super bowl

Super Bowl ads cost a lot. The average cost of an ad is around $5 million. Marketing for one commercial spot can cost as much as $1.25 million. That comes out to about $41,600 dollars / second. $5 million for one short spot? Could it be wasted money? The truth, according to a Stanford study, is that commercials by soda and beer companies have an insignificant effect on revenue. And 80% of commercials do nothing to boost sales or purchase intent, according to Bloomberg experts. Here’s my next question. Could content marketing outperform a Super Bowl ad? I think so. In today’s post, I’m making the argument that it can, by comparing a two-year investment in content marketing ($37k) vs. a 1-second Super Bowl ad investment ($41k). Read on. The High Cost of Being in the Super Bowl Ad Game Companies justify the cost of advertising in order to keep pace with the competition, to give their brand greater visibility, and to keep consumers talking long after the winning touchdown is made. To add to the mix, the rise of social media and advanced technology means we can share, YouTube, and tweet these commercials over and over again after companies have rushed to take the first place in line when commercial previews are unveiled in January. Fun fact: the steep $5 million price tag is double what a Super Bowl ad cost ten years ago. Graphic from NY Times Can you afford to spend that much on content marketing? The best of content creators could come up with a variety of efficient ways to spend $41,000 dollars in their efforts aside from a 30-second television spot. Content marketing doesn’t have to be crazy expensive. And there are many ways a brand can spread a message that are both cost-effective and impactful. Check out these incredible content marketing statistics: 61% of U.S. online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog. (BlogHer) 70% of consumers say they prefer getting to know a company via articles rather than ads. (SlideShare) Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing. (Demand Metric) See the pattern? Content marketing costs are less expensive and the preferred method for consumers to get to know a brand. This frees us up to explore other avenues in our quest to deliver authoritative and authentic copy. Thankfully, those methods are cost-effective, allowing us to market a brand without a hefty price tag; we’ve gathered three effective tools and some powerful stats to show you how. Ready to jump in? The Math: Content Marketing Costs vs. Super Bowl Ad Costs (Content costs based on our agency services at Express Writers. Keep reading for the breakdown.) Why High-Quality Content Marketing Plays a Vital Role in a Brand’s Life (& 3 Winners) Content marketers have proven time and again that they don’t need to spend thousands of dollars per second on flashy advertising in order to be successful. Reasonably-priced content marketing has the potential to make a difference to a brand’s online life. High-quality tools like e-books, blogging packages, and social media can do wonders for a marketer’s efforts and bring a new vitality to a brand’s online presence for a non-millionaire price. Here are three cost-effective, lead-generating content tactics you can use when you don’t have millions to invest in a Super Bowl ad. 1. Ebooks With the right promotion and the support of a collaborative team, an e-book can not only generate leads, but also be the tool that converts. An e-book can set you apart as an authority in your field and can serve as a powerful source of information for your audience for years to come. Another benefit of ebooks is the opportunity to deconstruct the content into smaller pieces, which could include: a series of newsletters blog posts podcast series a list of do’s and don’ts Barry Feldman over at Convince and Convert calls this the “e-book equation.” He notes that while planning for your ebook, it should be formed in such a way to “cast a wide net over a fertile area that traces to one of your strengths,”  then outlined, researched, and written with the knowledge that it will “foster offspring.” 2. Blogging In the 2017 Content Marketing Institute Benchmarks report, 75% of B2C marketers noted that blogging was one of an average of seven marketing tactics used in their efforts; this fell just under the top answer of social media content Graphic from SlideShare Just over half of those surveyed said blogging will be most critical to their content marketing success. In their most basic form, blogs are easy to use and can cost almost nothing to maintain. As a converting tool, blogs can be the fuel that moves readers to your social media channels and sales pages. Blogs are the place where SEO is maximized. Successful blogging in today’s world of content development is easier than ever. The accessibility of quality tools for content marketers leaves us with little excuse for delivering subpar content on an inconsistent basis. Quora is a question-and-answer site that will help content creators with new ideas for topics. (link) BuzzSumo allows you to enter a topic or website into the search box and find the key influencers to help promote your content. (link) Canva lets users express creativity through custom-made images, and many of the elements are free. (link) If used consistently and creatively, blogs can be a powerful tool in your arsenal. Why does consistent blogging win? Read more here. 3. Social Media The rise of social media over the past several years has had both a direct and indirect impact on content marketing and search engine optimization. Having a social media presence is not only one way to build brand awareness, it also connects us more closely with our audience with opportunity for engagement. In the CMI research mentioned above, social media channels followed email as the top for distribution of content, which means marketers are becoming more aware of how important it is to be linked to sites like … Read more