The following is a guest column by Susan N. Sherman of Agency Commercials Consultants.

As consumers demand more content than ever, business is changing to meet their needs. Brand marketers are responding in a variety of ways, but for many marketers, content marketing isn’t top of mind.

Before the marketplace exploded with custom content in the early 2000s, marketers largely purchased advertising from publishers. Ads simply went up on mastheads and displayed on newsstands, often poking at customers in a passive way without engaging them. But when Facebook and Instagram started encouraging use of their platforms for publishing, it created the perfect opportunity for marketers to better leverage their brand presence online.

At first, companies such as PayPal, H&R Block and Budweiser saw significant results from custom content. When users shared a Budweiser post for example, it led to more purchase traffic to their web properties. Yet, not every marketer is cut out for custom content. As one marketing manager at a large consumer packaged goods company recently told me, “we aren’t built for it.”

So, what makes customized content effective? For one, custom content is native and brand neutral. Custom content experts understand that while it may look like native content, it’s fundamentally different. After all, those who create it are not competing with users for attention. Rather, content needs to consistently and authentically align with a brand’s overall messaging.

In addition, advertising content isn’t designed to be shared beyond the first click. This is critical to the success of branded content because it enables campaigns to be trusted by users that spread marketing’s message to other users. With content that people find valuable, users will take the time to share it – they’ll be more likely to contact the brand through social channels, website visits and brand loyalty.

To go further, marketers must tell stories that align to their brand’s broader message. While individual products can create informative web pages or watch-worthy video spots, for brands to succeed, they must come together as one cohesive entity. Today, content can be produced by any audience member. It can come from community, brand or social media teams. Consumers even produce their own content as individual influencers.

“Done right, content marketing is about establishing authentic connections and ensuring consumers come back to the brand repeatedly. Producing content isn’t more important than developing a campaign’s strategy,” says Sherman. With this in mind, marketers need to stay abreast of emerging consumer trends and customer insight. They also need to have their brand strategy in place before they start to produce branded content because it will be a crucial part of the campaign’s success.

Following consumers and creating content that’s appealing and shareable in a wide variety of ways is key to engagement and return on investment. As a result, demand for custom content continues to rise.

Sherman is the director of marketing and the department head of account services at Agency Commercials Consultants, a Boston-based private equity investment agency. She is also the founder of Content Advisory LLC.

If you have an idea for a new column, email tampabay.com/advice@tampabay.com or send me a message on Twitter @MsShermanPR.