The state of content creation couldn’t be stronger. Just checkout these statistics:
- 60% of customers say they feel more positive about a brand after reading custom content on its website. See more at: imagination.
- 70% of content marketers are creating more content than they did a year ago.
- 90% of organizations now market with content, according to Demand Metric.
- Content marketing is 62% less expensive than traditional marketing, according to Demand Metric.
- 62% of organizations surveyed outsource their content marketing.
Clearly, there are a lot of reasons to love content marketing.
So, what do you need to know?
Content comes in many forms. Digital media is a favorite. Whether it’s an ambient video setting the tone for customers or an audio or video podcast where you speak directly to customers about what you can do for them, video can literally bring your brand to life. Articles on your website (or on another website that links back to your website) can be very impactful and so can captivating blog posts and emails. Experiment!
Creating the content is just the beginning. I often tell clients that writing brilliant content is a lot like getting all dressed up in a lovely gown and make up. At the end, you might look stunning, but if you sit down on your sofa and read a book, no one will know. The art of success for a company through content marketing is to build a network by which to share the content.
There are more ways then ever to “pay to play” in the content marketing world. Buzzfeed is just one popular resource that big companies use to create content. On a recent visit the Peace Corps was promoting a quiz about what country I should move to and Aetna had an “Ask an Expert” article about what mindfulness exercises I should try. While Buzzfeed is inaccessible to most smaller businesses, the kind of content they create is a great example for us about how to make attention-grabbing, readable, and sharable content.
The name of the game is evergreen. Great content can be used and reused again because it continues to be relevant. Think about blog posts that answer your organizations most frequently asked questions. You can use it over and over.
Except when it isn’t. But, when you can catch a trend that everyone is talking about (say, the State of the Union Address) and add something thoughtful and relevant, go for it.
And if you just don’t have time to create your own content, consider outsourcing. Outsourcing activities that are not core to the business can be a great strategy for small companies. Finding a marketing team that can work with you to create custom content lets you focus on growing your business, while they focus on getting the word out. :-)
What is the state of your content creation? You are just one click away from chatting with one of our Spring Insight marketing experts.