Today's consumers have greater access to information, higher expectations, and a more sophisticated understanding of the choices available to them than ever before. Integrated marketers must build a content strategy that considers these truths while complying with current trends and driving results. Smart Insights has put together a list of the top seven content marketing insights that businesses should use to guide their content strategies.
Produce Meaningful ContentAccording to studies cited in the article, while 84% of consumers expect content to entertain through stories, solutions or experiences, 60% of content fails to deliver on its promise. This is a reminder that customers want content that provides value and offers insights into how your product or service will help them. Consider using case studies, interviews, and other customer-centric content to showcase your business' strengths.
Target ALL Influencers
Purchasing authority does not always lie within the C-Suite. Sometimes senior staff or end-users influence decision-making, so make sure that you target different personas. Highlight the benefits for each audience through customized, relevant content. List segmentation addresses specific needs and interests and can improve open rates, deliverability, and retention while boosting revenue.
Meet Your Audience Where They Are-On Their SmartphonesStudies show that customer decisions and perceptions are shaped by a number of touchpoints, with smartphones topping the list. Mobile content marketing must go beyond responsive design to content that suits the format: less copy-intensive, less data entry, more images, and videos.
Use Multiple Types of ContentIntegrated marketers have found that using up to five or six types of content formats improves performance. Consider a mix that includes wide-ranging formats such as blogs, audio, images, infographics, educational papers, mobile apps, and virtual or augmented reality. Test to see which combinations work best with your audience.
Customers are TransactionalMany customers are willing to give you time and information in exchange for valuable information they can use: webinars, research, reports, case studies, etc. The that your business gathers can be used for marketing/remarketing and nurture campaigns, while customers receive valuable information that educates and informs.
Readers Have Short Attention SpansCustomers may spend as little as 37 seconds on an article, so use brevity when creating content. While long-form content is appealing for explainer pieces, prospective customers are typically more interested in shorter, high-quality, readable pieces that share new ideas, actions, and perspectives. Use headlines, bullets and white space to both create breathing room, and emphasize the most significant content.
Correlate Content to the Purchase JourneyResearch indicates that customers place different values on various types of content depending on their place in the purchase cycle. In the early stages, integrated marketers should emphasize image- or audio-heavy content that requires less of a time commitment. For mid-stage, reports, webinars, and interactive content may be more appropriate. For late-stage purchasers, move on to more in-depth pieces like case studies and other pieces with concrete results.