Who here has not once been intimidated by at least one facet of today’s content marketing? If you haven’t, then you’re obviously an extremely knowledgeable, confident, and masterful guru of content marketing. If you have, then you’re absolutely not alone.
Many of us have felt intimidation when staring down the barrel of the latest and great content marketing trend or shift. In some cases, the intimidation factor has been so strong that it has stopped us from jumping on board with a new trend. As a result, we lose out on prime opportunities. And sometimes we drop the ball. It happens to the best of us.
Every year we see blogs and articles about the new trends in social media, content marketing, and search engine optimization. But when is the last time you saw a compilation of statistics all about content marketing?
Content Marketing Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind
In the past few years, content marketing has weathered some pretty dramatic changes. Many of us have watched trends rise and sink, sometimes wishing we’d jumped on board, and other times thanking our lucky stars that we didn’t. We’ve snooped around the Internet and found some eye-opening stats that might boggle or change your mind about content marketing:
On an average, marketers spend over one fourth of their marketing budget on content marketing. (B2B Marketing Insider)
93 percent of marketers are using social media, yet only 9 percent of marketing companies have full-time bloggers. (Search Engine Journal)
78 percent of Internet users conduct product research online. Your website will likely be your potential customer’s first impression. Says HubSpot, “[This] means your new business card isn’t a business card—it’s Google.” (HubSpot)
Companies that outsource are doing bigger projects, spending an average of more than $1 million lat 2013 with a 5.5% increase from 2012. (Adweek)
Over 10 million Facebook “apps” exist. (Search Engine Journal)
61 percent of consumers claim to feel better about a company that delivers custom content. They are more likely to buy from such a company. (Custom Content Council)
78 percent of business people opt to use a mobile device to check email. (HubSpot)
80 percent of all Pinterest pins are actually re-pins. (Search Engine Journal)
Interesting content is one of the top three reasons why people choose to follow a brand on social media. (Content+)
Companies that opt to build a blog and post content regularly receive 55 percent more web traffic. (HubSpot)
The 55 to 64 year age bracket is the fastest growing demographic on Twitter. It has grown by 79 percent since 2012. (Search Engine Land)
The Facebook and Google+ 45 to 55-year age bracket demographic have grown by 46 and 59 percent, making it the fastest growing social media demographic. (Search Engine Journal)
In as few as two years, the number of marketers who believe Facebook is “important” or “critical” to their business has increased by 83 percent. (HubSpot)
The +1 button on Google+ is hit at least 5 billion times per day. (Search Engine Journal)
Blog and social media websites reach 8 out of 10 U.S. Internet users and account for 23 percent of all time spent online. (Content Marketing Institute)
Since debuting in 2010, Instagram has seen more than 16 billion photos uploaded, which equates to approximately 5 million photos being uploaded every day. (Search Engine Journal)
Thanks to blogs, websites get 434 percent more indexed pages and 97 percent more indexed links. (Content+)
91 percent of mobile Internet access is for social media activities with approximately 73 percent of smartphone users accessing their networks via apps at least once per day. (Search Engine Journal)
Inbound marketing costs about 62 percent less per lead than outbound, traditional marketing. (HubSpot)
LinkedIn produces more leads for B2B companies thanks to Twitter, Facebook or blogs, individually. However, only 47 percent of B2B marketers say they actively use LinkedIn, versus 90 percent on Facebook. (Inside View)
During every minute of every day, there are 684,478 pieces of content shared on Facebook; 3,600 new photos posted in Instagram; 2,083 check-ins made on Foursquare. (Search Engine Journal)
67 percent of B2C and 41 percent of B2B companies have acquired a customer via Facebook. (HubSpot)
B2B companies that blog produce an average of 67 percent more leads per month than companies that choose not to. (Social Media B2B)
YouTube has over 1 BILLION unique visitors per month, and managed to reach the desirable 18-34 demographic more than any other cable network. (Search Engine Journal)
When deciding to make a purchase, 46 percent of web users will look toward social media. (Search Engine Journal)
While in-store shopping for an item, approximately 40 percent of U.S. smartphone owners compare prices on their mobile device. (HubSpot)
Ever wonder about the male versus female ratio of social media users? Facebook is 60 percent female, 40 percent male. Twitter is 60 percent female, 40 percent male. Pinterest is 79 percent female, 21 percent male. Google+ is 29 percent female, 71 percent male. LinkedIn is 55 percent female, 45 percent male. (Search Engine Journal)
57 percent of businesses acquire customers via their company blog. (HubSpot)
A Shocking Drop of the Ball
Based on the stats above, it’s no secret that blogs are important to content marketing. So when did you last update your blog? How often do you add new content to your blog? Be honest! Here’s an even better question: how important do you think blogging is for your company or brand on a scale of 1 to 10? Did your opinion change after reviewing the stats above? Well, here are a few more blog specific statistics that might shock you:
