Arguably, the difference between content marketing and branded content may be difficult to pinpoint, even for the seasoned marketer. In this article, we’ll discuss the differences between branded content and content marketing, along with the best tools and software to use for branded content creation. We will also go over a simple guide on building branded content for your business to stand out from the crowd.
8 Branded Content Tools and Software:
What is Branded Content?
Branded content is any piece of content that captures the story and image behind your business. In the simplest of terms, branding translates what your business values or envisions into a representation that’s distinct from other competitors out in the market.
Today, media and marketing are overwhelmed with advertisements and other marketing content that push the buyer to make a purchase. Branded content addresses this by nurturing trustworthy, loyal relationships rather than mere transactional exchanges between customers and businesses.
Content Marketing vs. Branded Content Marketing: How Do They Differ?
Content marketing focuses on increasing conversions and generating leads, whereas branded content marketing establishes rapport with the target audience and builds brand awareness. A business showcases its expertise in its field through content marketing. It can be in any type of media, such as catchy videos, comprehensive blog posts, or static advertisements. In content marketing, the products or services offered by a business are the highlight, with the goal of attracting customers. On the other hand, branded content marketing is a much more subtle approach. In branded content marketing, content does not overtly advertise any product; rather, it builds a story around the brand’s vision and values. This form of content may engage audiences better. Emotion is a powerful purchase driver, and branded content marketing strategies, even without product focus, can lead to an increase in sales. Content marketing also takes more time and effort to reap results. A content marketing strategy for this month’s campaign may require a surmountable number of blog posts, articles, and static ads to promote the latest line of products available. Meanwhile, branded content can be delivered with just one major campaign. A captivating experience in the form of a series of videos or articles encourages fans to discover more about the business. Content Marketing vs Branded Content: Their Differences
The Best Branded Content Tools and Software to Use in 2023
Branded content is crucial to establishing brand recognition and engagement. Get through the challenges of delivering branded content that is timeless yet relevant, transparent, and authentic to your business with some of the best branded content tools and programs available.
How to Toggle Branded Content on TikTok
Businesses from all industries are flocking to TikTok where the impressionable youth actively engage in online discourse. For a business to remain on top of a customer’s mind, its marketing strategy must be less about selling, and more of evoking an emotional response from the target audience. TikTok’s short-form content is an excellent way for businesses to experiment with publishing branded content that will be remembered by many. Business owners can recruit influencers similar to those they previously worked with and expand their influencer network. GRIN nurtures connections with automated project activation, recruitment, and proactive outreach tools. Finally, GRIN makes branded content marketing a breeze. Businesses and brand ambassadors enjoy marketing tools for easy sharing and management of content across organic and paid channels. Services: influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, PR and communication, branded content Features:
Customizable content rights agreements Extensive list of content management tools Multi-channel promotion and content distribution Detailed reporting and analytics overview All-in-one campaign management and influencer relation management platform
Pricing: Custom quote Key Features: Content Amplification, Search/Discovery, Influencer Lifecycle Management, Influencer Relationship Management, Content Review, Content Library, Campaign Management, Campaign Reporting, Influencer Analysis, Audience Analysis, E-commerce Tools, Product/Gifting Tools, Forms and Compliance, Channels: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube Aspire allows businesses to discover, analyze, and manage influencer relationships in one intuitive platform. Additionally, content creation and organization allow for flexible distribution of branded content. Content licensing, boosted content, and content approval ensure brand ambassadors are promoting content that meets business standards and marketing objectives. Services: influencer marketing, relationship management, content management and creation Features:
All-in-one platform for content management and brand ambassador relations Transparent reporting and analytics of campaign progress and sales growth Influencer whitelisting Customizable content usage rights agreements
Pricing: Custom quote Key Features: Search/Discovery, Influencer Relationship Management, Influencer Marketplace, Team Collaboration Tools, Content Review, Content Library, Campaign Management, Campaign Reporting, E-commerce Tools, Product/Gifting Tools, Forms and Compliance, Payment Processing, Social Listening, Competitor Research, Visual Discovery, Influencer Content Amplification, Channels: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogs If you are looking into publishing branded content that speaks to your audience, CreatorIQ is the best marketplace to explore. Take advantage of scientific models to determine the next best marketing strategy and the ideal brand ambassador. CreatorIQ emulates business performance amid the complex world of marketing based on your goals to introduce you to the best content creators available. Finally, CreatorIQ offers a safe space for businesses to establish their creative network. Gather all your creator data in one place for easy reference when looking out for new creators to welcome in your branded content strategy. Services: creator search, influencer marketing, PR and communications, branded content strategy Features:
Content approvals Data-driven campaign models Algorithm-based creator search Thriving space for private creator communities CRM stack integration Real-time reporting and campaign configuration
