Anyone that has worked in an agency has noticed a growing trend of brands developing their creative in-house. Apps, user-friendly, integrative software and platforms make it easy for anyone and everyone to become their very own content creators and publishers. 

Evolution of quality content

In the 1960s, the creative concept was king, setting one ad apart from another. And with only a handful of television channels to choose from, it wasn’t difficult to reach your intended audience. As media channels became more abundant and fragmented, the creative’s overall role diminished in comparison to the growing importance of the media mix. 

Now, with social media advertising, creative rises back to the top, as newsfeeds on the most popular social platforms become cluttered with ads, all competing with organic content for attention.

Accessible authors

The result of all this is that there’s more accessible content today than ever before and this abundance is only growing. Over the last few months, online traffic has soared. Companies with an established online presence are thriving as audiences have turned to e-commerce and online venues for entertainment and shopping. 

This influx leaves advertisers with the same problem that they’ve always faced: how to stand out from the clutter of digital marketing messages. 

A flooded feed

That problem becomes exacerbated when you want to place your advertising message into the even more populated realm of consumer-generated content. Your message must now compete with personal updates, tweets, pictures and video content, memes, live feeds, and competitors’ messages. That means obtaining a meaningful share of consumer attention is becoming more and more difficult. 

The answer to having your message stand out is quality. Due to the quantity of brand messages and overwhelming content, an impactful message created around (or paired with) quality content will ensure that your ad gets shared. 

This is key to social media advertising. Ads or posts that inspire engagement are shared or saved, often resulting in a greater likelihood of being seen. This makes them extremely valuable on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. 

Consumer perception

With the incredible uptick in online shopping and overwhelming saturation of brands having a presence on social media, many consumers are using their feeds to find products. The look, tone and feel of your advertising helps relay the message to audiences that your brand is just what they’re looking for: authentic, reputable, engaging and worth the money they’re willing to spend.