Branded content is the practice of marketing via the creation of content that is funded or outright produced by an advertiser… (it is) designed to build awareness by associating (the brand) with content that shares its values.

The Goals of Branded Content Instead, it works to generate organic engagement with your audiences and start conversations with key customer groups. At its core, this content helps you improve your brand reputation and create a positive association between your brand and your consumers.

Branded content is a brand's story that increases overall company awareness and establishes an emotional connection with new customers. Unlike native advertising or influencer marketing, it can deliver deeply immersive stories centered around the brand. Its goals are to educate, inform and entertain.

“In marketing, branded content is content produced by an advertiser or content whose creation was funded by an advertiser. In contrast to content marketing and product placement, branded content is designed to build awareness for a brand by associating it with content that shares its values.”

Examples of branded content Short videos about key concepts in their field. Podcasts exploring issues related to the product or service the company sells. Case studies of customers who used a product or service to solve a certain problem. Infographics explaining concepts or processes in the company's field.

Brand and content marketing are two sides of the same coin that work towards a common goal. While brand marketing is a business function to strengthen a brand's market presence, content marketing is used to draw the audience by providing relevant and valuable information through articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos.

One of the key benefits of branded content is its ability to drive increased website traffic. By creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience, you are more likely to attract and retain visitors to your website.

Content Strategy: A content strategy is a way to execute your brand strategy; a tool to communicate who your brand is and what you're about - through content. (See our step-by-step guide to create and document your content strategy if you don't have one yet.)

Branded content can provide better targeting and personalization, helping you to reach the right people with the right message at the right time. By creating content that is relevant and tailored to your target audience, you can more effectively engage with them and build a stronger relationship.

Put simply, branded content adds value to the brand-audience relationship, either by inspiring, informing or influencing. It's about storytelling and relatability. Often, it doesn't even directly sell a product or service, it plays the long game and genuinely puts the customer first.

The concept of branded content dates back to the early era of broadcasting; many early radio and television programs were controlled by their sponsors and branded with their names, including the Colgate Comedy Hour, Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Westinghouse Studio One.

Here are 14 key kinds of content that can help your business turn initial curiosity about your brand into conversions.

• Social media posts.
• Email newsletters.
• Blog posts/articles.
• Product guides.
• Customer success stories.
• User-generated content.
• Quizzes.
• Podcasts.