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By Pete Fergusson
CEO of Nemorin Creative Film & Video
London, UK
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As more and more brands turn their attentions to branded content, it’s beginning to feel a little less like the Wild West of content marketing. But there are still a few lingering myths determined to prevent people from getting the most out of their content. It’s time to put some of these myths to bed.
1: The more people watch the video, the better
This is something we hear from time to time. “A successful video is a viral video.” “We’ll measure success by the number of views.” I mean, sure. You can measure success by views if you like. But is that really the only, or even the most appropriate KPI for your campaign?
Focus on the quality of the audience. Putting the video in front of a niche audience with huge engagement and conversion rates will be much more successful than something which gains hundreds of thousands of views from an audience that doesn’t register the brand or the messaging.
This video for a parcel tracking company targets a very specific audience, aiming for a niche rather than simply volume.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiCQzdRnBhQ
Audiences will watch videos for as long as they are engaged, so put faith in your own videos.
2: 90 seconds is the optimum duration for videos
Don’t get so hung up on the duration of your video. Each project is different. Some documentary stories warrant a really solid 10 minutes, but other video content only needs to be 10 seconds. Forcing content into a fixed duration just limits it. Listen to what the content is telling you.
RELATED: Case Study: How Car Brand Built Customer Relations Through Native Video
Audiences will watch videos for as long as they are engaged, so put faith in your own videos. 90 seconds? Three minutes? Create what feels natural. If people are seeking it out, they’ll happily stay to watch for much longer than video content they stumble upon.
This social spot from New Zealand Jerky is just a few seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-_gJnUseM&list=PL6g1QEtudiCqP2JtNzjGRSYqIk03DBOz0&index=1
Compare that to a 10-minute documentary from Red Bull.
Much of the best branded content is labelled and proud of it.
3: Audiences don't like branding or product placement
The content should speak for itself. If a video is insightful, entertaining, or otherwise engaging, audiences will forgive a bit of branding or product placement. The main thing to ensure is that the branding is legitimate from a narrative and contextual standpoint.
In fact, much of the best branded content is labelled and proud of it. Just look at Red Bull’s content output. Their films are plastered with logos and branding, but people don’t care because the content is fantastic. If anything, the Red Bull brand is positively associated with good quality, exciting films. There’s a reason their YouTube channel has over 6 million subscribers and a billion views.
RELATED: 5 Examples of Successful Branded Video Content
Make it an organic part of the video and audiences will accept the deal: content focused on emotional hooks that they love, in return for some branding. Audiences are savvy. They get it. So be bold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI
Speak to editorial teams and ask them to get involved with ideas for the content. They know their audiences better than most.
4: Branded content doesn't work editorially
It can, and it does.
Label branded content very clearly in and around the video content to keep audiences aware of the brand involvement. Speak to editorial teams and ask them to get involved with ideas for the content. They know their audiences better than most. Branded content might give them access to budget for original film content they may not have otherwise.
RELATED: Mistakes You Don't Want to Make When You Create Branded Video
Don’t forget: branded content is just content that has been paid for by a brand. There’s absolutely no reason for it to be secondary to editorial content if it’s clearly labeled.
5: Branded videos are only for B2C brands
Anyone can make branded videos. B2C content may get more attention just because of larger audiences and public reach, but the format works just as well for B2B brands if it’s good content that relevant audiences can engage with. A solid piece of content tailored specifically for a niche audience can have just the same effect of audience reach, engagement and conversion as something designed for the general public.
B2B audiences can enjoy all the benefits branded content provides to B2C.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=2YBtspm8j8M
Photo by nomao saeki on Unsplash
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Chad Pollitt
Pete Fergusson
Stine Holmgaard