Marketers falling short on content marketing, survey

by Max Mason

More than half of Australian marketers know what an effective content marketing plan looks like, but less than a third of businesses are implementing it properly, according to a new survey.

The fourth annual content marketing in Australia report found that 58 per cent of Australian marketers are expecting to increase the amount of their budgets they allocate to content marketing, which involves the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire and retain customers.

The survey of 146 respondents in for-profit Australian companies was conducted by the US-based Content Marketing Institute and the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA).

More than eight out of 10 organisations said they were using content marketing, but only 28 per cent said they were using the strategy effectively.

The survey was sponsored by Fairfax Made, the content marketing arm of Fairfax Media, publisher of The Australian Financial Review, and was carried out across a number of industries including advertising, retail, manufacturing, travel and education.

Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi said that Australian marketers are doing several things well, however overall effectiveness appears to be stalled compared with 2014.

“One of the keys to success moving forward will be to ensure that the content they create is consistently delivering value,” he said.

SOCIAL MEDIA

There are a number of channels that Australian marketers are using for content marketing, however social media was the most common, at 92 per cent in 2015, compared with 86 per cent last year, with LinkedIn rated the most effective platform.

Other popular channels included enewsletters, videos, blogs, articles on the company website and in-person events, which were rated the most effective tactic.

With ad-blocking reportedly leading to a $US22 billion ($30.4 billion) loss in advertising revenue worldwide in 2015, brands and publishers alike are searching for new ways to connect to audiences and create new revenue streams.

Some 87 per cent of respondents to the survey said they are planning to produce more content in 2016, compared to this year. However, 69 per cent said they are challenged with producing engaging content for audiences.

“This research absolutely supports what we are seeing in the Australian market. Without doubt more brands are using content marketing as a major component of their entire marketing mix,” Made by Fairfax managing director Simon Smith said.

“In some respects brands are not completely satisfied in just reaching audiences any more; they are now wanting to build them through their owned and earned channels. The clear challenge for marketers is how to deliver a sustainable volume and quality of engaging content.”

This article first appeared on the Australian Financial Review