This is a guest post from Ardelia Lee of Ardelia Lee Strategies.
You want your brand and business to stand out online. That’s easy said than done, considering there are approximately 764,098 (give or take 5) online businesses now. The good news is that all is not lost.
Despite the large numbers of online businesses, you can still help yours rise to the stop through branded content.
What is branded content? It’s content that you create on behalf of your brand that’s obviously associated with your brand. There are 6 main types of branded content, and I’ve further divided them into foundational content and additional content.
If you’re interested in creating a healthy branded content mix for your business, this is the place to start – identify your content formats and how to use them.
Foundational Content
The three types of content in this section form the foundational content for most people’s content strategies. Generally, if you want to establish a strong online presence, it’s wise to choose a main content format that’s either a blog, video, or podcast.
These types of content allow for longer and more in-depth content, so your audience gets more value from them.
Blog Posts
Blog posts have long been the foundation of many business’s online content strategies, and for many businesses, they still are. But how do you use them?
Blog posts are a great place for you to offer in-depth tips and strategies, especially if you’re going for a walkthrough or how-to post. They’re also a great place for you to build connections with your audience. Put some nuances into your blog posts and really take some time to develop your own writing voice.
The voice you use in your blog posts is what will really set your blog apart from other online businesses, and it’s what your audience will identify you by. This is the place to let your brand shine, so be sure to create a voice that’s in line with your brand.
Blog posts make great content for established, busy business owners because all it takes to run a blog is writing and publishing your posts.
Videos
Video content is another type of foundational content for some content strategies. Even if you’re not using video regularly, you can still work it into your content strategy.
This is a great place to start showing your audience more about you and your brand. Try creating an about video or repurpose your blog post and create a video from it.
Video content that shows your awesome self is ideal for topics that don’t require a lot of in-depth explanation and that don’t get too technical. If you’re going to cover a topic like “4 Things to Do to Start Your Online Businessâ€, that’s a great piece for video content.
The key with video content in which you talk to the camera is to keep is around 5 minutes or less. Shorter videos tend to have better watch time and statistics than those that are longer.
If you’re doing more technical walkthroughs, use a screensharing video to show your audience exactly how to do something technical. These are great if you want to connect with your audience while also showing them just how detailed your knowledge is.
Podcasts
The final format for foundational content is podcasts. If you’re not into writing but you don’t want to be in front of the camera, consider starting a podcast. Podcasting is like a hybrid between video content and blog posts.
Podcast episodes are good for building a more authentic connection with your audience than either blog posts or pre-recorded video allow. If you’re an avid podcast listener, you know that there’s generally no script for podcasts, and that hosts are likely to go off on tangents when they feel inspired.
Those tangents serve to offer greater value and give you a good glimpse into the host’s personality. Podcasts are good for discussing topics or for offering strategies that aren’t overly technical. If you’re looking for a more conversational, relaxed way of connecting with your audience, podcasting may be for you.
Most podcast episodes are between 30 and 60 minutes long, though there’s really no hard-and-fast rule that dictates podcast episode length. When you plan your podcast episodes, think about your audience and what length they would find most helpful.
Additional Content
If you’re looking to vary your content strategy and the content you share online, you can’t go wrong with one (or more) of these additional content formats. This content serves to supplement and enhance your foundational content format.
Infographics
Infographics are fun to look at and are handy for displaying a lot of information in an easy-to-digest way. These aren’t as popular as some of the other content formats on this list, so you’ll really stand out if you can create slick infographics.
Before you start creating your infographics, think about what information you want to present. Most infographics do well with data – hard numbers and facts that you can put together. You may need to research if you’re interested in creating infographics.
What will these do for your brand? Having serious, spot-on infographics will make your brand a go-to, trusted resource for your audience. Backing up your data with research and reliable sources shows your audience that you’re trustworthy and that you aren’t afraid to put in the time to create something that helps them.
Case Studies
Case studies are a great way to showcase how awesome your products or services are while also providing some value for your audience. When you create a case study, you focus on one client and show what you did for them. These usually include hard numbers, so you’d show how you took your client from booking 2 clients per month to booking 6 clients per month.
You’d give a basic walkthrough of what your client went through and what you did for your client (without revealing all of your trade secrets). Case studies are good to use on your work with me or services page. They’re also a good thing to use in your sales funnel.
A case study or two mixed in with your offer or pitch is a good way to show prospective clients that you know your stuff and you can get results.
Workshops
Workshops are similar to video with one exception: They’re generally live. Workshops are live streams that help your audience solve one specific problem. If you’re an interior designer, you could have a workshop that walks people through how to prep for working with an interior designer. You’d have a worksheet or two ready and walk your audience through all of the steps they need to go through.
Workshops can work in conjunction with your foundational content formats because they can expand on what you mention. You can also use your foundational content to promote your workshops.
Live interactions like this really help you connect with your audience more than podcasts or pre-recorded video. During a workshop, your audience gets to see you live and answering questions on-the-fly. It’s a true test of whether or not you know your stuff. Anyone can Google something and write a blog post about it, but only those who truly know what they’re talking about can give an in-depth answer off the top of their head.
Branded Content and Your Business
Branded content is a great way to level up your online business presence. Even if you’re an old pro, investing time in creating amazing, branded content is a great way to spread the word about your services and products.
When you begin branching out into branded content, remember to keep your audience’s goals in mind. If you create amazing content that your audience doesn’t find useful, you’re sunk. Keep them and your business goals front and center as you create your content.
Ardelia Lee is a content strategist and copywriter who helps small business owners create intentional, goal-oriented content that supports long-term business growth. When she’s not scheming with her clients, you can find her curled up with an obnoxiously long novel and a warm cup of coffee. Ready to level-up your content? Book a free content audit with her.
