Brand content is more than just a bunch of blogs and a nice Facebook page. Getting an online presence is all about content – and content that really speaks to its audience, strikes a chord and starts a recurring brand theme by way of online posting, sharing and interacting.
If that definition was too heavy for you, we’ll cut right to the chase and tell you what these brands are doing right, and how you can do it too!
1. Forbes
Not only has Forbes managed to get into the thick of things as far as business and entrepreneurship is concerned, but it has also managed to cover a range of topics that describe entrepreneurship as a lifestyle rather than a chosen career path. Making this website interactive is its host of contributors who add their views on the various levels and planes of entrepreneurship through their articles.
The brand content strategy at play is one that comes to the fore with a dissection of trends in relation with independent niches and industries – a definite plus that attracts eclectic audiences.
With a focus on creating headline based campaigns around trends, seasons and people, the content here gives one much to mull over in terms of business savvy thinking!
2. Amazon
One look at its cool website, and you are ready to start clicking on the “buy now” button. Amazon does not merely come through as an a E Commerce website, but also as a website that features brand content like buying guides and well described articles.
It brings on a world of blogs and helps enhance readership through its various publishing tools. With Amazon, you actually get a feel of what shopping online ought to look like: maximum imagery, catchy headlines, cool descriptions that lure you into that buying spree, and finally – a comfortable white look that lets your imagination really take off!
And of course, it helps that Amazon was one of the first in the field of E Commerce! The combination of images and “to the point” content that accompanies the same makes the content here effective and efficient!
3. Neil Patel’s Quick Sprout
Founded by online operations whiz kid, Neil Patel, this blog is his theme song. Not only does it regularly feature some really cool tips and tricks to boost your business, it also gives you a comprehensive way to go about creating and structuring a brand content strategy and sticking to it. The tone of the content posted on this blog is interactive, fun and loaded with knowledge without seeming over the top!
What works for Quick Sprout is its proactive threads which get translated to social media posts and emailers in a smooth, structured and well planned out way; showing us all the importance of that editorial calendar!
4. Lauren Conrad Fashion
Lauren Conrad became a household name in USA thanks to The Hills, a reality show based in LA. The other characters soon went adrift with their various antics, yet Conrad was one name that stuck. She broke out of that typical reality star bubble to become a leading name as far as editoral commerce goes.
With her fashion products and frequent play with make up and other products, she has emerged as a forerunner in pitching the cute-girl-meets-glam-doll concept in an everyday way. She has carved an identity for herself and has created a niche out of a specific lifestyle that’s not a girly hot pink – rather a more feminine soft pink!
Helping girls all over the world grow up into ladies – that’s what her brand content and blogs do! With content that is more interactive than instructional, the posts really do strike a chord!
5. Shutteryfly
Clean good looks that help your imagination take flight – that’s how the design of Shutterfly’s content works. This is a website where you can order prints of photos online and browse endlessly for cool DIY ways to do up your scrapbook, put together a photo album and so much more including cards, letters and other gifts!
With minimal descriptions that avoid the long winding and often tedious path of verbose prose, the content on this website sets it apart because it effectively gives a call for action with each line, in each segment – a brand content strategy that always wins! Which is why people flock to it. The brand content experience leaves you satisfied and the DIY function promised by the website is met! The content here is one that puts DIY theories to the test and helps you find tools from within the website to make your DIY experience an unforgettable one!
Getting your brand content right
Good content becomes great content when it is tailor-made to fit relevant platforms for a wholesome campaign and presence. The brands above have managed to find this balance and create a model based on maximum reach and visibility! These brands have not just put a set of good words together – but they have worked it “backwards” to understand the platform first and then create the brand content accordingly.
One other very important factor that needs to be noticed is that their brand content is always in sync with their brand vision and mission making it relevant for the final brand positioning. And this is very very important. If consumers interact with inconsistent brand content across various platforms, probability is high that it will damage the authenticity of brand voice, brand promise and brand relevancy
So next time you think great content is just about poetic sounding language and proper grammar – think again!