Content marketing is an extremely valuable tool for any marketing professional, and really any business both large or small, in the digital age.
Creating high-quality content for your websites, social media, and other digital platforms allow online users to find your products or services as fast as possible. Strong content with optimized keywords can help drive organic search results if you have the time and resources to do so.
However, sometimes it is difficult to convince key decision makers to invest in a content marketing strategy. No matter how many times you regurgitate the cliche “content is king” there is no budge or go-ahead approval to initiate a content marketing strategy.
So how about instead of telling someone about the benefits of content marketing you show them? The latest statistics about content marketing efforts in the last year indicate how powerful a role content plays in your digital marketing effectiveness.
Here is a list of five content statistics (from multiple sources: here, here, and also here) that show how content can drive web traffic, increase brand engagement, convert online users into customers, and create substantial gains in overall revenue:
Statistic 1: Long-form blog posts can generate 9x more leads that shorter blog posts.
A blogging strategy can be great for building organic traffic and engaging users, but having a variety of both short and long form blogs creates more conversions.
Long-form blog posts, or “evergreens,” are usually significantly longer than a normal blog post and use various sources to support a deeper conversation or topic. These evergreen posts can have tremendous benefits on organic search and increase page rankings over a longer period of time than shorter blogs.
Statistic 2: Content marketing costs roughly 62% less than traditional marketing and generates approximately 3x more leads.
Traditional marketing channels including print, TV, and billboard advertisements require immense investment. However, throwing money at a fancy new ad spot or print ads won’t help reach your ideal audiences.
With content marketing, it is easy to target your ideal customers and tailor content to their interests with informative blogs, infographics, and other digital content pieces. Content marketing will likely create a stronger ROI than some traditional media platforms.
Statistic 3: 47% of buyers interacted with three pieces of content before making a purchase.
A good content strategy will always consider the buyer’s journey and what a buyer needs to know before finalizing a purchase. Developing high-quality content that not only engages but also educates and entertains, can help convert nearly half of your potential site visitors/customers.
Statistic 4: 82% of all customers have a more positive outlook on a company/business after reading custom content.
Content marketing can help drive user awareness and engagement more effectively than other types of PR campaigns. Consumers have access to information unlike ever before and value transparency, sharing of information, and educational context when making purchases.
Statistic 5: B2B companies that blogged 11+ times per month had roughly 3x more traffic than companies that blogged 0-1 per month.
Not only does content marketing help guide buyers to a purchase, but it also works to promote brand awareness and also stand out from competitors.
Let the numbers speak for themselves: a content marketing strategy can get results for your most important marketing goals. Marketers and businesses that neglect the potential of content marketing will get left behind by more opportunistic competitors.