4 Tips for Creating Branded Content People Actually Want to Watch

What’s the difference between branded content that moves people, and branded content that moves people to hit the skip button?

Entertainment and relevance—this according to a new creator trends report released by Tongal, a creative agency whose secret weapon is a diverse and always on group of professional “consumer-creators.”

Tongal’s survey tapped insights from 500+ creators in its network hailing from dozens of countries around the world. The findings reflect the dual roles its creatives have as creators—and consumers—of branded content.

As the report states, 2.5 million pieces of content are uploaded to Facebook every second. With the amount of content proliferating, brands face an uphill battle when it comes to cutting through the clutter.

So, how can brands create content that rises to the top, like Heineken’s latest coup, instead of content that falls short, like Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner fiasco?

1. Don’t interrupt

Tongal’s report says we’ve entered an “era of consumer choice,” and attention must be earned. More than 40 percent of their respondents use ad-blockers, which is interesting since these are people who create branded content for a living.

As the report states, “Even when people aren’t paying money to escape ads [via services like Netflix] they are still finding ways to limit interruptive advertising.” According to respondents, the top characteristic of a so-called “good” platform experience is having the option to skip content.

2. Create content people want to watch

Sounds simple right? Not so fast. Tongal’s study found that people are most likely to opt into content experiences that entertain or inform them, or those that are relevant to their own interests.

Interestingly, the report also found that people would rather consume content featuring real people versus content that spotlights celebrities or influencers. In fact, just 30 percent of respondents said the presence of a “tastemaker” would make them more likely to a watch a branded video.

3. Careful chasing video hype

While nearly every social platform is hard at work expanding their video capabilities, Tongal’s report reminds us that established players like YouTube should not be neglected in favor of chasing the next big thing. One of the most over-hyped areas of video? Live video, which survey respondents said they “rarely” utilized.

4. Think you know creators? Think again.

Beyond highlighting consumption trends, Tongal’s report gets into the mindset of today’s creators. Somewhat surprisingly, they’re not all out there chasing the coin. According to the report, they prefer taking on opportunities that align with their personal passions and give them creative freedom.

You can download Tongal’s full report here.

Learn the latest trends, insights and best practices from the brightest minds in media and technology. Sign up for SMW Insider to watch full-length sessions from official Social Media Week conferences live and on-demand.

Image Credit: Remote.co