The State of Content Marketing in 6 Key Takeaways
One of the best parts of our job here at Bouvier Kelly is keeping up to date on the ever-changing world of marketing and advertising. We love to stay knee-deep in the latest research, blog posts, and commentary about the industry we’re so passionate about. So when something like MarketingProfs’ Content Marketing Stats and Trends in 2017 infographic comes out, we can’t wait to dive right in to the numbers. Here are a few reactions to our favorite takeaways (for the purposes of this post, we’ll look exclusively at the statistics focused on B2B—business-to-business—companies):
1. 37% of Marketers Have a Documented Content Marketing Strategy
As we pointed out in our guide to Content Marketing, simply having your own strategy puts you ahead of 63% of the competition! Making a concerted effort to map out your buyer personas, analyze their problems and questions, and then tailor content to meet those needs and generate leads is an integral aspect of content marketing. It takes time and serious thought, but working through those tough questions and using the results to generate content is invaluable to growing your business.
2. Many Companies are Taking Ad Dollars Away from Their Traditional Advertising and Moving Them to Digital Marketing
While we still believe in the power of traditional advertising tactics (especially if those methods can reach your audience where they’re most comfortable), it’s no secret that digital marketing strategies are changing the game. For us, it’s all about figuring out where your audience lives, and then creating a strategy to reach them there. Say your audience that devours industry trade publications but doesn’t know the difference between Facebook and Twitter. Why would you spend money on a social media advertising strategy? But if you take the time to map out your audience and their behavior, you might be surprised to find that some B2B industries have embraced social media in spades.
3. 70% of People Would Rather Learn About a Company Through Articles Rather Than an Advertisement
Instead of blasting out your logo and mission statement across a variety of channels (what would be considered an “outbound” strategy), think about creating content that draws your audience to you (an “inbound” strategy). If you can educate your audience about the issues they face (and how your company can help solve them) as opposed to simply celebrating the greatness of your brand, you’re much more likely to find a receptive audience.
4. 4x as Many Consumers Would Prefer to Watch a Video About a Product Than to Read About It
The best way to demonstrate just how widespread video content is these days is to scroll through your Facebook newsfeed. Chances are, you’ll see videos dominate 50%-75% of the posts you see (if not higher). Smart phone adoption in the US reached 77% at the end of 2016, which would help account for the increase in video content you see across the internet. It’s far more convenient to watch a video on your phone than it is to read an article. That, coupled with the rise of visual-centric social networks like Instagram and Snapchat, proves that consumers are hungry for more video. Does your brand have a video generation strategy?
5. Paid Methods B2B Marketers Use to Promote Content Rated by Effectiveness
This graphic demonstrates just how much marketers are moving away from traditional advertising spaces and into digital ones. Why do we love these digital methods so much? The two biggest reasons are trackable, provable results and low costs. While you can make a lot of valuable, educated conclusions about highway billboard impressions or circulation numbers for publications, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and social media advertising allow you to dive into an almost infinite number of data wormholes. You can see who clicked what; what their buying behaviors are; what their demographic breakdown is like. It all comes back to where your audience lives, but there’s no denying that digital tracking capabilities are off the charts.
6. 75% of Marketers are Increasing Their Investment in Content Marketing
Three-fourths of all marketers are saying, “Yes, let’s create more tailored, targeted, and polished content.” They understand the value of knowing every inch of your audience and their journey to becoming a customer. They know that placing the right piece of content in front of the right person at the right time is a powerful way to generate leads. Consumers are only getting smarter and more selective—if you’re not willing to educate them (instead of just selling to them), someone else will.
Want to put together your own content marketing strategy? We’d love to help.
