Digital marketing – Editorial PR

16/Mar/2020

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Top performing tech marketers are better at using content marketing to nurture subscribers and build loyalty with existing customers than less successful counterparts according to a new study published last week by the Content Marketing Institute.

CMI’s latest annual Benchmark, Budgets and Trends study for the tech industry found 76% of all organisations are enjoying more success than they were at the point of last year’s research in early 2019.

However, certain enterprises are still going and above and beyond expectations, either by having a documented strategy in place or using content across the marketing funnel instead of just focusing on the awareness phase.

Marketers are achieving a wide range of goals with content marketing materials as many look at taking advantage of opportunities further along the sales cycle.

In addition to educating audiences, an objective 80% of marketers have achieved during the last twelve months, 73% have also built credibility and trust and 72% have nurtured a base of loyal and attentive audiences.

CMI said the most successful marketers are investing in customer loyalty. While lead generation and unearthing new clients is obviously important, strengthening ties with existing customers is fundamental to being a “top performer”.

CMI vp of editorial, Kim Moutsos says marketers and agencies working for tech companies are now able to deploy content effectively wherever they choose.

She noted: “When we look at what makes the top performers successful, we see they treat content marketing as a strategic business function, craft content thoughtfully, experiment with distribution, and measure their results.”

Tech content marketers also like to deploy a plethora of content formats to support their aims with social media content and written pieces leading the way.

Social media posts, tweets and stories were used by 96% of marketers during the last twelve months, putting them just ahead of blog posts and short articles (93%).

Case studies are also a go-to format, presumably because it allows brands to educate and inform B2B buyers who need reassurance and advice before making a purchase.

A few other favoured formats include email newsletters (82%), in-person events (83%), webinars (74%) and ebooks and guides (61%).

Demonstrating return on investment (ROI) remains a challenge for tech marketers but perhaps not surprisingly, the most successful are able to use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure content initiatives and determine ROI, and more likely to rate their ability to do so as either “very good” or “excellent”.

The good news is that 83% of all respondents are now using metrics to measure the performance of content marketing activities, an encouraging sign in today’s data driven environment.

2020 is now well underway and there are a few things that marketers want to master before the year is out.

More than half (54%) have their sights set on improving the quality and conversion of audiences while 47% want to improve how they measure content marketing campaigns.

A similar number want to focus on the quality and quantity of their content output. More than a third (38%) also are also eager to optimise social media management and other forms of content distribution.

Aimee

27/Jan/2020

UK companies are heading into 2020 with renewed optimism and plans for greater marketing spend as uncertainty surrounding Brexit subsides and the political environment becomes more stable, the latest quarterly IPA Bellwether Report has found.

During the final three months of 2019, a net balance of +4% of enterprises increased the scope of their marketing budgets, a marked uptick on the -0.5% figure recorded during the previous quarter.

The rate of expansion in Q4 is the strongest for almost two years and suggests that companies are now ready to invest heavily in content, advertising and other marketing endeavours as the new year gets underway.

The report expects the feel-good factor to prevail for some time as its preliminary outlook for the 2020/21 period shows a net balance of +15.7% for companies expecting budgets to grow during the next 12 months or so.

Brexit has cast a shadow over marketing planning since 2016, but that gloom now appears to be lifting as a more resolute outcome approaches with the UK expected to formally leave the EU on 31^st January.

A number of the surveyed companies said that they have been motivated to spend more on marketing since the result of the General Election, which saw the Conservatives deliver a landslide victory and a large majority.

IPA director general Paul Bainsfair believes that it will not be “plain sailing” just yet as Brexit has been such an arduous process that marketing leaders and decision-makers are still tentative about future planning.

However, the signs are pointing to greater investment in content marketing and other activities such as PR, sales promotions and events among UK companies this year.

IHS Markit economist Joe Hayes added: “It appears that firms are looking to release the pent-up investment which has been put on hold amid the high degree of political and economic uncertainty which has plagued the UK business climate for well over 12 months now.”

Since the release of the report last week, various leading figures in the marketing industry have reacted to the news of rising budgets for the year ahead.

