Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

Over the past few years, content marketing has evolved from being just another trend, to becoming a necessary component of digital marketing.  Businesses of all types and sizes are adopting content marketing tactics to meet their marketing needs, which explains why content marketing has become one of the most competitive online marketing tactics to date.

However, there are still tons of businesses and companies not utilizing content marketing in their digital marketing strategies, and if that includes you, then check out these cold, hard facts from the latest content marketing benchmark reports:

Content marketing campaigns have become essential for marketers to engage audiences and generate leads. In fact, more than half of all consumers are more likely to buy from companies that create custom content.

But one of the biggest challenges B2B and B2C marketers face is measuring ROI. Only 27% of marketers track content metrics effectively.

Luckily, the folks at Captora created a graphic visualizing new data on metrics of success, which types of content have the highest ROI, the best days to share content on social media and more....

According to a 2012 study by AOL and Nielsen, 27,000,000 pieces of content are shared every day. By now, the mantra of “content is king” has been relentlessly drilled into our collective heads – but more isn’t always necessarily better.

Quality is important – but how do you know if you’re really producing content that’s engaging your audience? Perhaps even more importantly, how are you measuring the results?

If you write and share it – will they come?

Let’s take a look at several new findings made as a result of a joint study between the Content Marketing Institute, MarketingProfs and Brightcove and what they could mean for next year’s content marketing trends...

Content is one of the most significant investments a company can make. While web design and vibrant videos are appealing, they don’t hold the same weight as content. This is especially true in the electronics industry, where customers are seeking fresh, insightful information before making a purchase.

The Value of Quality ContentThere’s a reason 86 percent of B2C marketers use content marketing: it works. High quality content pleases search engines and satisfies consumer demand for useful information regarding products and services.

In the consumer electronics industry, quality content is even more important because a large percentage of consumer electronics purchases are what businesses refer to as “investment purchases.” In other words, consumers aren’t buying a pack of gum from the convenience store or a t-shirt from their favorite retailer. Many electronics cost hundreds of dollars, and high-end purchases can cost thousands....

A much-ballyhooed Gallup study uncovered some ugly “truths” about social media, including a reputed inability to influence purchasing decisions. According to the study, 62 percent of Americans say Facebook, Twitter and their ilk have no influence on whether they purchase a product.

Although asking consumers to accurately recount the advertising methods that ultimately drove them to purchase is likely a fool’s errand, many marketers who have attempted to correlate standard social metrics to sales and other conversions have struggled to make a connection.

As a result, in many marketing shops the number of likes, shares and retweets a brand receives daily is lessening in importance. But that doesn’t mean social media offers nothing of value — advanced marketers are leveraging social data for reasons beyond direct marketing tactics....