This is What the Most Successful B2C Marketers Do

A few interesting statistics stood out in particular to my team at StoryStudio from Content Marketing Institute's recent survey of thousands of marketers for their 2018 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends eBook.

According to CMI's data, of the most successful B2C marketers, 93% are extremely or very committed to content marketing, 87% prioritize delivering quality over quantity, and 84% focus on creating content for audiences versus the brand.

We see the immense value of content marketing and the impact it makes on our clients' businesses everyday, but it hasn't always been such an easy sell. That's why we love to see statistics like this that prove content is an incredibly valuable tool to engage with audiences and create a community surrounding your brand.

 

Why is content so important? The average American is exposed to between 5,000 and 10,000 advertisements per day, all of which compete for their very limited attention. To be successful, marketers are best served by putting their money into mediums that capture their customer's attention. Consumers spend 345 times longer engaging with branded content than traditional digital banner ads, showing that not only are consumers fatigued by banner ads, but they want to engage with your brand if you provide something valuable to them.

When developing a content marketing plan, the goal is to create high-quality content that appeals to your target audience, bringing them further into your funnel, converting them into customers, and ultimately building loyalty to your brand. Although this sounds straightforward enough, in reality your intended audience is being inundated and overexposed to content virtually every minute of the day. 

 

According to a study by Wordstream, content marketing is highly effective – and most commonly used– for lead nurturing, lead generation, and increasing sales. But when it comes to content, the sky is the limit in terms of goals and the types of content you can product to reach them. Content developed for brand awareness and thought leadership is also very popular.

With content, you have the opportunity to directly reach your consumers and control the message; this is your chance to share powerful and compelling stories. With 91% of buyers (both B2B and B2C) looking for more visual and interactive content, you have an incredible opportunity to start the conversation. Consider telling stories in blogs, interactive content pieces, images, or videos. Video is a popular choice, with 76% of B2C marketers using video content as part of their strategy.