Just one in three Aussie marketers say their content marketing is effective
A new study shows only a third of Australian marketers believe their content is an effective form of marketing.
The study by the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising and the US-based Content Marketing Institute (CMI) shows only 29 per cent said their content is a ‘very effective’ or ‘effective’. This compares with 39 per cent in the UK and 37 per cent of North Americans who said it was effective.
A total of 216 marketers in Australia were polled between August 2012 and January 2013 for the survey.
Joe Pulizzi, executive director of Content Marketing Institute and co-author of Managing Content Marketing said despite the results: “Australian businesses are continuing to invest in content marketing, with the majority planning to increase their spend in the coming year.”
The research shows 96 per cent of Australian marketers are planning using content marketing to reach out to customers this year. Among the most popular strategies are: content on a company website (88 per cent), social media (excluding blogs) (83 per cent), e-newsletters (82 per cent) and in-person events (74 per cent).
Australian companies also plan to allocate 25 percent of their total marketing budget to content marketing the survey suggested, with 61 per cent planning to increase that amount over the next 12 months. This is more than their North American counterparts who, in another recent CMI study, said they will increase their content marketing budgets by 54 per cent.
“Australians have embraced content marketing but we have realised it requires a new skillset and change in mindset. It is the merging of marketing, journalism and PR. They need to think more like journalists and publishers rather than marketers because content marketing is about providing valuable information rather than selling. Often there’s a tendency to slip back into delivering selling messages,” added Jodie Sangster, ADMA CEO.
Australian content marketers also use an average of four social media platforms to distribute content, with the most popular channels being Facebook (71 per cent), Twitter (67 per cent), and LinkedIn (67 per cent).
The survey also shows the biggest challenge Australian marketers face is creating enough ENGAGING content.
That might explain why many are not satisfied with current results – the stories just are not yet good enough to earn attention and (as a result) deliver commercial outcomes.
Despite this most plan to spend more, not less, in the future – hope springs eternal? Or recognition there’s value in content marketing but not all have cracked the code yet?
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@carden
I would suggest that the problem is the wrong people (PR and ad agency types) are creating the content.
It would be nice to see one of these print dinasours moving into a great content marketing role. I know that print is the worst possible product in the world and that all of those editors and sub editors were shafted because they just don’t get digital.
But surely, surely some of those skills can be used to create engaging content? Why is it that every time I sit at a table full of content marketers nowdays there is rarely anyone there with a background in editing, or at the very least journalism?
A smart CMO might just find some incredibly talented content creators and managers.
They probably won’t have a twitter account though.
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So hang on a minute, you’ve got 96% of marketers saying they are or are going to invest in content marketing, and majority of them are placing the content on their website and social media channels and thats it?
With this kind of strategy, im shocked 29%think their content marketing is effective.
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This does not surprise me at all.
Everyone seems to be running headlong into content without any clear long term plan or a structured approach. Every conversation I have with senior marketers embracing content marketing reveals another skin deep strategy.
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I’m with you, Shocked. Posting stuff on your site or FB page or whatever is not a ‘strategy’. It’s just wishful thinking. Engaging and shareable content is important, but you’ve got to put it in front of people where they can’t miss it, especially those people who are most likely to buy your stuff. The more things change…
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How are people finding social media engagement in the B2B sphere? I see so many companies throw up a Facebook and Twitter page and gain a handful of likes / followers; (these fans are generally not their target market, more their staff and affiliates.)
Linkedin is obviously the social tool for business and there are some good wins to be had on there. What do others think about the B2B social landscape and how to use it effectively?
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