Branded Content: What It Is & How To Create It

Branded content is a marketing strategy where a company creates content that subtly promotes its brand or products, while offering value and engagement to its audience. Unlike traditional advertising, which directly pushes products or services, branded content focuses on storytelling, entertainment, or education to build a deeper connection with consumers.

The goal is to engage the audience in a way that aligns with their interests and values, building trust and brand loyalty. Whether through blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media, branded content allows brands to create more meaningful interactions with their audience, increasing awareness and driving long-term success. In this guide, we will explore how to create compelling branded content that resonates with your target audience.

Branded Content Definition

Branded content is a marketing approach in which a company produces content that subtly promotes its brand or products while offering value and engaging the audience. This strategy often involves collaborations with influencers or media outlets, focusing on delivering informative or entertaining material rather than direct sales messages.

Branded content can take many forms, including blog posts, videos, podcasts, and social media updates, to increase brand awareness and foster trust by providing content that resonates with the audience’s interests.

How to Create Branded Content

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create branded content that fosters connections with your audience and strengthens your brand identity:

1. Define What Your Brand Represents

Before creating content, it is crucial to clearly define your brand’s core values, message, and tone. This foundation will guide the themes and messages you convey through your content. If you’re unclear about what your brand stands for, it’s time to reassess your brand’s identity. To help, ask yourself questions like:

What makes your brand unique?
What problems can your brand solve?
What do you want people to associate with your brand?
What tone should your content carry?
How do you want your content to resonate emotionally with your audience?
What action do you want your audience to take after engaging with your content?

By clearly defining your brand’s voice and values upfront, you set yourself up for success in achieving your brand goals.

2. Create Content that Connects with Your Audience

Great branded content is customer-focused, authentic, and emotionally engaging. Instead of pushing products, branded content invites a conversation with your audience, saying, “I care about you, let’s connect.” This approach builds trust and rapport. For example, a pet food brand that aligns with shelter adoptions and donates to rescue organizations communicates authenticity through actions, not just words. If this brand were to partner with an organization that conflicts with its values, like a puppy mill, it could damage the brand’s reputation.

The key takeaway: Your branded content should be both authentic and emotionally resonant to build lasting trust with your audience.

3. Tell a Compelling Story

Storytelling is a powerful tool in branded content. A good story is memorable, emotionally engaging, and shareable. Stories provide valuable lessons and create emotional connections. To master brand storytelling, ensure your content has:

Relatable characters
A compelling introduction
Emotional events
Conflict and resolution
A conclusion that leaves the audience feeling inspired or enlightened

For example, HP’s Generation Impact series introduced Jay Jay Patton, who founded Unlock Academy to help youth learn to code. Her story became one that the audience could root for, inspiring others to take action.

4. Partner with the Right People

Collaborations expand your reach and provide new opportunities for brand exposure. Whether partnering with influencers or publishers, it’s important to choose collaborators who align with your brand’s values and connect with your target audience. When working with influencers, look for:

A substantial and engaged following
An audience that matches your target demographic
Shared values with your brand
High-quality, authentic content

Check out potential partners’ past work to ensure they align with your brand’s message. Tools like Influencer Analytics can help you identify suitable influencers by narrowing down searches based on criteria like location, follower count, and interests.

5. Avoid Common Mistakes

To make your branded content effective, steer clear of these common pitfalls:

Don’t make your product the primary focus
Avoid stories that don’t consider the audience’s needs or interests
Stay away from preachy or controversial narratives
Focus on building brand conversations, not just promoting a product
Don’t copy other brands’ strategies
Don’t try to latch onto outdated trends
Avoid niche or overly technical content that won’t appeal to a broader audience
Show, don’t just tell illustrate your message through actions
Understand that branded content takes time to yield results; it’s an investment for the future, not an instant revenue boost

Branded content is about creating an ongoing connection with your audience. It’s a long-term strategy that builds brand visibility and trust, ultimately leading to deeper customer relationships and brand loyalty.

How to Create Engaging Branded Content

Creating engaging branded content involves more than just promoting a product or service; it’s about connecting with your audience on an emotional level, offering value, and building trust. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create branded content that resonates with your audience:

1. Understand Your Audience

Before creating any content, it’s crucial to understand your audience’s needs, desires, and pain points. The more you know about your target demographic, the better you can tailor your content to resonate with them. Develop customer personas to gain a clear understanding of your audience’s interests, age, values, and behaviors. This insight will guide the tone, format, and messaging of your content.

2. Define Your Brand’s Voice and Message

Your brand’s voice is how you communicate with your audience. It reflects your brand’s personality and should be consistent across all content. Whether your brand is fun, authoritative, compassionate, or professional, ensure that your voice aligns with your audience’s expectations. Also, define what message you want to convey—what does your brand stand for, and what do you want people to remember about your brand?

3. Tell a Story

People are naturally drawn to stories, and branded content that tells a compelling story is more likely to engage the audience. Craft a narrative that not only highlights your brand but also speaks to the emotional needs of your audience. A good story should have relatable characters, a problem to solve, and a satisfying resolution.

For example, share a story about how your product or service has positively impacted a customer’s life or how your company supports a cause that matters to your target audience.

4. Provide Value to Your Audience

Engaging content is not just about selling; it’s about providing value. Your content should educate, entertain, or inspire. Think about what your audience is looking for whether it’s practical tips, thought-provoking insights, or just some lighthearted entertainment.

Offer resources, and how-tos, or solutions to common problems your audience faces. By offering something useful or enjoyable, your audience will view your brand as a valuable resource, not just a seller.

5. Incorporate Visuals and Interactive Elements

Humans are visual creatures, and branded content that includes appealing visuals is more likely to grab attention. Use high-quality images, videos, infographics, or interactive elements like polls, quizzes, or challenges to engage your audience. Visual storytelling can help convey your message in a more impactful and memorable way.

6. Collaborate with Influencers and Partners

Partnering with influencers or other brands that share similar values can expand your reach and boost your content’s credibility. Influencers can authentically promote your brand to their audience, giving your content more exposure and trustworthiness. Choose influencers whose values align with your brand and who engage with your target demographic.

Good Branded Content Examples

Dove

Overview: Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches” campaign is a perfect example of brand content that speaks to its audience emotionally and aligns with the brand’s values of self-esteem and natural beauty. Why it works: The campaign featured a forensic artist sketching women based on their own descriptions and then on descriptions given by others.

The contrast between how women see themselves versus how others see them resonated deeply, sparking conversations about beauty standards and self-image. Dove successfully connected its brand to empowering women while offering relatable, human-centred content. Impact: This campaign garnered millions of views and shares, further cementing Dove’s commitment to real beauty and women’s self-confidence.

Apple – “Shot on iPhone”

Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign features photos and videos taken by everyday users with their iPhones, showcasing the device’s camera capabilities. Why it works: By using real user-generated content, Apple effectively demonstrated the quality of the iPhone’s camera in a relatable and authentic way.

It also tapped into the creativity of its users, showing how they use Apple products in real-life situations. Impact: The campaign strengthened Apple’s brand identity as a premium product that empowers creativity while also showcasing its users as part of the brand’s community.

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Branded Content FAQs

Why is branded content important for a brand?

Branded content helps establish a deeper, emotional connection with the audience by resonating with their interests and values. It builds trust and brand loyalty over time, positioning your brand as more than just a product or service, but a company with values that align with your audience

How can I create effective branded content?

To create effective branded content, start by understanding your audience’s needs, interests, and pain points. Develop a story or message that aligns with your brand values and resonates with your target demographic.