Future Publishing CRO UK Zack Sullivan believes that the latest report shows there is a “new wave of confidence” and that digital content and marketing is particularly lucrative at the moment.

He also urged brands to be brand safe, transparent and relevant to succeed in 2020.

Peer39 managing director Andrew Morsy says that many companies in the UK used a difficult 2019 to reassess their strategies and are now attempting to drive new business leads and foster brand awareness, which are the main reasons behind the rise in investment.

Meanwhile, M&C Saatchi Performance managing director Libby Robinson recommends a focus on return on investment and performance during the first year of the new decade as this will minimise inefficiencies and support better campaigns across the entire funnel.

The report found that around a quarter of companies observed a growth in budgets in Q4, while 58% saw spending allocation remain unchanged.

Aimee

11/Nov/2019

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Twice as many manufacturing marketers now have a documented content strategy in place compared to a year ago, but two-thirds believe that their overall efforts are only “moderately successful”, according to a new study released by Content Marketing Institute (CMI).

The ‘Manufacturing Content Marketing 2020: Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends’ report found that manufacturers have taken on content wholesale during the last 12 months with a huge increase in adoption rates and attempts to overhaul strategies to improve returns.

The enthusiasm for content marketing is also translating into better campaigns as 65% of respondents said that they would rate their organisation’s efforts as either “somewhat more” or “much more” successful compared to 12 months ago.

In contrast, just 3% said that they had achieved less success.

“With regard to content marketing, manufacturers have arrived,” CMI’s research director Lisa Murton Beets said in a statement. “No longer do we view them as late adopters.”

Overall, manufacturing marketers believe that their content marketing is “moderately successful”, which is a sign that there is still room for improvement across the board.

Currently, only 1% believe that their efforts are “extremely successful”.

However, the use of documented strategies is laying the groundwork for better outcomes, and there has been a notable improvement in this area year-over-year.

In 2018, 21% said that they had a strategy written down, but this jumped to 41% in the latest study, which shows that there is now a greater onus placed on strategic thinking.

Murton Beets added: “We saw a big increase this year in those who are approaching content marketing strategically. In addition, they’re having an easier time accessing subject matter experts and communicating complex content. Overall, manufacturers are reporting healthy levels of content marketing success, which is exciting to see.”

Manufacturing marketers face a range of challenges in 2020, but the most cited unique issue for them at the moment is “overcoming traditional marketing and sales mindset”.

Attempts to blur the lines between these two groups is a challenge for 55% of respondents.

The need to deliver content that can engage audiences across the sales pipeline (53%) and attempts to differentiate products and services from the competition (48%) are also hot topics in the industry.

A previous study by CMI found that outsourcing now plays a major role in content marketing for B2B companies, and the same is true for manufacturers where the expertise of agencies has gone some way to helping them deliver more engaging and higher-quality materials.

Two-thirds of manufacturing marketers are now outsourcing one or more of their activities to third parties, but it is content creation that leads the way by some distance.

87% of respondents said that creation is now outsourced, and the study noted that this may be the reason why manufacturers have been able to communicate more complex topics in 2019.

Perhaps most importantly, improvements in content marketing have helped manufacturers to position themselves as a “credible and trusted resource” for audiences, to value the craft and creativity central to content creation and production, and to serve the needs of customers in a timely manner.

Aimee

26/Aug/2019

High-level executives are disconnected from the world of search engine optimisation (SEO) and, therefore, are not providing the support digital marketing professionals need to succeed in the search environment, according to a new industry survey by software provider SEOmonitor.

The study of professionals across SEO and digital marketing, which formed part of a wider Forecasting Nightmares whitepaper, looks at the challenges of planning and forecasting in SEO and what needs to be done to help SEOs to progress and complete their tasks effectively in an ever-evolving and demand business landscape.

The C-Suite is a common barrier to success, with one in five saying they don’t get enough support from higher-ups, which many believe is because senior targets and objectives do not align with SEO efforts.

The disconnect and lack of knowledge and comprehension across the business, and especially at the management level, has other downsides. A quarter said they are given unrealistic time frames to deliver results, and one in eight are pressured into making forecasts even though they may be false or unattainable.

