Marketers planning their strategies for 2011 might want to prioritize quality. A new report from Pew indicates that the majority of consumers are willing to pay for content online. The study […]

Marketers planning their strategies for 2011 might want to prioritize quality. A new report from Pew indicates that the majority of consumers are willing to pay for content online.

The study asked 755 internet users about their online purchases and found that many had paid for "intangible" online content – from articles to music. The results may offer marketers insight on what type of content they should use to market their products and bring in money on the web.

The survey found that 21 percent of consumers have paid for apps for their mobile devices. With this in mind, brands might consider in-app advertising or developing branded apps that will appeal to these users.

Notably, Brafton has reported that news apps are on the rise, so brands might also consider creating news content that can be aggregated into these tools to reach online audiences. Plus, branded news content might bring in money for brands, as consumers also frequently buy articles.

Nearly one in five respondents (18 percent) said they have paid for digital news, including newspapers, magazines, journals and other reports. The majority of respondents say they are more likely to pay for subscriptions versus individual downloads, which may suggest branded, industry-specific newsletters can be a key way to appeal to an online audience and market a business while making money.

Creating custom news content can also offer an advantage to brands trying to reach affluent Gen Y-ers. As Brafton reported earlier today, a recent survey from the think tank L2 reveals that millennials regularly look for news on the web, and branded content about the latest industry developments may attract these consumers to websites. 

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.