Enabling branded content on your website or other digital platforms can be a great way to generate revenue and build partnerships. However, it does require some strategic planning and technical implementation. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the key steps you need to take to start monetizing your content through branded partnerships.
What is branded content?
Branded content refers to any content that promotes a brand’s products or services. It goes beyond traditional advertising and takes the form of articles, videos, social media posts, and more. The content is designed to provide value to the audience while also promoting the brand in a subtle way.
Some examples of popular branded content formats include:
- Sponsored articles/blog posts
- Native advertising
- Sponsored videos
- Podcast sponsorships
- Influencer promotions
Branded content allows brands to connect with audiences in an engaging, authentic way that feels less intrusive than display ads. Audiences are more receptive to branded content when it’s entertaining, educational, or provides real utility.
Why enable branded content?
There are a few key reasons why enabling branded content can benefit your website or platform:
- Generate revenue – Branded content represents a major monetization opportunity. Brand sponsorships allow you to earn income from content without relying solely on display advertising.
- Build partnerships – Successful branded content collaborations can lead to ongoing partnerships with brands and give you access to promotion across their marketing channels.
- Enhanced resources – Revenue from branded content can be invested into improving your platform and content capabilities.
- Increase reach/distribution – Aligning with brand partners gives you access to new audiences through cross-promotion.
Overall, branded content allows you to diversify your revenue streams, connect with supportive partners, and improve the value you’re delivering to your audience. Brands are also actively seeking out impactful partnerships, so it’s an opportune time to capitalize.
Types of branded content to consider
There are countless formats branded content can take. Here are some of the most popular and effective options to consider for your website or platform:
Sponsored articles/posts
Publish posts that promote a brand’s product or service in an educational, entertaining way. These articles blend seamlessly into your existing content. You maintain full control over the editorial process.
Reviews
Create dedicated review articles/videos that provide an in-depth look at specific brand products. These demonstrate the products in action and offer your unique verdict.
Giveaways/contests
Run contests and giveaways sponsored by a brand. Readers enter by completing a simple action like leaving a comment or submitting contact info. The brand provides the prizes.
Experiential content
Develop videos, social posts, or other multimedia content related to a branded campaign or experience. For example, you could live-stream from a brand’s event.
Influencer marketing
Collaborate with influencer personalities to have them promote products from sponsor brands through videos or social posts.
Podcast sponsorships
If you operate a podcast, offer custom ad spot sponsorships. Brands can sponsor individual episodes or do a season-long sponsorship.
Product placement
Strategically feature/display brand products in your content. For example, a laptop brand may provide products to place in your YouTube videos.
Take inventory of the content types and distribution channels you have access to. Then determine which branded formats make the most sense to monetize through sponsorships.
How to find brands to sponsor content
Reaching out to potential sponsor brands is an essential first step. Here are some tips for finding relevant brands to partner with on content campaigns:
- Identify brands that align with your audience and content vertical.
- Proactively contact brands through their website contact forms or brand partnerships email addresses.
- Tap into your existing connections and networks to find contacts at brands.
- Research brands running influencer marketing campaigns in your niche and reach out.
- Attend industry events and network to meet potential sponsors.
- Promote your website/platform and its sponsorship opportunities.
Don’t be afraid to cast a wide net and pitch a variety of brands that may find value in your audience. Be persistent, follow up regularly, and stay flexible on the details to increase your chances of securing partnerships.
How to sell branded content opportunities
Once you’ve identified prospective sponsors, you need to make an effective sales pitch. Here are some tips for selling brands on sponsoring your content:
- Highlight your audience size, demographics and value for potential partners.
- Provide examples of successful content you’ve published.
- Develop branded content packages (e.g. sponsored post + social promotion).
- Outline promotional opportunities – newsletter, social media, etc.
- Focus on how sponsorship can achieve brand objectives like awareness, engagement, conversions.
- Be open to ideas – ask what content would be useful to brands.
- Share metrics and reporting you can provide.
The most compelling pitches show exactly how sponsoring your content will provide brands value. Make sure to gather any relevant analytics and listener/reader testimonials to help sell the opportunity.
Branded content rates to charge
Determining what to charge for branded content partnerships is an important balancing act. You want to charge enough to make the effort worthwhile and generate substantial revenue. But you also can’t price brands out that may provide value to your audience.
Some factors to consider when setting rates include:
- Industry standard rates for your niche
- Production effort required
- Your current audience size/engagement
- Level of branding/integration
- Promotional elements included
- Amount of content provided (word length)
- Exclusivity options
A few example content sponsorship packages and rates:
| Sponsorship Package | Includes | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsored article | 700-word article + social promotion | $500 |
| Sponsored video | 2-3 min brand focused video + social promotion | $1,000 |
| Giveaway sponsorship | Brand提供奖品,你进行宣传 | $250 |
| Podcast sponsorship | 30-second mid-roll ad + social promotion | $250 per episode |
Make sure to factor in any production costs you may incur when setting rates. You can start on the lower end, evaluate sponsor satisfaction, and increase rates over time as you prove the value.