29. According to HubSpot, 57 percent of companies gain new customers from their blog.
30. 61 percent of online consumers in the United States decide to make a purchase based on blog recommendations. (HubSpot)
31. 67 percent MORE leads are generated via B2B marketers’ blogs. (HubSpot)
32. 60 percent of consumers have a more favorable outlook on a company after reading their blog. (Hubspot)
Obviously, blogging is important to content marketing and to any successful brand or business seeking to continue their success. Surprisingly, NAPW goes on to say, “one third of blogs are left inactive.”
Royal Pingdom published “Internet 2012 in numbers,” in January of 2013. While the 2013 version has yet to be compiled and published, we can glean some useful information from the 2012 statistics. When it came to blogs, in 2012 Royal Pingdom tallied the following:
87.8 million Tumblr blogs
59.4 million WordPress sites
We can extrapolate that out of approximately 147.2 MILLION blogs in 2012, one third (approximately 48.5 million), were left inactive. That’s 48.5 million blogs missing out on the statistics presented by HubSpot. The number of blogs likely grew in 2013, meaning the number of inactive grew as well. Is your company blog one of them? If so, it’s time to jump-start your way out of the negative inactive statistic. How?
Kick Starting Your Blog in 2014
Blogging is not for the faint of heart. It’s one of those things that if you half bake it, you’ll never reap all of the juicy benefits available. And as we’ve seen, blogs hold a ton of potential for generating web traffic, sales conversation and credibility. Luckily, NAPW gives us 10 awesome ways to blog and blog well:
Listen and respond to your audience. When a client or prospective client asks a question on your blog, you are presented with a prime opportunity to show that you care about their questions, comments, and opinions. Use your blog to answer. Respond to comments, questions, and opinions. Encourage your readers to leave comments. If you leave the preverbal door open, someone is bound to walk in and strike up a conversation.
Educate your audience. NAPW calls this “inform[ing] without the hard sell,” and says to, “Explain your product as it relates to your blog theme without blatantly ‘advertising’ your product.” Use your blog to produce educational, informative content about your product, service, or mindset. Don’t hard sell by being an annoying advertiser. Instead, slip in a reference to your specific offerings here and there. They trick is to keep it low key and relevant to your blog theme.
Increase revenue through interaction. Encourage your readers to share feedback, whether good or bad. Start and promote an active dialogue that promotes interaction. Your credibility will increase and the interaction will create audience action. As the stats we covered earlier showed, people like custom content and are more likely to buy from companies that provide it. You can use social interaction as an unlimited breeding ground for new, in-demand custom content.
Create a “culture club.” NAPW says to “think of your blog as a club [filled with] like-minded people.” Appeal to them to contribute, maybe even guest blog. You will be offering your readers varied styles and opinions. The more of a cultural melting pot you provide, the more of a diverse audience you will attract AND please.
Use images. Enhance your posts with relevant, tasteful images. NAPW reports “blog posts receiving the most shares almost always combine images with text, with this trend expected to increase.” Whatever you do, don’t use images that feature inappropriate content, lack relevancy to the written post or overwhelm and overpower the post. Images are accents. Their purpose is to catch the eye, not anchor it. You can even use image tags to build in a little more search engine optimization.
Don’t neglect the need to edit. It’s easy to write a longwinded blog because you have a lot to say. Write it all, but reread it and cut the fluff! It’s important to stay on topic. Be precise. Stay concise. And preserve your unique creativity. Also, format your posts so that they are easy for the eye to float over and scan. Most of your readers are busy bees. By giving them an easily scan-able piece, you’ll entice them to check back often and scan through more of your content.
Consistency matters; don’t be part of “the one third.” This is where NAPW says it, “One third of blogs are left inactive.” Maintaining a steady stream of new blog content will make a good impression and increase your bottom line. Whatever you consistency timetable is (daily, weekly, bi-weekly), STICK TO IT through thick and thin, in sickness and in health. You’ll see monumental results.
