While marketers created more content in 2015 than the previous year, more than half ranked that content as average, not very effective, or not at all effective, according to a new study from Contently.
In the study, ‘Content Marketing 2016: Staffing, Measurement, and Effectiveness Across the Industry’, Contently reveals that nearly three-quarters (73%) of marketers created more content in 2015 than in 2014.
However, while email was ranked as the most effective organic distribution channel, and Facebook the most effective paid distribution channel, more than half (51%) of 632 marketers surveyed rated their content marketing as average or not very/not at all effective.
One reason content marketing was not seen to be terribly effective could be due to the lack of budget investment in the activity. Contently’s study revealed that more than two-thirds of marketers devoted less than a quarter of their marketing budgets to content.
What is also clear from the study is that 30% of the marketers surveyed do not have a tool, or platform, that can provide data on their content. Lead conversion was the most popular metric for measuring content marketing success (cited by 32%), along with Likes (19%) and page views (15%). In fact, only 10% of marketers said they were confident that their content metrics were measuring business results.
What is encouraging, however, is that just over half of companies have at least two full-time employees dedicated to content marketing. A little over 2% of respondents even claimed to have at least 25 full-time employees working on content across the enterprise.
“While most companies don’t have the budget to hire dozens of people, many publishers have succeeded with a model that lets a handful of full-time marketers collaborate with a roster of reliable freelancers,” says the report.
In his annual industry review, Contently co-founder Shane Snow referred to this year as the “tipping point” for content marketing, a time when great brand publishers will separate themselves from the rest of the pack with sophisticated content strategies.
“In 2016, it’ll be harder for marketers to coast on creativity. After all, brands aren’t just publishing blogs – they’re navigating all of the opportunities and challenges that come with being a fully formed media operation,” concludes the report.
Source: Bizreport