A new report from Pew found that more than half of tablet owners access new content on their mobile devices than they did prior to using the handsets.

Content marketers, take note: Tablet owners search for news. A report from Pew’s Research Center for Excellence in Journalism recently reported that more than half of tablet users access news content every day. The study pegged tablet ownership at 11 percent of American adults.

Additionally, 77 percent of people who own tablets said say they now read and access more news content than they did prior to purchasing the mobile device. Tablet users spend about 90 minutes per day on their handsets, which may account for their rising news consumption.

For marketers, this trend places a premium on the use of news content marketing. Pew’s research demonstrates that businesses can make their campaigns more effective by developing industry-focused news content rather promotional articles.

The web has provided consumers with an endless stream of information. Developing news content allows companies to appeal to these users, while also establishing their brands as thought leaders within their respective industries. Brafton recently reported that becoming a noted resource in a certain niche can help businesses gain entry into Google News.

Another statistic that demonstrates content marketing opportunities arising from the growth of tablets is 33 percent of users say they now follow news sources they’ve discovered through their tablet. This may also speak to the value of integrating all content campaigns with SEO strategies.

Developing a highly competitive keyword strategy will help businesses improve their search rankings, which will boost their visibility to tablet owners (and other consumers) open to different news sources.

While Pew’s research speaks to the value of news content marketing for reaching tech-savvy, tablet-owning audiences, other forms of content may similarly find audiences among on-the-go internet users. Brafton recently reported that blog content has become especially popular among businesses looking to boost their content marketing campaigns. 

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.