All week we have discussed the value of including multiple media in your marketing mix in order to not only increase your frequency, but also increase the reach of your brand’s messages.  Today, we’re discussing the value of a brand’s content.  Without valuable content, your core audience — potential and current consumers — will not take the time to interact and engage with your brand’s communication regardless of how they received the message.

A study, focused on Business to Business marketing, showed that only six percent of businesses surveyed found their content “very effective,” with about half of the participants reporting their content as only “moderately effective.”  Content Marketing has grown in popularity over the past year and it proves to be effective in drawing customers to you because they actively seek out your information, rather than more traditional media, such as television ads, that are deemed more of an ‘interruptive’ form of communication between brands and consumers.

The biggest set-back businesses reported in their content marketing efforts is the lack of valuable content to share on their corporate blogs, in emails and via mobile messaging. While discovering and sharing intriguing information does require time and resources, the outcome — consumers seeking out and coming to you for information — is a huge benefit.  Once a consumer is on your social page or website, you’re able to collect additional information from them, build your database and send out personalized communication to new customers in the future.

Compared to 2011, the percentage of businesses using content marketing has grown by 13 percent and is projected to continue to grow as we enter 2013.  While this study was primarily focused on B2B marketing, the underlying message can still apply to B2C businesses:  By offering valuable and unique content, your target audience will more likely come to you rather than you having to come to them.

How are you leveraging valuable content to help grow your database and ultimately your sales?

Timothy Freeman

President

Print & Graphic Communications Association