Content Marketing

Aldo’s Instagram Give-Away, YouTube Curation, Branded Film Content

The Content Strategist picks the day’s most relevant and interesting stories about the world of content from around the web. Here’s what you should be reading today:

Aldo Giving Away Shoes for Instagram Photos

In Israel, Aldo is “inviting passersby to snap a photo of their shoes, upload the photo to Instagram with their shoe size and the hashtag #aldo, and ring a bell,” says Mashable’s Lauren Indvik.

“In two minutes, a large, rolling present box then appeared, containing — as you might have expected — a new pair of Aldo shoes in their size.”

So far, the company has seen almost 800,000 interactions.

YouTube and the Power of Curation

NewsCred’s Felicia takes a look into YouTube and how its now curating content withoriginal programming and “a marketplace to connect content creators and advertisers so that all loyal YouTube users can get a slice of the pie.”

She writes that curation is smart because people need to have all the videos sorted for them. There is simply too much content on the site, and people don’t know what to watch. In addition, content strategy from brands is more important than ever on the site, and that connecting the people who create content with advertisers is growing.

Branded Content and its Effect on the Film Industry

ScreenDaily’s Wendy Mitchell discusses branded content and what kind of effects it’s had on the film industry, considering that that’s how many companies are telling their stories.

She argues, “I think most smart consumers (and indeed those in the industry as well) don’t see this as ‘selling out’ anymore – they see it as brands being aids to creativity. It’s not such a dirty business in most cases, and often advertisers give talents the creative control.”

She also points out that it helps filmmakers, since brands are willing to invest, and that it assists them in tapping “into a much wider audience than usual. And most of those audiences don’t really care where the funding came from, they just want to watch quality content.”

How Content Creators Can Satisfy Consumers

Content creators need a plan: They can’t just show up and wing it, writes CopyBlogger’s Charlie Gilkey.

They need to know in what direction their readers should be going, what they first need to learn, and at what point certain content will be released. By doing this, creators will know when to create content, what kind of content to create, and how to tailor it better for consumers.

Michelin’s Branded Content: International Restaurant Guides

In the early 1900s, automotive company Michelin started putting out a guide focusing on “how to change a tire, where to find Michelin dealers and a list of acceptable places to eat and sleep when on the go,” according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Overtime, it evolved into a guide for food. It was doing branded content marketing before it became fashionable, and today, is one of the best-selling dining guides available.

Hangout Site Wendr Now Doing Branded Content

Wendr, a site that showed friends’ plans for the night, has transitioned into [L]earned Media, an agency that is working with brands to create content, according to Pando Daily.

One of the site’s first projects is a new website for magician David Blaine that highlights his “Electrified” stunt.

The Do’s of Branded Content

Branding Magazine’s Srdjan Toljagic writes about Linkin Park, the rock band that has seen success by collaborating with brands to create content. 

In looking at their strategy, the blogger says that brands need to take risks, listen to customers’ conversations, and connect on all of the different channels, not just one or a few.

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