Best practices for executing branded content
Once you’ve secured branded content partnerships, effective execution is crucial. Here are some best practices to ensure sponsorships are a success:
- Align branded content tone/style with your platform voice.
- Clearly distinguish sponsored posts through labels/disclosures.
- Ensure brand input aligns with your editorial standards.
- Include interactive elements like polls or CTAs to boost engagement.
- Leverage high-quality images, videos and visuals.
- Amplify reach through social promotion.
- Track engagement analytics to share with sponsors.
- Proactively communicate with sponsors throughout the process.
Prioritizing audience experience is key. Branded content should provide real value and not just feel like an ad. Maintaining editorial control and integrating sponsorships seamlessly leads to more successful partnerships long-term.
Common branded content mistakes to avoid
There are also some common mistakes you’ll want to avoid when publishing branded content:
- Appearing biased towards the brand – Remaining objective is crucial.
- Sacrificing quality/accuracy for a sponsor.
- Not properly distinguishing sponsored content through labels.
- Publishing overly promotional content that feels spammy.
- Featuring products not relevant to your audience.
- Giving brands complete control over editorial process.
- Failing to clearly define expectations and terms upfront.
Avoiding these missteps helps maintain audience trust, uphold your standards, and keeps the focus on crafting content that benefits readers. Transparency and quality control are essential.
Managing relationships with brand sponsors
Developing strong relationships with sponsor brands leads to more successful partnerships and ongoing sponsorship opportunities. Here are some tips for managing brand sponsor relationships:
- Maintain regular communication before, during, and after content launches.
- Share metrics reports and highlights to showcase value delivered.
- Solicit sponsor feedback and ideas for future content collaborations.
- Explore additional partnership opportunities beyond just content, like events or webinars.
- Thank sponsors personally for their partnership and participation.
- Address any concerns quickly and professionally.
- Keep partners updated on any changes related to your platform, audience, or content strategy.
Nurturing successful long-term relationships may require more time investment upfront. But it leads to recurring revenue, expanded reach, and even more impactful content for your audience. Prioritize two-way communication, transparency, and demonstrating value.
Legal considerations for branded content
There are a few key legal considerations to keep in mind when enabling branded content on your platform:
- Disclose paid partnerships through clear labels – Follow FTC/advertising law requirements.
- Have a binding contract that outlines roles, responsibilities, payment terms, usage rights.
- Comply with any platform-specific requirements for sponsored content disclosure.
- Understand liabilities – Obtain consent for collecting user data, properly secure assets provided by brands, etc.
- Review content for proper use of trademarks, copyrights, branding, etc.
Consulting an attorney to review potential liabilities and craft sponsor content agreements is highly recommended. Complying with legal requirements from the start ensures you avoid issues down the road.
Tools to manage branded content
Specialized software and tools can streamline the process of managing multiple sponsored content initiatives. Here are some options to consider:
- Media management platforms – Helps plan content calendars, collaborate with sponsors, manage workflows.
- Digital asset management (DAM) – Centralizes storage and organization of branding assets, files, content.
- Metadata tools – Attach info like brand name, campaign ID to files for easier reporting.
- Analytics – Reporting on engagement and performance data for each content asset.
- Relationship management (CRM) – Manages contacts, communication, deals for all sponsor relationships in one place.
The right tools go a long way in keeping all your branded content and sponsorships organized. They allow you to easily report insights back to brands as well.
Optimizing and evolving branded content
Like any business initiative, you’ll want to continually optimize and evolve your branded content program over time. Here are some tips for improving as you go:
- Regularly evaluate content performance – Identify high performing partnerships.
- Use sponsor feedback and analytics to refine content.
- Test new branded content formats – videos, social media, etc.
- Expand to new adjacent revenue streams like events or product listings.
- Increase rates and package value as you prove ROI.
- Automate repetitive tasks to focus time on sales, ideation, production.
- Monitor emerging branded content trends to incorporate.
Branded content works best when you stay flexible. Continued experimentation and optimization allows you to scale revenue while providing greater value.
| Year | Revenue | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $10,000 | N/A |
| 2021 | $25,000 | 150% |
| 2022 | $50,000 | 100% |
As shown in the table above, taking an iterative approach and learning from experience can allow you to grow branded content revenue exponentially over time.
Should you work with an agency?
Enabling branded content on your own requires significant time, effort and trial and error. Many publishers find success by partnering with a branded content agency. Agencies provide services like:
- Identifying and vetting brand sponsors
- Developing branded content strategy
- Handling content production
- Managing legal/compliance
- Executing distribution across platforms
- Reporting performance analytics
Weighing the benefits of scale, experience and turnkey solutions against loss of control and revenue share can help determine if working with an agency makes sense for maximizing returns from branded content.
Conclusion
Executing a branded content program requires careful planning and effort, but the long-term upside can be tremendous. Follow these tips to identify sponsor opportunities, create compelling partnerships, optimize over time, and reap the benefits without compromising quality or audience experience. Branded content offers an immense path to revenue generation and platform growth if implemented effectively.