How many brand mentions should I include in my content?

How many times should I mention the brand in the content? I’ve heard this one a lot, but to me, it sounds like putting the cart before the horse.

Content should be primarily written for the target audience according to their interests and expectations rather than forcing brand mentions where they are not warranted.  

The appropriate number of brand mentions will depend on the readers’ expectations, and this will be based on factors such as the title, standfirst, and where the content is discoverable.

If an article initially appears to be non-brand related but later drones on about a particular brand, it’ll turn readers off and they’ll click away. This is a result of something called the “persuasion knowledge model” in which consumers become resistant to advertising when they become aware that advertisers are trying to persuade them. If consumers sense that advertisers have an ulterior, self-serving motive, focused more on self-promotion than providing useful or entertaining content, then consumers will be resistant to the advertising.

The trick is to work out what genuinely interests or entertains your target audience and deliver that authentically. Brand mentions can be incorporated into the content, but should be done only where it is appropriate according to the type of content and the audiences’ expectations.

Even if there are few brand mentions in the body copy, branding can be achieved through other means such as images supporting the article, banner ads, a call to action at the end, or other features of a particular website.

Advertisers should not force brand mentions into content to ensure that their audience remembers their brand. It’s about creating content that target audiences are genuinely interested in, delivering that content authentically, and incorporating branding in a way that suits the content and the audience’s expectations. #contentmarketing