The activities that were once performed offline now take place on the web, and marketers understand they must be available to answer questions and engage audiences with compelling online content.
Brands already spend approximately 25 percent of their annual marketing budgets on web content, according to a recent Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council report. B2B businesses alone spend approximately $16.6 billion on content marketing to generate leads, manage online reputations and produce valuable resources for prospects.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, according to a study from the Digital Marketing Depot, which found 95 percent of agencies plan to expand their digital advertising efforts over the next year. Half of surveyed respondents said they want content writing services, while 53 percent anticipate adding social media marketing.
AlixPartners’ Chief Marketing Officer Laura Breslaw told CMO that marketers must increase their budgets because online content is becoming more complex. Internet-savvy audiences have higher expectations, and they now require a diverse array of content to push them through the sales funnel.
B2B businesses alone spend approximately $16.6 billion on content marketing to generate leads, manage online reputations and produce valuable resources.
News articles are effective on some channels, but infographic content and internal interviews are more appropriate for education and customer retention practices. Marketers must have the resources and expertise to know what type of media converts and which channel to use to reach prospects.
In addition to building companies’ internet marketing capabilities, brands want their strategies to be seamless, the Digital Marketing Depot report revealed.
“It’s clear that the future of digital marketing agencies is integration. The siloed, standalone service approach isn’t working anymore, as more and more clients prefer the ‘all-in-one’ treatment,” said Optify’s CEO Rob Eleveld.
Seamless content marketing strategies provide multiple benefits – they create cohesive branding messages that improve awareness, enhance users’ experiences and allow for precise content measurement to prove ROI.