Ask for shares. It’s not rude! If you want your audience to share a blog, ask them. Promote shares of your posts by add social media buttons. This makes it wickedly convenient for your audience and servers as a secondary reminder to share and share alike!
Promote you blog posts. Every time you publish a new blog, post it to your social media feeds. NAPW says to “entice readers to visit your blog with a catchy headline or teaser-style copy lines.” It doesn’t hurt to remind your audience to check your site often because “you are the ‘expert’ resource they need.” You can post little reminders via your social media channels, and slide in links on your promotional material.
Establish your unique “voice.” Your blog gives you the opportunity to establish your “voice” and let it shine. Be entertaining and make an impact with your message. Avoid the stuffy, formal, lecture hall style of writing. Once you find your “voice,” avoid dramatically changing it down the road. You’ll risk losing your audience and depreciating your overall credibility, authority, and uniqueness. Consistency is key!
Low on topic ideas? Don’t worry. We’ve got your back! Learn how to make the most of your non-blog content in our blog about how to create blog content from webinars and more, or get a boost for your thinking cap with another of our blogs entitled, 20 Topic Ideas for a Steady Content Flow.
Content marketing is an incredibly powerful tool that will yield a high return on the investment.
Especially in today’s online era—and as long as it’s done properly and thoroughly.
But, you cannot convince someone to use a strategy or sign up for your services if you cannot express the benefits of why (in other words, the benefits of content marketing).
Showing the benefits, however, doesn’t mean spouting off a list of advantages. It is all about backing up your ideas with facts and presenting your sales pitch in a beautifully wrapped package.
If delivered properly, your recipients will be ecstatic to start using content marketing by the end of the pitch.
So, to help get those customers clawing at the doors to get access to your genius powers, we’re going to help you better understand those benefits and more importantly, show you how to demonstrate them.
You can take the credit.
It will be our little secret.
First, Help Them Get Over The Assumption It Doesn’t Work
Unfortunately, even in today’s internet age, there are still plenty of people that don’t embrace content marketing.
The reason you aren’t getting traction with this group is likely because you don’t exploit the benefits of content marketing, and there’s plenty of them to use. KISSMetrics came out with an insightful blog that highlighted why content marketing strategies are failing. If you think content marketing isn’t worth it, or your clients are rejecting the idea, it is likely because they’re committing a deadly marketing sin of their own. We’ve also written a guest piece on SiteProNews with more on the subject.
What are those sins?
4 Reasons Content Marketing Isn’t Working (So You Can Stop The It-Doesn’t-Work Argument In Its Tracks)
Before we go into the six major do’s (how to convince), let’s talk briefly about the don’ts, so you’re not unconsciously scaring anyone away.
1. You Don’t Have A Refined Strategy
If you haphazardly threw something together and then prayed it would work, you’re going to be disappointed.
Content marketing requires constant changes, innovations, and updates. If your strategy is even three months old, we recommend changing it up. You’d be surprised at the progress you will make by doing so.
2. You’re Not Putting In The Effort
Again, content marketing requires work. It doesn’t self-automate here. If it did, we’d all be billionaires.
In the content marketing world, you get what you pay for.
So, if you don’t see any improvement, look to see where you’re spending your money and see if you can squeeze more out of the budget to put it toward content marketing.
3. Your Content Sucks, Sorry
Bottom line, content marketing will never succeed when the content holds no ground.
Your content needs to be on point, relevant, interesting to read, and worthwhile for today’s reader with the epically short attention span.
4. There Are Too Many Brand Inconsistencies
A brand should be definitive.
If you read one piece of content from a particular brand, it should have the same tone, flow, and style with every other piece out there. When everything appears disjointed, mismatched, and doesn’t meet up with the mission statement, it won’t be effective, according to Mike Templeman at Forbes.
Now, Let’s Move On To The Good
Okay, now that we’ve dispelled some of the reasons you think content marketing doesn’t work (or the reasons your clients assume it doesn’t work), now we’re going to dive right into why you need to use it.
6 Ways You Can Encourage Anyone To Use Content Marketing
Sure, you need a compelling sales pitch.
But, you can’t just say “content marketing works,” and expect the world to jump on board.
Instead, you need to deliver a convincing pitch that makes it almost seem as though without content marketing, the internet world would fail.
