Describe your initiative, what you see as the strongest elements of your program, and what makes it unique:

We work diligently with our clients to make their branded content useful, entertaining and authentic. The content must focus on a subject that intersects with their brand, not about it.

One of the strongest features of our program is the ability to offer our clients data about the reader–their potential customer. We give readers the opportunity to learn about the topic through a lead generation “quiz”. This gets readers more involved with the content and offers insightful data back to the client.

Promotion, or a distribution plan as we call it, is necessary to ensure readership of an article. We are having success with using O&O native advertising to promote branded content. When budgets allow, we garner additional readership boosting our paid partnership posts on Facebook.

Our team also manages content for unique projects submitted by readers. Stories of Honor (veterans), Celebrating Nurses and Teacher Appreciation programs are examples of initiatives generated from our readers highlighting the good work of those they know and see every day.

Branded content is an important revenue opportunity for media groups and advertisers because … Clients need more than banner advertising to be successful. Storytelling on O&O websites reaches potential customers in a different way than a traditional ad campaign or sponsorship. This style of presentation connects a reader with a brand in an alternative, more meaningful way.

 

Branded content is an important revenue opportunity for media groups and advertisers because …

Clients need more than banner advertising to be successful. Storytelling on O&O websites reaches potential customers in a different way than a traditional ad campaign or sponsorship. This style of presentation connects a reader with a brand in an alternative, more meaningful way.

The aspect of the Branded Content Project Beta Group that excites us the most is …

Learning from others to ensure we are offering clients the best content and distribution ideas to drive their business.

We hope to learn [fill-in-the-blank] through the Branded Content Project:

The triggers that get small and large clients to invest in branded content.

If a media organization were just starting to sell branded content, we would tell them …

Begin by meeting with your newsroom leadership. It’s important for everyone to understand what branded content is and how it can fit into your newspaper’s portfolio. Additionally, since branded content is a labor-intensive initiative, it’s important to develop a strong, freelance pool. A diverse pool of writers alongside an in-house producer are critical to keeping up with the workload.

 

Meet Team St. Louis Post-Dispatch