Pricing: Custom quote Key Features: Search/Discovery, Automated Recruiting, Influencer Relationship Management, Content Review, Campaign Management, Campaign Reporting, Influencer Analysis, Audience Analysis, E-commerce Tools, Product/Gifting Tools, Forms and Compliance, Fake Follower/Fraud Detection, Payment Processing, Channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitch, Blogs Captiv8 uses the power of AI to run data analytics, sentiment analysis, performance reports, and more to elevate branded content across channels and deliver them where the target audience is most active. With 100% uptime service support, content creators are assured to have their content live and gaining traction. Captiv8 also supports competitor analysis and social tracking. This allows businesses to streamline campaigns accordingly and differentiate themselves from the rest of the industry. Services: competitor tracking, AI-powered data analysis, content creation and distribution, brand authentication, creator discovery Features:
AI-driven creator matching Tailor-fit dashboards Verified reporting for fraud prevention Creator network growth Social listening and competitor analysis Authentic storytelling and content sharing
Pricing: Custom quote Key Features: Search/Discovery, Influencer Relationship Management, Content Review, Campaign Management, Campaign Reporting, Influencer Analysis, Audience Analysis, Payment Processing, Social Listening, Channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok Should you already be working with a full team of creators, consider maximizing campaign success on TRIBE for easy management and automation of workflows. TRIBE nurtures creator relationships for you with features such as product sampling, legal processing, and payment processing all from one platform. If you prefer to discover creators by the numbers, TRIBE also features data-centric discovery and audience analysis. Receive real-time overview of a creator’s performance and audience demographic from top social networking sites such as TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest. Services: creator discovery, campaign management, industry benchmarking, branded content creation Features:
Marketplace of proactive content creators Campaign optimization Creator community development Legal content use and agreement customization Cross-channel branded content promotion and distribution
Pricing: Custom quote Instagram’s branded content tools promote transparency in the partnerships that brands establish with content creators. Creators promote their authenticity and accountability as brand ambassadors, while businesses can monitor individual performance of branded content posts and boost those with exceptional reach. Instagram Branded Content is available for creators and businesses who meet the eligibility standards:
Operates an Instagram Business or Creator account; Content creators have an established presence on the app; Content creators agree and comply with the Community Guidelines; and Content creators are not officiating members of any government agency.
Services: paid partnerships, branded content ads, product tags Features:
Transparency over paid partnerships between businesses and content creators Advanced performance tracking Authenticity check
Pricing: Free, in-app feature Brand ambassadors publish branded content with a Branded Content tag to prove their authenticity as advocates for the products or services offered by a certain business. Branded content tags enable both business owners and brand ambassadors to monitor audience reach and other post insights. The Brand Collabs Manager is a recent addition where content creators can increase the discoverability of their paid partnerships. Businesses on the lookout for branded content promotion can connect and collaborate with creators to increase engagement from the audiences of both business partners and content creators. Services: Branded content management, branded content tagging, brand collaboration Features:
Branded content insights (impressions, weekly average reach, etc.) Sponsored activity tracking Collaborative space for businesses and creators to launch paid partnerships
Pricing: Free, in-app feature Services: Branded content filtering and tagging Features:
Transparency and authenticity over influence in sponsored posts Legal paid partnership support from TikTok
Pricing: Free, in-app feature The Branded Content Toggle of TikTok is an indispensable tool to allow content creators to reach more viewers without necessarily changing the type of content they produce. For businesses, this feature helps them gauge the traffic and buzz their brand stirs on the app. Below, we will discuss how to tag TikTok posts as branded content. This feature is not locked behind business profiles, therefore anyone with an account on TikTok has access and can use the Branded Content tag whenever necessary.
On the Post section, click on More options.
Click Branded content and ads.
Enable Branded content. Several prompts will pop up to confirm your agreement with enabling this feature. Adjust ad settings as you see fit, then tap Save to proceed with uploading the new post.
How to Build a Branded Content Strategy
Branded content is a game-changer for a business aiming to establish its brand identity amid a saturated marketplace. With branded content campaigns, businesses nurture trust more easily than they would if they had approached the audience from a content marketing approach.
Build Brand Trust with Branded Content
The flexibility of branded content allows businesses to explore untapped marketing channels and audiences, whereas content marketing is a rigid process of crafting multiple iterations of content for the same, niche community time and time again. Leverage online presence and reach with sentimental, empowering, and most of all, entertaining, branded content. Additionally, you may want to cross-post your branded content campaign on social media or video streaming platforms. Deliver various versions of your content (full-length, short-form ad, vertical video, etc., if branded content is in video format) for maximum exposure to prospective customers.
Grin Aspire (formerly AspireIQ) CreatorIQ Captiv8 TRIBE Instagram Branded Content Tool Facebook Branded Content TikTok Branded Content Toggle