1. Sites With Excellent Content Marketing Grow 7.8x Faster
Content marketers are the leaders in site traffic.
You could be one of those leaders.
According to Aberdeen and mentioned by Neil Patel, each year, unique website traffic is 7.8x higher for content marketing leaders than followers.
The team at Search Engine Journal is one you can reference. (I love them and write for them consistently.)
They keep up with consistent, high-quality content (there’s that quality content reference again), and they are at the forefront of content marketing.
Even better, they churn out over 900,000 unique visitors per month according to their LinkedIn profile.
So, how could you implement this fact and amplify your content marketing strategy?
Start working on high-quality blogs. We’re talking long-form, short-form, research and newsworthy reads.
Be a leader that sets the standard for your field. Whether you’re blogging about peanut butter muffins or your love for coupons, you need to establish yourself as the authority in that area.
Track what other leaders do in that industry, see what they write about, and learn from their examples.
2. Sharable, Great Content Is What Is Trending
Content that people want to read is the cornerstone of a great content marketing strategy.
After all, what is the point of churning out all that content if no one shares it?
A great offering for content marketing managers would be creating shareable content and then actually sharing it on social media for their customers.
This means sharing on brand-owned social media channels, sharing content at the right time on social media, linking up with other similar or competing brands, and providing valuable information that people will continue to share.
According to Pew Research Center:
65 percent of adults now use social media networking sites.
This was a ten-fold jump from last decade. So, if your websites aren’t going viral, you need a strategy to help them capture at least a handful of those millions of people engaging on social media.
Here’s another fact to chew on:
DemandMetric states that 78% of content marketers believe custom content is the future of marketing.
It’s true.
With everything trending online, you need content that is unique, custom and tailored to your readers — the people that will ultimately share your content online.
3. Show The ROI Potential
Everyone wants to see what they get in return for spending money on something.
When you buy something, you are doing so for a reason — and what you buy will improve your life in some way.
The same goes for content marketing.
If you’re offering content marketing, you need to show the ROI potential for someone investing in your service.
Since most are afraid to invest in content marketing, you need powerful stats that help them overcome those fears.
According to Dan Radak at Business2Community, 65% of companies think they’re already overpaying for content marketing — that’s a big assumption to overcome, but not impossible.
The reality is, you get what you pay for in content marketing.
Using traditional marketing tactics to generate leads can cost a business an average of $373. But, when they use content marketing techniques, they can spend less than $150.
So, with more than 50% savings and more lead generation, you already have a great pitch ready to prove the ROI is worth every penny.
Need more inspiration? Jayson Demers at Entrepreneur has some great reasons why people should invest in content marketing — and he may help you cultivate a compelling ROI argument.
4. Conversion Rates Will Get A Big Boost
Conversion rates are a constant struggle for website owners, but with the right content marketing, they don’t have to be.
In fact, it has been shown that content marketing improves conversion rates by six times more than those without content marketing, according to Jodi Harris at Content Marketing Institute.
5. Content Marketing Is What Will Help A Website Survive SEO Competition
Search engine algorithms are constantly changing. Already we’ve seen Panda, Hummingbird, and Penguin.
Before the next animal-themed blast strikes the web, you and your clients need to take control of your SEO strategy.
To do that, you need content marketing.
Content creation currently ranks as the most effective SEO technique, according to a post on Content Marketing Institute. In fact, content marketing is essential when developing a top-ranking page.
6. The Biggest Names Out There Use Content Marketing Managers
Companies from around the world are using content marketing managers to build their brands and increase their revenue. This is because these businesses have realized how trustworthy they become just by creating engaging, custom content.
In fact, the Altimeter Group found that 78% of consumers trust a brand more when they create custom content for their websites and social media.
By creating content that is useful and attracts people to your business, you can increase brand awareness and trust — meaning people are more likely to buy or use your services.
Even better, DragonSearch found that custom content influences 61% of consumers. So, if you have the right skills behind that content, you will see a higher conversion rate.
Ready, Set, Sell! Get People On Board With Content Marketing Today
You now know the things holding back your customers from content marketing and how to reel them in.
The time to set the bait and start encouraging customers over to the content marketing side is now.
With more websites entering the internet each day — and over 1 billion already active according to Internet Live Stats — sites can no longer ignore the need for content marketing.
You have the tools necessary to craft the perfect pitch.
