Content marketing is one of the most widely used methods from the digital marketing bundle. But the problem is that it’s very often used as a simple advertising solution. This is why the Internet is flooded with promotional content that does nothing but invite the viewers to perform some action.

Companies that use content marketing in such a way fail at building strong brands. Why? Because it doesn’t have weight, merit, value and it doesn’t specifically target the company’s audience.

If you want to embrace the path of branded content marketing and see how to use it in building strong brands, stay with us, as we are going to explore the best practices and take a look at some of the companies that have excelled in content marketing.

How Branded Content can Shape your Brand

The content’s primary role is to bridge the gap between your audience and your brand. This is why one of the commonly used strategies in content marketing is brand humanization. The brands that succeed in doing so will be in a better position to connect with their target audience.

People are more inclined to seek out and listen to the advice of someone who they already trust. This is why influencer marketing and content marketing go hand in hand. This is especially helpful for small businesses and startups that don’t have time to wait, and want to get exposed to larger audiences as soon as possible.

Photo credit: Pexels.com

Whether you want to engage with an influencer or you want to deliver your content on your own and through your already established channels, here are some best practices to consider.

1. Study your audience inside and out

Did you know that before they make a purchase, 81% of online shoppers conduct online research? Additionally, 60% of them use a search engine to look up the products and services they are interested in buying, while 61% want to read reviews and personal experiences before they decide to purchase.

This is not just any random spam with statistics. Without these, i.e. without knowing what your audience does and what it wants, you won’t be able to develop a branded content marketing strategy. If you want to drive sales and retain your customers, you have to improve brand awareness and equity.

To do so, you will have to create content that resonates with your audience, and you won’t be able to do so without knowing how they behave and on which platforms they hang out the most.

2. Regularly organize content audits

One of the most important things when using content for strong company branding is to know your content inventory inside and out. You have to list every piece of content on all the platforms and blogs you have published it. By examining what you have offered, you can assess how well it resonated with the audience and find new ways to improve it.

It all boils down to the question — “How can I improve my content, so that it improves user experience and gets the intended attention?”

3. Work on your content distribution strategy

The worst case scenario is that you invest in content and influencer marketing, and the intended audience either fails to discover it or hear it. That’s what a content distribution strategy is for. After you have learned a thing or two about your potential customers, you can easily identify their favorite social media platforms and channels of communication.

In the end, don’t focus on just one channel. Do your best to expand your reach, as there are too many opportunities online for you to focus on just one.

If you want to leverage content in a strong company branding campaign, you will have to deliver valuable and relatable content to the right people at the right time. If you learn from the examples we have shared with you and follow some of the best practices, you will soon discover that content creation plays an essential role in building strong brands.