Is your branded content any good?
We all need to think like publishers.
If you compare your latest article published on your website with an article in any magazine you have to hand, how do the production values compare?
If you think about the time and effort that has gone into producing that magazine and compare that to the time and effort that has gone into the articles on your website, I would imagine in a lot of cases, it might not come as a surprise that often the online content lacks certain qualities.
Benchmarking will help you judge the quality of your content
I seem to be saying this phase a lot at the moment;
“Nearly every brand is producing content so yours has to be really good.”
This article in Advertising Age picks up on the last word of that sentence and looks at how to measure whether your branded content is in fact any good. The article suggests the top three things to look at when benchmarking your content:
- Identify the right metrics.
- Benchmark against topic, not industry.
- Create what resonates.
Content marketing is far from easy
We know first hand that producing content is tough. Choosing the right topic, agreeing on the right angle for your organisation, sourcing an interesting image, putting yourself in the position of the target readership to check it is going to engage them, working out the best layout for your website, picking out the best bits for sharing on social media…the list of steps goes on and on.
However, the rewards are there for the brands that do invest this time and effort. Really great branded content can go a long way to building relationships, demonstrating your expertise and generating leads.
These are examples that we regularly use to demonstrate branded content done well:
Want to step up your content marketing efforts?
We work with clients within the financial services sector to help them produce content that engages their target markets and helps them achieve their business goals. Get in touch if you want to discuss how we could help.
Read the Advertising Age article in full here