So, take your expertise, use your personality, and of course, boost the stats so that you can entice your customers to take the leap and invest in content marketing.
Not sure where to go from here? Express Writers can help you create custom, brand-worthy content, develop a strategy and even handle your content marketing with ease. Visit our Content Shop to order up our services today.
Content marketing and copywriting: what the heck is the difference?
For anyone that’s not intimately involved in the world of online marketing, the two may seem totally interchangeable.
The truth? The two are similar, and one can’t work without the other.
But they’re two very, very different animals, each of which has its own intricacies and benefits.
Read on to learn more.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a school of marketing that takes content (in the form of visuals, articles, textual content, videos, etc.) and uses it to market a product, brand, idea, or topic.
Today, virtually all brands use content marketing, and virtually all customers interact with it on a near-daily basis, whether they know it or not. 60% of modern marketers create and distribute at least a single piece of content each day and, two years ago, 57% of marketers stated that the development of custom content was their top marketing priority. Since then, this number has only grown.
Right now, brands are using content marketing in a myriad of ways, and the variety of the examples might surprise you. While many people believe that content marketing is simply the use of blog posts or infographics to gain consumer attention, it goes so much deeper than that.
For example, content marketing is Rolex’s beautifully curated and photographed Pinterest page:
Content marketing is a critical marketing tactic, and it’s appearing across the web in the hands of various companies.
Through the use of content marketing, brands everywhere are building their voices, setting themselves apart from the crowd with funny social media posts, high-quality images, and informative blogs, and developing unique, devoted, and loyal bases of customers who would not leave them come hell or high water.
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is a piece of content marketing but it’s far from being the whole picture. Copywriting is the practice of actually writing online copy – the type that would appear in a product ad, a blog post, a white paper, an infographic, or a social media post.
As the popularity of content marketing has risen with brands, so, too, has the popularity of copywriting services.
Since copywriting is a critical piece of any brand’s online success, many companies currently hire out professional copywriting services to help them populate their websites, build out their blogs, and create the unique content that is later used in the big picture of content marketing.
In addition to supplying websites and marketers with on-site content, copywriting also serves another important purpose: to boost a company’s visibility in the online environment.
Through the help of good, high-quality, reputable, well-researched copywriting, brands can secure high Google rankings, help customers learn new information or solve problems, and appear prominently to people searching online for a certain product, good or service.
In this way, good copywriting is a powerful SEO tool that is widely regarded as the single most effective way for modern brands to rank well without utilizing the spammy, black-hat SEO tactics of yesteryear.
How Copywriting and Content Marketing Work Together
Without content, there can be no content marketing.
Because of this, content marketing and copywriting are closer than two peas in a pod.
Even when people understand what content marketing is, few people truly understand how integral copywriting is in making it happen.
While most people interact with ads, visuals, infographics, social media, and blogs (all of the trappings of content marketing) on a daily basis, few people realize that it is copywriting that makes this all possible.
In most business settings, a company has a team of in-house or outsourced content writers.
When the company needs a piece of content, be it a blog or a web page, they give the writers a set of details, a keyword or two, and then they turn them loose.
In time, the writers craft a piece of online content that’s meant to appeal to both writers and search engines.
Once it’s finished, the company takes it back and uses it to enhance and support their overall content marketing strategy. In many cases, the content that a writer produces will spearhead or support an entire chain of content marketing.
For example, an idea that starts as a heavily researched, long-form blog post may become an infographic, a series of tweets, a SlideShare presentation, and a podcast.
In this way, copywriting is largely responsible for giving birth to all of content marketing’s various facades and offshoots.
Without good copywriting, there can be no good content marketing, and the ads, blogs, infographics, and social profiles that customers love all grow up from the marriage between these two things.
Content Marketing & Copywriting: a Critical Partnership
Without the help of copywriting, content marketing would not survive, and without the help of content marketing, copywriting wouldn’t be the major industry that it is today.
A critical partnership that’s managed to bring value, relevance, and informative material to millions of people around the world, content marketing and copywriting team up to comprise the current face of marketing around the world.
As humans get increasingly digital and we carry out more and more of our interactions online, it’s safe to say that the importance of content marketing and copywriting will only increase.
What’s more, the product content marketing and copywriting combine to create will change.
While there’s currently a push for more story-driven online content, we can expect to see this morph into the norm over the next few years.
These change, combined with the increasing focus on user convenience and high-quality online material, will create an environment where all consumers around the world have access to relevant online material at the click of a button.
