What data tells you about the need for Content Marketing.

These days, more and more marketers are foregoing traditional marketing tactics—think postal direct mail, print advertising, and yellow pages—and they’re adjusting their budgets to focus on creating content for marketing. There’s growing evidence that this trend won’t be changing anytime soon.

The rise of Content Marketing

According to recent data compiled by the Content Marketing Institute | CMI, 60% of respondents indicate that they plan to increase their Content Marketing budgets over the next 12 months.

This aligns with research from eMarketer, that indicates worldwide, digital ad spending passed the $100 billion mark for the first time last year. According to eMarketer estimates, brands investing in online marketing and content creation will increase by a further 15.1% in 2013 to $118.4 billion.

What does it mean for your organization?

Whether you’re ready or not, your company is now in the content business. As a result, virtually every organization needs to now become a supplier of ed, cation, insights, and tools that prospects and customers will find relevant and valuable to help them research, choose and use products and services.

James Keady, Digital Marketing Manager of McLaren Automotive, a British automotive manufacturer, adds this real-world perspective:

Content Marketing by the numbers

There is a growing body of data that supports the notion that organizations must embrace the idea of content marketing soon—or they’ll run the risk of being eclipsed by their competitors.

Below are twenty-five statistics that support the need for every organization to consider investing in Content Marketing for the long term.

1. | 91% of B2B marketers use Content Marketing
2. | +90% CMOs think custom content has a positive effect on audience attitudes + customer bonding
3. | 90% of consumers find custom content useful
4. | 90% of organizations market with content
5. | 86% of people skip TV ads
6. | 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing
7. | 8 in 10 people prefer receiving information on a company through custom media
8. | 80% of CMOs believe custom media should be integral to the marketing mix
9. | 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles vs. ads
10. | 78% of CMO’s think custom media represents marketing’s future
11. | 78% believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building relationships
12. | 70% of consumers prefer getting to know an organization via articles not ads
13. | 70% of internet users say content marketing makes them feel closer to a sponsoring organization
14. | 68% are likely to spend time with content from a brand they are interested in
15. | Content marketing cost 62% less per lead than outbound marketing
16. | 60% are more likely to find solutions when looking at content marketing
17. | 60% of consumers feel more positive about an organization after reading custom content
18. | 57% read content marketing titles at least once a month
19. | 44% of direct mail is never opened
20. | 37% of marketing managers recognize content-led website as the most important channel for engagment
21. | 37% visit content marketing websites at least once a month
22. | 37% of marketers say blogs are the most valuable content type for marketing.
23. |Content marketing costs 31% less to generate leads than paid search
24. | 20% of users’ time is spent surfing the Internet on content-led websites

So where to from here?

You need to start to think about how you will address Content Marketing with a structured process and with a qualified resource to help you succeed. Delay or denial may not take your business where it needs to be.

Is your online marketing ready to meet the new requirements of Content Marketing? Or are you struggling with how to begin? Share your experience.

Paul Pruneau

As president and creative director of TeamworksCom, Paul develops brand strategy, engineers content to express customer value and creates integrated online and content marketing solutions to help businesses succeed. Connect with Paul, send an Email, or just call 415.789.5830.