A recent study by Print in the Mix showed that 86% of respondents found video ads masquerading as content to be deceptive. 66% found print and online advertorials misleading.
You might think that means content is a waste of time. It doesn’t. It only means that many brands aren’t producing the right kind of content.
Before you set any content program in motion, follow these three rules:
- Fake content can backfire. It certainly did for Cadillac after they tried to mesh their commercial into the last episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”.
- Make sure the content is relevant to your brand. Tacking the name of your brand onto an interesting video means nothing and leaves consumers confused. You’re better off to produce a promotional video that shows the benefits of your product or service in a cool and interesting way, like GoPro recently did for their latest video camera.
- Consider your options for sharing content. If you don’t have a good video idea, you don’t need to create a video. Your content should reach your target audience not only wherever they happen to be, but preferably where and when they are in the right mindset. That might simply mean sending out an industry whitepaper during work hours. Not necessarily glamorous, but interesting and relevant to your target.