Therefore, it is no surprise that 33% of professionals want greater support for their SEO forecasting efforts. Greater time and resource investment into SEO would go some way to solving pressing problems, but the report noted that a culture change could have the biggest impact.

The current state of affairs is not good for business or SEOs, as 26% of the respondents said they struggle to forecast accurately on a consistent basis, while 22% are unable to demonstrate the full value of search engine optimisation.

“By translating SEO goals such as keyword rankings or visibility into simple, clearly defined business metrics, forecasting makes an invaluable business case for SEO activity,” SEOmonitor CEO Cosmin Negrescu said. “However, for the field of forecasting and, indeed, SEO as a whole to reach its true potential, it’s clear that the industry needs more support than it currently receives.”

The lack of support means that many professionals are forced to use tools that are not suitable for daily processes. This is highlighted by the fact that 15% of respondents admit to using general applications, such as Microsoft Excel, to calculate the value of SEO. While the issues are wide-ranging, 37% said that more investment in specialist tools would go a long way to help them with accurate forecasting.

Additional training is another solution put forward by professionals, as 25% said that they have not been told how to forecast accurately, while one-sixth of all respondents revealed that they had not taken a single course or received any training about forecasting during their careers.

Cosmin concluded: “Simply enough, for search professionals to consistently forecast to the accuracy expected of them, greater buy-in and investment in the field is needed. However, the industry consensus is that this support is currently unlikely to come without business decision-makers first seeing the accurate forecasts it would facilitate. It’s high time this frustrating paradox, which continues to hinder the efforts of well-meaning search professionals the world over, changed.”

Aimee

22/Jul/2019

Paid search and digital advertising continue to be hit or miss for brands targeting growth and increased brand awareness due to an inability to fully leverage audience data and meet volume targets, a new study by Marin Software has found.

The State of Digital Advertising 2019 is an all-encompassing study of how B2B and B2C marketers are dealing with their quests to address challenges and take advantage of new opportunities now that six months of the year are over. The study canvassed 450 marketers in the US and the UK for their views on a variety of topics.

Paid methods are often used to complement organic content marketing to amplify reach and engagement, but the study found that brands face “constant challenges” due to the growing threat of data privacy and the need to use analytics effectively to target the right consumers at the right time.

Paid search remains the most popular digital ad channel, as it commands more than a third of total budgets on average. However, paid advertising in social media is on the rise, and activities on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms now make up 18% of budgets, putting it in second place overall, just ahead of display ads (16%).

It is perhaps no surprise to see brands increasing their ad spends on Instagram due to the photo and video-sharing service’s growing popularity, especially with younger generations, but the study found that Facebook is not losing ground. More than two-thirds said that their advertising spends on Instagram will come via incremental budgeting as opposed to pivoting away from Facebook entirely.

Amazon is also making waves in the ad industry, and 60% of respondents said they plan to increase their investment in the e-commerce platform during the next 12 months. More than half view Amazon as a primary growth opportunity, and around 25% want to use it to drive more purchases at the bottom of the sales funnel.

However, it’s not all good news for Amazon, as 23% believe its reporting tools are not as sophisticated as those on Google and Facebook, which is a problem in today’s world of tracking metrics to determine ROI. Three in ten also say they have not yet got to grips with the ad environment on Amazon.

Google remains the most trusted published overall with an impressive score of 4.5 out of 5 on the trust index, and all but 2% of respondents rated the search giant as either 4 or 5. Many are also looking forward to using Google’s updated Search Ads format to improve their paid search campaigns.

“This year’s report shows a shift in advertising spend as marketers explore alternative channels and emerging ad formats,” Marin Software’s SVP of Marketing, Wes MacLaggan, said in a statement.

He added: “The digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, with advertisers struggling to close the skills gap as publishers innovate. At Marin, we’re seeing a greater emphasis on video and new ad formats like Responsive Search Ads and Shoppable Images to gain mindshare and drive growth. The eCommerce landscape is a hotbed of innovation, presenting retail brands with many opportunities and some challenges to navigate.”

