Content Marketing –[Almost] Everyone is Doing It But Who Is Doing It Well?
Aberdeen Group has found that 83% of its marketing respondents practice content marketing. Talk to most of them though, and it’s already an assumed fact– content marketing is just part of the overall marketing game now.The next wave in wide range adoption, though, often brings an added level of sophistication. Practicing an effort like content marketing alone, doesn’t stand out. The jig is up, and the novelty of having creative, informative or entertaining materials that appeal to buyers based on value (not just branding), has worn off.
So today, where does content marketing put those who practice it?
For marketers to remain competitive, and to pursue such Best-in-Class results through content, it is critical to understand what typical content marketers are doing well, and what these content marketers are struggling with.Content Marketers are 37% more likely to be effective at lead management and prioritization Ultimately, to get the most out of content marketing, it is important to remember:
- There’s always room for “better.”Content Marketers, in general, average a 7% higher return on marketing investment, compared to All Others (52% vs. 45%), but still trail Best-in-Class by 23%.
- Make the most of marketing efforts amplified by content.Of note, Content Marketers are 37% more likely to be effective at lead management and prioritization, compared to Non -Content marketers (39% vs. 29%).
- Exploiting behavioral data from engagements with content to add context and insight to lead management and prioritization is an intuitively advantageous way to gain additional value from content.
- Amplify content marketing performance by amplifying social media effectiveness.74% of Leading Content Marketers are effective at earning positive social media conversions, compared to just 36% of Best-in-Class marketers.
- Social media success is clearly a challenge for marketers, but the risk in developing competency is rewarded among top-performing content marketers.
- Compound on benefits from content marketing efforts with integrated marketing technologies. Eleven percent more Leading Content Marketers are effective at increasing productivity with integrated marketing technologies, compared to the Best-in-Class (63% vs. 52%).