While content marketing, as a concept, is generally understood these days, there are some high-level, C-suite executives that might not fully understand the inner workings of it (e.g. how it differs from social media marketing), or how content marketing can directly help the company drive leads, boost revenue, and improve brand awareness and loyalty. Whether you’re a would-be content marketer looking to launch a program, or a veteran content marketer in need of a bigger budget, use these content marketing statistics to create an airtight business case. The Initial Pitch: Why Content Marketing Is Necessary If your executives are not yet true believers in content marketing, here are some jumping off statistics to open your business case: Customers want content, not ads. People want content from brands. According to Havas Group’s 2017 Meaningful Brands study, 84 percent of people expect brands to create content. With ads, you never know what site your ad will appear on or what content it’ll be next to. Ninety-one percent of total ad spend is viewed for less than a second; as a result, $38 billion in digital ad spend was wasted in 2017. The average person consumes 11.4 pieces of content before making a purchasing decision, according to Forrester. Seventy-four percent of companies indicate content marketing is increasing their marketing teams’ lead quality and quantity. Content marketing results in cost-savings.
In order to be successful at content marketing, you need executive buy-in. And what moves executives to take action? A compelling business case, complete with statistics that support your content marketing strategy and proposal.
While content marketing, as a concept, is generally understood these days, there are some high-level, C-suite executives that might not fully understand the inner workings of it (e.g. how it differs from social media marketing), or how content marketing can directly help the company drive leads, boost revenue, and improve brand awareness and loyalty.
Whether you’re a would-be content marketer looking to launch a program, or a veteran content marketer in need of a bigger budget, use these content marketing statistics to create an airtight business case. You’ll get the buy-in that you need to run a content marketing program that drives the results your company wants to see.
The Initial Pitch: Why Content Marketing Is Necessary
If your executives are not yet true believers in content marketing, here are some jumping off statistics to open your business case:
Customers want content, not ads.
- Consumers can smell a sales pitch a mile away. You might think your advertising is resonating with audiences, but 71 percent of readers say they were turned off by content that seems like a sales pitch, according to the Economist Group’s “Missing the Mark” report.
- People don’t want constant email promotions. Adobe’s 2017 Consumer Email Survey found that 40 percent of respondents want emails from brands to be less promotional and more informative. How to make your emails less promotional? Fill them with content: blog posts, interactive content, infographics, excerpts from long-form content, photos, and more.
- Younger generations are anti-ads. A 2015 McCarthy Group study revealed that 84 percent of millennials don’t trust traditional ads. As for Gen Z, purchasing decisions aren’t influenced by ads, but rather by other forms of content; 1 in 5 young people say they are influenced by Snapchat, for example.
- Ad blocking is the norm. All generations, but especially millennials (67 percent of them) are installing ad blockers. As of 2017, 615 million devices have installed ad blocker technology.
- People want content from brands. According to Havas Group’s 2017 Meaningful Brands study, 84 percent of people expect brands to create content.
Ad safety is a major problem.
- With ads, you never know what site your ad will appear on or what content it’ll be next to. In a 2017 survey by Trusted Media Brands, 81 percent of marketers said that having a brand safe environment for advertising is a high priority, while 71 percent said it’s difficult to attain.
- Brand safety and ad fraud inspire new approaches. Research from Teads reveals that CMOs at large U.S. brands have drastically adapted their digital marketing strategy in the last year because of worry about brand safety, transparency, and ad fraud. That includes 30 percent boycotting or reducing spending on channels that can’t guarantee brand safety.
Ad spends often result in wasted money.
- There’s no guarantee that people will see or register your ads. Ninety-one percent of total ad spend is viewed for less than a…
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