Content has long been known to be determinative when it comes to client engagement, but a new survey by B2B research, ratings and review company, Clutch, has found that 82% of people have made a purchase from a company after consuming its online content. One of the most interesting findings made was that despite the fact that 86% of those surveyed said they could confidently identify content marketing, the latter continued to be determinative when it came to purchasing items or services. Their findings echo trends in India, where marketers are allocating 42% of their total budgets to content, and spending 25% on content marketing.
What Features are Readily Identifiable as Content Marketing
Businesses often rely on good content writers or creators to use subtle language that includes marketing material while providing useful information. For example, link backs to specific companies or the inclusion of a specific company in the author’s bio are subtle ways to drive traffic to a desired destination. The Clutch survey showed that audiences are savvy enough to recognize link backs and content on a company’s website as marketing material. However, this doesn’t change the value of their experience. Around two thirds consider content marketing valuable; only 33% deem it unreliable or biased. Content marketing drives people through a company’s sale route. The survey showed that half of all those surveyed were likely to look into a company’s products after consuming content.
Which Content Marketing Tools Hit the Mark?
In India, trends with respect to content very much echo those in the U.S. and Europe. Around 70% of Indian marketers upvote content marketing as an effective way to obtain bring greater visibility to their brand, while 65% say it is effective at engaging new audiences. Some of the most effective content marketing tools, they say, are blogs and newsletters, social media, testimonials and case studies, videos and webinars, images and infographics, and research reports and white papers.
Creating Engaging Content
What type of content captivates audiences and leads to possible conversions? Creating a strategy and analysing its reach via metrics and analysis is key. Storytelling – connecting to audiences and explaining why your business exists and the reasons why you can solve a problem in their lives – is key. Content should be useful, either because it is entertaining, it gives advice, or it informs your audiences regarding vital industry trends or statistics. SEO continues to be influential, though subtle traces rather than keyword stuffing is the way to go. Mobile optimization is another must for content marketing to be successful; mixing long and short content will make for optimal readability on mobile phones. In addition to creating optimal content in-house, publishing content by guest bloggers, especially those with specialized knowledge, can mark your website or social media platforms as influential content providers in your industry.
Content marketers who believe that their marketing efforts need to be masked have clearly missed the mark. Readers today are savvy enough to quickly identify marketing material, yet the good news is that this is largely irrelevant to the benefits of a company’s marketing efforts. Content that provides advice or information that is valuable per se is highly influential when it comes to potential sales, indicating that in this day and age, content should continue to be a focal point for marketers wishing to connect with existing and target audiences.
