If you've always been skeptical that creating content and
generating leads using social media
should be part of your marketing program, you may want to start considering the successes of other marketers. According to a
new survey conducted by Junta42
, businesses are increasingly understanding the value of creating remarkable content.
The survey results reveal that, for the third year in a row, the majority of marketing professionals (6 in 10) will allocate more of their marketing budgets to
content marketing initiatives
. In 2010, 59% of the 259 marketers surveyed plan to increase their spending on content efforts, which compares to 56% in 2009 and 42% in 2008. This is an 11% increase in spending from 2008 to 2010.
Particularly interesting is the comparison of content marketing spending between small businesses and larger sized businesses. According to the report, smaller companies are allocating 40% of their marketing budgets to content marketing, which is more than twice the amount of larger companies, who are allocating 18%.
Although the study does not report on the reasoning behind marketers' increase in spending, there are a number of possibilities for how marketers are justifying their budget increases:
- Their content marketing efforts in 2008 and 2009 have proven successful.
- Content marketing costs less than outbound marketing practices such as print/TV advertising, direct mail, cold calling, etc., and low-cost marketing is especially critical for small businesses who may have smaller overall marketing budgets.
- Content marketing offers additional benefits such as thought leadership and SEO results .
The survey also indicates that marketers are increasingly convinced of the power of social media as the vehicle for their content production, with respondents using social media as 72% of their total marketing strategy.
How does this data affect marketers?
Content marketing also facilitates success in other marketing initiatives such as SEO and social media. For example, blogging is one example of content marketing, and we've seen how
small business blogging attracts 55% more website visitors
and
102% more Twitter followers
. This is just more evidence of
the power of the written word
.
Marketing professionals are becoming more and more convinced of the significant ROI of content marketing. Are you?
As a marketer, are you planning to increase your use of content as a marketing tool ?
Webinar: How to Sell Social Media to Your Boss
|
Social media accounts for 72% of surveyed marketers' marketing strategy. Learn from Chris Brogan, who explains how to demonstrate the value of social media marketing.
Download the free webinar
to learn how to get your company started with social media.
|
