Three Things Every CMO Should Know About Brand Content

It is no easy task for brands to publish content however Consumers are discerning and engage only when content is relevant to their experienceamp160 And for a brand it is not just about getting consumers to engage itamp8217s also about relaying a message to them tooAs such content marketing presents a dual challenge for brands How to engage consumers like a publisher while still delivering impact like an advertiser This sets a high bar for brands CMOs that pursue content marketing should consider three factors that can help them deliver against these twin goalsContent QualityStudies show that consumers genuinely like to engage with quality brand contentamp160 Brands should feed this interest by creating more content that is compelling engaging and relevant to consumersamp160 This could be a thoughtful perspective a howto article an entertaining video or eyecatching infographic rather than something overtly promotional for exampleIt is important to note that while consumers are open to brand content it does not mean that brands have license to publish on any subject they would like In fact consumers still hold brands to a high bar and expect that they speak about a topic with an authentic voice when they doSo is brand content of the same quality as that from publishers One way to discern this is to compare how long brand content holds consumer attention in comparison to content from publishers Perhaps surprisingly to some studies suggest that based on this metric content quality is comparable Mobile users spend a similar amount of time with long form branded content as they do with publisher content more than two minutes per articleContent AffinityStudies suggest that the click rate for brand content averages 031 in the US hardly an impressive benchmark But CMOs can dramatically improve engagement rates with consumers if their brand content is more relevant to consumersamp8217 experiencesThere are many ways marketers can do this One way is to place content within contextual ad environments or align it with consumer interestsamp160 Another way is to personalize content and offers based on consumer behavior According to a Forrester Research report many marketers are already doing this by tapping consumer data loyalty purchase demographic or other source to personalize experiencesAdditionally brands can boost engagement by creating dedicated channels for enthusiasts similar to publisher sites When this happens on Flipboard for example we see much higher engagement rates for brand content on par with publishers In certain categories such as automotive and financial services we see engagement rates for branded content that exceed those for publishersContent EnvironmentConsumers want to engage with quality content from a brand especially if it is relevant to their experienceamp160The question for CMOs is What is the best environment for consumers to engage with itCMOs should recognize that not all content environments are the sameamp160 On many platforms brand content is separated from publisher content based on where it is placed on the page and how it is served with business rules often dictated by campaign requirements rather than whatamp8217s in the best interest of the consumerAlternatively brands should seek environments that allow consumers an equal opportunity to engage with relevant content regardless of its source whether from a publisher or a brandamp160 This can mean similar placements and rotation as publisher content It can also mean consistent native formats with similar visual elements though brand content should still be clearly marked as promoted of courseToday content marketing is a top priority for brands and agencies alike By addressing these considerations brands can engage consumers like publishers while still driving impact like advertisersClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggersamp160

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Three Things Every CMO Should Know About Brand Content

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David Wigder

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