Branded content is much better at driving awareness and engagement compared to paid impressions on Facebook, according to a new study by Shareablee.
The social intelligence enterprise examined more than one thousand branded content and standard ads between July and October last year and found that the former drove a significantly larger portion of both paid and earned impressions.
Shareablee CEO Tania Yuki said the study clearly shows that branded content is deemed “much more shareworthy” by average viewers. This is perhaps still an understatement as average shares per ad for branded content surpassed 7,100, while this figure dipped to just 253 for standard ads.
The study feeds into the recent trend of relevant and entertaining videos that speak personally to a user being more effective than “brute force” advertising. Consumers are more likely to share funny or insightful content that resonates with them compared to a voucher or sale offer.
However, the study noted that brands should tailor their ad campaigns to their objectives. For example, a standard ad may be best for persuading viewers to purchase a particular service or product as entertaining content is unlikely to fulfil this aim immediately.
Still, more and more brands are embracing organic content, creative videos, infographics and other bespoke outlets to maximise their reach and cultivate a unique identity in the eyes of their target audience. Yuki added: “Oftentimes people think about engaging content and business-value content as if it were a question of ‘Would you prefer your right arm or your left leg?’ and the answer is ‘Ideally both.’”
