Today’s competitive business landscape has driven more digital enterprises toward utilising content marketing to build audiences and develop long-term relationships with consumers, rather than merely focusing on short-term benefits such as generating leads, clicks and impressions.

The latest Content Marketing in Australia: Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report, published by Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and ADMA, found that 85% of organisations Down Under are leveraging creative articles, videos, news and other resources to build audiences, with an additional aim of creating several subscriber bases across various channels and platforms.

Brand building exercises have long been a major marketing objective, but the study suggests it is now in sharper focus for CMOs due to the value involved in capturing and retaining the interest of consumers in challenging digital environments. This suggestion is supported by the fact that only 69% said building audiences was a central objective in 2016, so there has been a notable shift during the last 12 months.

Content marketing is quickly becoming one of the most valued brand activities, as the clear majority now see the benefit of creating and sharing materials online to stimulate interest in services and products. Marketers are also more confident in their ability to manage campaigns, as a high percentage of respondents said their content efforts were successful — almost half said they had experienced more success since the 2016 report.

“It’s exciting to see Australian marketers, including those who are just starting out with content marketing, understand the importance of using content to build relationships,” ADMA CEO Jodie Sangster said. “There are no ‘quick fixes’ with content marketing. Marketers who commit to the approach, document their strategy, and create ongoing value for their audience will see long-term results.”

More marketers are also coming of age in terms of creative and strategy, as almost a third said they were in the “mature” phase, while 38% revealed they are in the “adolescent” phase — an uptick of 10% compared to a year ago. There are also fewer marketers in the “first steps” phase, which suggests brands will see more success as their outlook and campaigns develop in the coming months and years.

While content is certainly king for enterprises across the globe right now, a few pressing challenges remain. The top concern cited by respondents was a lack of resources and time, though this could be rectified by working with a digital agency. Just over half said upper management creates an environment where they can produce the content capable of delivering the results they need.

The sentiments about content being a primary tool for forging deeper, long-term connections with consumers was echoed at the 2017 talentQ Expo last week, where keynote speaker Tom Doctoroff claimed that listening more intently to audiences and “harnessing the voices of people” is now essential for continued engagement. He concluded: “Content has to compete with life. It can’t just be a matter of telling and selling. It needs to be a way of deepening a relationship over time.”