Content marketing has become somewhat of a buzzword. For some brands, it is a precious lifeline that supplies them with revenue and conversions. However, other brands may feel like they are being left behind. In this thought leadership piece, we give you a brief rundown of how you can work with marketing agencies like ours to implement lead-scoring content strategies.
What is content marketing, and why is important for brands?
When most people think of content marketing, they may think of TikTok’s and Instagram reels. In reality, content refers to anything you publish on a digital space, such as a website. This could be website content, blogs, videos, user-generated content, and social media posts. Not all content is created equal, and great content is content that connects your customer base to your product or service.
So how big is content marketing? In a report collated by Statista, the global content marketing industry's revenue was roughly 66 billion U.S. dollars. Statista also projected that it would increase to 76 billion in 2022 and continue growing over the years to reach 137 billion in 2026. That's nearly double the growth in 4 years, which I'm sure you will agree is unusual for any emerging industry.
In that same report, a survey carried out in 2021 among marketers from across the globe, 97% of respondents indicated that content marketing was part of their overall marketing strategies. This is a 20% increase from 2019, so there is no denying that content marketing is booming across the globe and has become a valuable tool for marketing campaigns.
Why should brands prioritise content marketing?
Content marketing is cheap, easy and profitable. Anyone can own a social media account, and you may already have a website. So you will have the facilities to create content already.
Not only that, but Google loves new content! Google has openly talked about the fact that content is one of its ranking factors. So don't just stick any old content on there; it needs to be original and relevant.
Writing original and relevant content can be difficult if you are running a brand too. However, suppose SEO (search engine optimisation) is something you're interested in for your lead generation strategy. In that case, it's worth looking into an SEO content creation agency, like Avenue Digital. We help define marketing objectives and look into complex tactics such as keyword research, backlinking and technical SEO.
How should a brand approach content creation? Is outsourcing the right approach?
Some brands tend to hand the social platforms over to the youngest person in the company and ask them to go for it. This can be overwhelming, especially if this isn't what your skill set is. So, it could be a good idea to speak with an agency about putting a content marketing strategy together. It's worth ensuring that skill sets and culture align and going into meetings with an open mind. After all, they are the experts at generating marketing-qualified leads and turning them into sales-qualified leads.
Is content marketing a heavily saturated industry?
The short answer is, yes. The market is very saturated with content, with millions of reels, videos, posts and blogs coming out every hour. It's not all bad news, though, because you're not trying to get your content to be seen by everyone.
Instead, you want to ensure your content stands out to the right people, i.e. your target market. Making sure you find golden opportunities to bring curated content to your target audience is the best way to stand out from the never-ending content cycle.
Here are some types of content, content creation processes and what they are best suited for:
- Blog: Blogs are great for keeping content up-to-date and relevant on your website. Excellent for keywords and also letting your target market read about something in-depth. If you want to drive more traffic to your website, speaking to a B2B content marketing agency specialising in SEO and blog writing is the way to go.
- Video: Do you want something impactful to grab your customer's attention? The video content strategy could be the best route for your business. Videos are great for uploading to social media platforms. If you also want it to appear on Google, try embedding it on your website or uploading it to YouTube.
- Google Ads: This paid advertising on Google can be tailored to your e-commerce site. It's recommended that you speak to your agency about Dynamic Search Ads. This is perfect for e-commerce sites with multiple products that don't want to upload individual campaigns.
- Email: Email content is excellent for returning customers. An email marketing campaign is great for getting customers who have already converted to convert again and again.
- Social media content: Comes in many forms, and social media content is excellent for running campaigns and communicating with customers.
Hopefully, this gives you a rough idea of content marketing and the current market for content creation. You should now know some content marketing strategies and how to work with content creation marketing agencies (like us) to make your strategy come to life.
Of course, depending on what your strategy is will depend on what content is best for your campaign or brand. It's best to do a little research and look at your brand aims before doing anything. Also, try consulting with your business development managers to determine the right course of action for your brand.
