We see content platforms all over the place now… Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Medium, and the list goes on. Marketing firms and businesses spend countless hours planning, creating, and implementing content for targeted audiences. But does all that work actually pay off? Is the ROI worth it? Or are you better off sticking with things like PPC display ads or programmatic ad buying?
Content has become a buzzword today, and numerous 21st-century businesses have emerged because of it. Companies like Buzzfeed and Barstool Sports have blown up within the digital world and won over a loyal following of fans because of the daily content they produce. But those companies sell content, your business is trying to use content to attract buyers.
So can this model work for you?
What Makes Content Marketing Successful?
The premise behind content marketing is simple: create items that will attract a target audience. What makes this form of marketing popular is that it can be used to fit nearly any type of business. Consumers are constantly on the internet and social platforms looking for news, entertainment, and information. Regardless of the product or service you’re selling, there are people out there who are either directly looking for it or would be interested in learning more.
Content marketing often provides a low barrier to entry for consumers to be introduced or become engaged with a business. Something as simple as liking an Instagram photo or reading a blog post are examples of content marketing, that show consumers are at least noticing your brand.
The role of content marketing isn’t to close the sale of your product or service (although it is capable of doing that), it used to “lure in” potential consumers into your digital ecosystem. Once there, they start to consume more content, read reviews, browse your online shop (if applicable), contact you, etc. Content marketing acts as a supplemental tool in every stage of the sales funnel — coaxing along your potential buyer.
But the cherry on top of content marketing is how consumers often don’t feel or see it as a selling tool. Instead, they interact with the content seeing it as entertainment or education.
How to Effectively Accomplish Content Marketing
This will sound anti-climatic, but successful content marketing is done when a business produces something that adds real value to the consumer. If a potential buyer takes the time to watch a video, read a white paper, or favorite a Tweet, then the content you’re producing should provide a positive takeaway for that individual — whether it be new information, expert knowledge, entertainment, or something else. Your content needs to make sure you make their time worthwhile.
So what does that look like?
The content you produce needs to be:
- Original
- Informative
- Well Designed
- Creative
- Benefit Focused
Additionally, content marketing needs to be implemented in the right ways. Throwing the best piece of content out into the ether will not necessarily catch any attention. Therefore, a plan needs to be in place to support the content you produce.
Are you placing it on your blog? If so, how can you get backlinks to drive more traffic to the post?
Is it a whitepaper? Should you set up PPC ads for the main keyword in the text?
What about a new brand awareness video? Are you running the video across all your social media channels and placing an ad budget for it on Facebook?
Implementation ideas are critical to your content being seen and interacted with — don’t just throw paint at the wall.
A Few Content Marketing Statistics
- 70 percent of marketers are actively investing in content marketing strategy
- Nearly 25 percent of marketers intend to increase their content marketing investment in 2020
- 80 percent of video marketers say video content has directly helped increase sales
- Video, blogs, and eBooks are the most common types of content marketing produced
- Over 50 percent of content consumption comes from organic search
- 70 percent of businesses prioritize content quality over content quantity
- For every $1 spent on email marketing, on the ROI average is $42
- 97 percent of consumers and marketers say that video helps customers better understand their product or service