So there you have it – while content marketing and copywriting aren’t the same thing, they do work together to create digital marketing as we know and love it today.
In need of expert content marketing or copywriting for your brand? Check out our Content Shop today!
Over twenty-something million pieces of content are shared every single day on the Internet, so there is no doubt that content is truly King and content marketing is its most trusted advisor. When it comes to creating web content, more is not always essentially better. You need to know that creating QUALITY content is way more important.
Good Content Marketing is Vital to Building your Business
Since the dawn of the Internet, content marketing (also known as article marketing) has been one of the most vital tools used by companies for Internet marketing. Many individuals use web content to tell their stories and reach out to as many people as they possibly can, thereby changing lives one post at a time. There are those who believe that imagery will overshadow content, but these people are dead wrong. Website content will become even more vital in the future. Harnessing the sheer power of words is important for creating long-term success for any company with an established Internet presence.
The Truth about Content Marketing
Unlike a good number of marketing efforts used by online marketers, content marketing is not mainly about driving sales (although that is DEFINITELY going to happen with quality content marketing). It is important that you understand that the first, and major, goal of all web content is to build relationships with clients, customers, or readers. For example, posting exclusive information on top social media platforms will help followers feel totally connected to your brand. You can take that step further by simply following up and directly interacting with readers through the site’s comment section. This will make your readers feel like you are giving them special one-on-one attention – this will require major commitment on your part.
Having a good quality website or blog content will make readers want to visit your site again, and share the content with the people they know. When building relationships with your readers or clients/customers, it is vital to make use of different kinds of quality content so that potential customers can interact with your brand on a regular basis. It is of the utmost importance for every company or individual with an online presence to build SEO pages that focus on people over keywords and rankings.
The 5 Most Popular Types of Content Marketing
A couple of the most vital trends in content marketing involve technologies and tools, which were not even in existence a few years ago. One of the smartest things business owners need to do is to make sure that they keep abreast of the most recent types of web content, and then utilize them correctly to woo potential customers.
Here are the 5 most common types of content marketing:
1. Blog Posts – Business blogs are becoming more and more popular and are a requirement for any business to become successful on the Internet.
2. Electronic mail (email) Newsletters – Clients expect to get top quality content from businesses they are doing business with. Delivering valuable information about the brand via email is an effective way to meet clients’ expectations.
Please Note: It is important to send quality written, error-free, email newsletters. Poorly written content just screams “unprofessional.”
3. Video – Video is a cool way to communicate with your target audience.
4. Podcasts – The great thing about podcasts is that it offers companies the opportunity to speak to their clients or customers in a more personal way than an impersonal advertising medium.
5. Social Media – Facebook posts, Tweets, Google+ updates, and other social media platforms are a wonderful way to interact with target audiences. You can utilize TrendsMap in order to know what is trending on Twitter within your city or in other top cities in the country. These social media platforms allow for a two-way interaction between your business and your customers, which is a really great way to develop strong relationships.
Providing Value to Target Audiences
The biggest trend to expect in 2014 and beyond when it comes to every type of content marketing is the value of the content created. A few years ago, it was possible to write total nonsense, publish it online, and get away with it. Currently, more and more people want to get great value for the time that they invest in reading online content. In other words, people do not have the time or the patience to read content that they consider absolute “garbage.”
As a business or website owner, it is your responsibility to find out what questions your target audiences need answered. Take advantage of the top content marketing tips in order to create content that is engaging. Then use content marketing to provide the answers to their questions or offer solutions to their problems. This could be as easy as providing information about the best coupon code websites for highly coveted products or services. Providing target audiences with the information that they need is exactly what content marketing is about.
When content marketing is done properly, you can count on creating a customer or client base that is not just loyal, but also assists your business with word of mouth advertising. There is no doubt that this is THE most effective and powerful type of marketing, so business owners will need to develop and implement a valuable web content marketing strategy for the future.
Amazing Content Marketing Information You Should Know for 2014
It’s no secret that content marketing is here to stay. In fact, 93 percent of B2B marketers use content marketing. A large number of marketers also have plans to increase their budget for content marketing in 2014. Nonetheless, there are still some challenges faced by many marketers as they struggle to generate interesting, quality, and engaging content. Many buyers become irritated when they see content that they consider just self-serving, unashamedly promotional, and not filled with valuable information. In addition to this, a considerable amount of marketers say that they are not able to assess how well their content marketing effort is helping their business grow.
