Why entertaining content is the secret to branding

When most individuals think of the notion of branding, content isn’t typically the first thing which comes to mind. They usually think of logos, colour schemes in addition to taglines. In other words, those elements which are made use of in order to represent a business in their online as well as offline collateral. In this day and age of content marketing, though, content (especially entertaining content) can be a very powerful tool for branding your organisation.

What is branded content?

The term ‘branded content’ refers to a marketing technique which involves creating content, which is linked to a brand. This content permits consumers to make the connection with your brand.

The main characteristics of branded content are the following:

• This type of content is focused on the values of the brand and not on its products or its services.
• Branded content seeks to generate conversation in addition to notoriety around the brand.
• This genre of content generates added value for the user.
• Branded content appeals to emotions and does not use rational arguments regarding why a brand is better as opposed to the competition, but instead looks to connect with the audience on a more intimate level.
• This type of content makes use of storytelling when telling their brand story.
• It can be presented through a number of different formats as well as diffusion channels.
• The branded content may be co-created.

Modern-day consumers desire more than merely information. People who are entrenched in this generation have become accustomed to having easy access to:

• News,
• Ideas,
• Information, in addition to
• Knowledge

These consumers are well versed in the tricks that digital marketers make use of. The people who are consuming content marketing cannot tolerate infuriating marketing. The more advertising lines that they see in a piece of copy, the quicker they are to stop reading it. This means that storytelling is a fabulous idea for any digital marketing campaign to employ.

Why do we say this?

People absolutely love stories. They are thrilled to read about a situation that is similar to something which they’ve experienced. Storytelling can be a very helpful tool for content creators as stories can influence people’s emotions as well as attract those precious likes as well as shares.

What makes a great story?

Terms such as “good” and “bad” don’t say much in terms of describing a story. A particular judgement of a story is dependent on a user’s tastes. However, there are a few techniques  which are not negotiable and employing these make for a fantastic storytelling experience for the reader in addition to the teller.

Good stories can be described as:

• Good stories keep the reader hooked in addition to concerned with what’s coming next.
• Good stories cause curiosity and add to the reader’s bank of knowledge.
• All readers can identify with good stories because these tap into emotions as well as experiences that most people undergo.
• Good stories follow a well-thought-out pattern of organisation which helps with conveying the core message. In addition, this helps readers to absorb it.
• Good stories remain in the reader’s mind.

Branded content is an efficient response to an ever more saturated market. Today, users are swamped with ads in addition to information at all times. They are so saturated that many of them go to solutions such as ad blockers. If this happens, brands are required to look for new ways in order to connect with their audience, affect them in creative ways in addition to conveying the values they represent. Branded content is a great solution to all these needs.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Want to learn more regarding the ins and outs of branding? If you do then our Brand Management Course is a must for you. For more information as well as to register, please follow this link.