Difference Between Content Marketing, Branded Content, and Native Advertising?

Content marketing is gradually gaining in popularity. This is because informative, relevant, valuable, consistent, persuasive and strategically deployed content is proving highly successful in acquiring leads and converting them into loyal customers.

Properly marketed content can help in the accomplishment of a brand's promotional objectives in a comprehensive manner. The benefits accrued are evident from the research findings as shown below.

Despite content becoming such as an essential medium for nurturing leads and driving sales, confusion between 'content marketing, 'branded content' and 'native advertising' exists among many.

The differences among these terms need to be comprehended. This would ensure that these potent promotional tools are used in the right context.

Content Marketing

Content is marketed with the explicit aim of stimulating interest in the topic being discussed. More than creativity, marketable content focuses on offering valuable information to address common problems being experienced by the well-defined niche audiences. If the content appeals to the readers, they would be subliminally motivated to search more about the brand which is offering the solution.

Favorable customer action is driven by the content presented in the form of articles, blogs, social media posts, video text etc. Content marketing is done with a long term perspective of forging a strong alliance with a targeted audience by consistently offering them meaningful and actionable content.

Branded Content

Branded content is marketed exclusively by a brand for generating interest about it among prospective customers. Media that displays branded content is paid or sponsored directly by the brand. The content talks directly about the value propositions of the brand so that audiences can engage with it after evaluating the efficacy of solutions offered by it.

The content is brand oriented and does not speak about tangible benefits one can realize by using products or services offered. Content is deployed to spark interest in audiences and drive conversation around the brand. It seeks a higher number of brand name mentions on all online media rather than looking to trigger direct sales.

Entertainment is a key component of this content type. It engages audiences with fun elements that inspire users to go through the content in-depth. The content appeals at an emotive level and does not try to drably highlight which features of the brand has more competitive advantage than contemporaries.

Storytelling is employed for narrating the values of the brand. Protagonists are often hired to play out interesting thematic representations focusing on the brand. Branded content can be marketed through videos, websites, social media, video games, sponsored events, podcasts, TV ads etc. Users of brand's services also are engaged at times for speaking about the benefits of associating with the brand with the explicit aim of inspiring trust in potential customers.

Native Advertising

Native advertising is driven by paid ads wherein the touchpoints through which promotion content is displayed resemble the feel and purpose of the ad. For example, a website is displaying content about the advantages of pure honey in alleviating different ailments. Your ad related to honey would be showcased in the recommendation section. At the first glance, it would not appear like a traditional ad. Rather, the audiences would look at it as an additional resource to land on a web page where pure honey can be bought without fear of adulteration.
Native advertising seamlessly gets integrated in the web page's editorial flow. It does not disrupt the browsing pattern of site visitors by abruptly thrusting into attention like a banner ad. Such ads can be located in social media feeds or in recommended section of web pages.

Ad fatigue is a phenomenon wherein site visitor feels bored just at the sight of an ad. This is effectively countered by native advertising wherein exposure to brands is offered in the form of promotion veiled in editorial content. Native ads engage audiences and pique their interest as well as curiosity.

Consumer-Sketch offer cutting-edge content marketing assistance that seeks to leverage the potential of both native advertising and branded content. Experienced digital marketers offer strategic intervention that marketers can use for scaling and automating their content more effectively for reaching out to wider audiences. Rich analytics allow brands to gain better insights into leads' responses to content so that they can tailor it better in future.