Check out these amazing content marketing truths to help you find out which web content marketing strategies are very popular, which ones are underused, and how businesses can make their content marketing efforts much more successful.
Is Content Marketing Popular?
Oh yes, content marketing is popular! As mentioned earlier, 93 percent of B2B marketers use content marketing. However, just 44 percent of these marketers actually have a well-documented content strategy.
Over 50 percent of marketers have said that content marketing will be their top social priority for 2014.
According to eMarketer, a study showed that 35 percent of marketing experts across the world mentioned that content marketing would be their major focus for 2014, followed by social media and search engine optimization (SEO).
A large percentage (87 percent) of B2B buyers believe that content plays a huge role in the vendor selection process.
82 percent of business owners have plans to spend more on content marketing in 2014.
25 percent of marketing budgets in B2B firms are spent on developing, delivering, and promoting content in order to drive leads.
Content Marketing – What is the Return on Investment?
The great thing about content marketing is that it costs way less than conventional marketing and helps businesses generate thrice as many leads – if this is not a great ROI, then what is?!
Just 10 to 20 percent of a business’ web content drive 90 percent if its website traffic!
Nearly half of the United States’ business organizations turned to social media in 2103 in order to boost brand awareness.
The 3 web content marketing tactics known for delivering a high return on investment are: featured articles, video, and white papers.
Top Challenges in Content Marketing
The 3 major challenges when it comes to creating content are:
Lack of time
Incapacity to create sufficient content
Failure to create quality engaging content.
Although, other studies revealed that the 3 major challenges that hamper content marketing are insufficient budgets, limited number of staff, and the stress of generating new content.
Knowing the answers to the questions of target consumers is one thing, being able to create content that will engage the readers and provide them with the solutions to their problems is another thing entirely. This is where experienced and skilled writers come in. They know how to create compelling content that will rank high in search engine results.
How Important are Blogs in Content Marketing?
In plain English, blogging involves putting your views, advice, thoughts, memories, secrets, or anything that you feel like writing on an online-based journal where visitors to your web page can see it, read it, and possibly share it with others. Unlike the conventional way of writing a journal where you keep your thoughts in a little book, blogging is simply the idea of making your journal public – online. Many online-based business owners are seriously taking advantage of the blogging power. Yes, more companies all across the world use blogs in order to connect with their target consumers and create significant brand awareness. You need to understand that the Internet is filled with bloggers. If you want to draw-in readers, you will need to ensure that you establish some sort of credibility.
Do not make the mistake of blogging about just anything; ensure that you choose a topic that you are very passionate about – a topic that you have a lot of experience with. According to Heidi Cohen, headlines are important when writing blogs that will make your copy stand out, arrest the attention of your target audience and compel them to read your posts. Are you wondering what the most important elements to include in your blog titles are? Well, most readers just love headlines or titles that contain numbers such as “Top 10 Ways to Lose Fat in 72 Hours!” some readers prefer blog content titles that literally addresses them by including the term “You”. “How to” titles are also a big hit with readers all over the world. A good example is “How to Get a Loan with Bad Credit.”
Creating Web Content that Ranks in 2014
The cardinal rule of online business is to make sure that you market your website aggressively, especially if you are in a highly competitive industry. It is only natural that you want your website to be on the very first page of search engine rankings when people search for the product or service you offer online. This will require a lot of perseverance on your part and a commitment to ensuring that you produce quality content.
Content marketing is no doubt the effective technique that has been developed to help you market your brand effectively and to gain a lot of exposure. This technique means that you will need to churn out articles around a keyword or key phrase that is connected to your site. Although, this tactic is quite effective, it will require you to submit a large number of quality articles that people would actually want to read. This way, steady targeted traffic will be directed your way.
It is important that you only post website, SEO, or blog content that is well written. Your website or blog page is like the window through which readers see your business. If you post poorly written articles peppered with misspelled words and grammar errors, you will only be sending your readers the wrong message. It would shock you to know the level of damage poorly written content can cause. It is in your best interest to seek the services of experienced and skilled writers who know what to do with an idea and a blank sheet of paper. SEO copywriting experts generate content guaranteed to get past Google’s picky search engine robots. These robots are designed to weed out poorly written content and send them where they belong – a long way down the search engine rankings.
