The content you produce acts as a mouthpiece for your brand. When your target audience comes into contact with it — online or elsewhere — they become acquainted with your business. This is because your content conveys who you are, what you do and why they should use your product or service.

In this article, media update’s Maryna Steyn looks at three ways content can speak volumes for your brand.

1. It communicates WHO you are

Brand voice is the discernible way people identify how your content sounds in their minds. It draws on the style, tone and format of how the material is presented. Your voice needs to be distinct, consistent and in line with your brand identity in order to avoid confusing your audience.

Brand identity is established through your brand voice, logo and visuals as well as the brand image. Take, for example, the recognisable ‘golden arches’ of the McDonald’s logo. Without mentioning the name, you already picture your favourite menu items and connect the sound of their jingle to their brand image.

All of these elements communicate who the organisation is as a brand. The unique combination allows them to be discovered, recognised and stand out from the crowd.

2. It informs customers about WHAT you do

Content informs customers about your core business practices and beliefs, such as products or services, by being the channel through which they interact with your brand. Potential clients already know who you are, the next step is to help them understand what you are selling and why.

This can be done by generating press releases that showcase new products and even creating SEO-driven product descriptions. Your content communicates the expertise, uniqueness and added value of what you offer.

It should entertain and inform while being simple and easy to consume. There are many ways to package this content, including:
  • Infographics: These are small snippets of copy with accompanying visuals. This is easy to consume because it takes a lot of information and presents it in a condensed, user-friendly format.
  • Web pages: This is accessible from anywhere as long as you have a data connection. A good web page is easy to navigate and has logically grouped informative info that users can find and understand.
  • Podcasts: These can take on an informal, conversational tone wherein the host discusses an area of interest to the listener. The audio-format makes it possible to listen to any time, as well as pause and rewind when you missed something.
  • Videos: Similar to podcasts, videos are simple to use because they can be paused or replayed. The audiovisual format makes it entertaining and engaging.
  • Books: Many industry leaders find themselves publishing books on their area of expertise and making them available to their target audience. Books have the benefit of sharing in-depth insights into key opinion leader’s industries as well as showing consumers what their brand is all about.
  • Presentations: This format also presents a bulk of info in a bite-sized way. It is engaging in a similar way to video as it can also use sound, moving graphics, images, videos and text.
  • Blogs: These are mostly written by industry leaders and offer insightful, sometimes tongue-in-cheek conversations about the field of business these individuals find them in.

3. Content is relationship-driven communication

Content is the voice your brand uses to speak to your target market. When you call your audience to action, it lets them know exactly who you are, what you do and creates a connection between the audience and your brand.

Consumers nowadays are less responsive to traditional forms of advertising. This is because people are aware that they are being bombarded daily by marketing messages. Instead, they crave meaning and depth in their brand interactions. That is where content marketing comes in.

This type of marketing ensures that your content has a human element to it so your customers can feel that they relate to your business. It starts an empathetic and informative conversation between the brand and the target audience. The more they interact with each other, the stronger the resulting connection will be.

By building relationships through your content, you harness brand loyalty and trust in the process, meaning your consumers are more likely to buy your product or service.

Have you noticed these three areas in which content speaks for your brand in your communication? Let us know in the comments section below.

Hungry for more media-related info? Subscribe to our newsletter.

If you are intrigued and want to know more about content, then check out the Four types of content consumption you should know about.
*Image courtesy of Pixabay