admire on social media.
Which brand are you more likely to buy from?
We know what we’d choose.
Having an inspirational brand ambassador shows customers that your brand is trustworthy and your product or service is high-quality.
In fact, 61% of consumers are likely to trust recommendations from an influencer on social platforms.
Granted, it’s not for everyone, but it can be a great way to solidify your brand positioning and show consumers what your brand stands for.
Some even use celebrities as the face of their brands, like MasterClass.
The company provides online courses on various topics, all of which are delivered by some of the most well-known celebrities in the world. This includes global superstar Alicia Keys, the incredible Samuel L. Jackson, and even world-renowned magicians Penn and Teller.
By featuring respectable and skilled celebrities, MasterClass has positioned itself as a high-quality online education provider.
So think about who you might want to represent your company as part of your brand strategy. Choosing the right person (or people) can influence the way consumers view your brand.
4. Leverage user-generated content (UGC)
Nothing says authenticity like user-generated content (UGC). When your customers share their experiences with your products or services, it lends credibility to your brand and encourages others to take notice.
You can leverage UGC by:
- Encouraging Customers to Share: Create branded hashtags or run a contest to encourage customers to share their experiences on social media.
- Featuring UGC on Your Channels: Highlight customer photos, UGC videos, or testimonials on your website, social media, and other marketing channels.
- Building Trust: Seeing real people using and endorsing your product reassures prospective customers, especially if they’re on the fence.
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A popular example of UGC is GoPro’s use of customer-submitted action footage. GoPro encourages users to capture their adventures and share them online, creating an endless stream of content that celebrates the thrill and lifestyle GoPro represents.
When done right, UGC adds authenticity to your branded content, helping you build stronger customer relationships.
5. Use data-driven storytelling
People connect with stories, but they also trust facts. Data-driven storytelling combines both, using data to make a compelling case for your brand while resonating emotionally with your audience.
To create data-driven stories:
- Gather Meaningful Data: Use surveys, reports, or industry statistics that relate to your brand and offer insight into the challenges your customers face.
- Turn Data into Visual Content: Create infographics, charts, and diagrams to help visualize the data. Visuals make complex information digestible and more engaging.
- Highlight Customer Pain Points: Show how your product or service addresses real issues backed by data, making your content informative and persuasive.
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For example, Spotify frequently shares data-driven stories around music trends, user preferences, and unique listener insights in their “Wrapped” campaign.
Each December, Spotify users receive a customized roundup of their top songs and genres, creating a personalized experience that keeps them engaged with the brand year-round.
Data-driven storytelling demonstrates your expertise and also helps customers understand how your brand can make a real impact in their lives.
Create powerful branded content today
Reaching your audience and accurately getting your message across is challenging in such a competitive market. But trust us, it’s worth the effort.
To get started, figure out what your brand’s core values are and go from there. A strategy will help you keep your content aligned with these values and attract the attention of the audience you want. If you’re struggling with creating compelling content or need assistance with writing, consider how easy it is to place an essay order in 3 steps. This service can help you refine your messaging and ensure your content stands out professionally.
For more information on creating branded content, check out the dos and don’ts of establishing your brand.
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Written by DesignCrowd on Thursday, February 3, 2022
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.