Aimee

23/Jul/2018

Four out of five brands are now confident that their digital marketing efforts are working, according to a new survey from B2B research enterprise Clutch. The belief is driven, in part, by the growing desire among consumers to read, watch and view content on their smartphones.

83% of businesses say they are effectively achieving their goals through digital marketing. The connected device revolution has been crucial in this growing confidence, as brands say it has given them more of a direct line of communication, making it easier to engage with audiences regularly compared to traditional marketing and ads.

“That number is high because digital marketing is where customers are,” said Flynn Zaiger, CEO of digital marketing agency Online Optimism. “Walking down the street, people aren’t looking at billboards or checking newspapers – they’re staring at their phones.”

It is no surprise that social media is the most popular form of digital marketing, as this allows brands to get in touch with millions of people across various platforms every day. Websites are the second most popular, ahead of email, which still takes a prominent role in the marketing mix.

More than half say content marketing will be a top channel in 2018, and a similar number said the same for mobile apps and display and banner ads. Respondents believe content and other digital channels are an excellent outlet for pushing evolving brand stories and messages, something other mediums struggle to support.

“People are responsive when you have the ability to tell your brand story, whether it’s on social media, your website, or email,” Jeremy Greenberg, founder of web design agency 97 Switch, said. “With other mediums, there’s not as much ability to tell your story.”

While content and social media reign supreme, SEO is falling out of favour among brands, as they believe it requires too much effort to get right. This appears to be a major blind spot for marketers, as a failure to invest in SEO can make it more difficult to drive maximum ROI from digital channels and corporate websites.

“Businesses have a harder time with SEO,” Jon Borg Breen, co-founder of B2B agency Symbiont Group said. “It’s not as immediately impactful as having a brand-new design on your website that people can say, ‘Wow, that looks cool.'” Experts still state that SEO is an essential component in the marketing mix and that while it may not deliver immediate returns, it will elevate channels in the long term.

Finally, when asked why they continue to invest in digital marketing, almost a third said it was primarily used to drive profits. Many brands still use digital content to push consumers along the sales cycle more effectively. However, the survey also found that small to medium-sized enterprises are leveraging digital marketing to improve brand awareness, while large organisations use it to stand out from competitors.

Online Optimism CEO Flynn Zaiger added: “Using your digital marketing to help differentiate yourself will get you more leads and increase your close rate, an essential growth strategy for larger companies.”

Aimee

16/Jul/2018

A new study by Walker Sands Communications has found that marketers are struggling to keep pace with ongoing advances in technology, as just 28% believe they can leverage its full potential in strategies and content campaigns.

The study, titled Maximizing the Value of Martech Innovations, takes an in-depth look at the role of tech in marketing and attempts to determine whether brands are keeping pace with the ever-quickening march of new innovations and changes. The major takeaway is that it continues to be a major challenge.

While tech is a source of frustration, marketers are not shying away from investment, as 65% said they will spend more on martech during the next 12 months, while only 5% expected their budgets in this area to contract during that time. Three in ten say their budgets will remain steady.

Content marketing continues to be one of the most popular tech outlets for brands as 48% said news, blogs, videos and other creative resources were at the core of their martech solutions. Email marketing was also popular, while CRM and analytics are quickly gaining ground.

Making better use of data to inform content decisions has been a key trend this year, so it is no surprise that marketers are turning to AI, automation and machine learning to improve strategies. There is less experimentation in email marketing, where best-of-breed solutions appear to be slightly less important.

The move to AI implementation has started, but it is not widespread just yet. Just 11% believe they are fully capable of leveraging AI and machine learning, but a similar number are part of the way there, with an additional 17% only just getting these digital-focused initiatives off the ground.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and the growing variety of connected devices have been more of a focus for marketers with 26% revealing they have implemented IoT effectively. All the tech links in some way to data, and this will continue to be an important area for brands moving forward.

Top marketers from a selection of the world’s biggest brands, including Coca-Cola and Lazada, recently met up to discuss the critical role that data is now playing in making smart decisions and the need to track and analyse metrics to support brand safety and a wider transparent media landscape.

Digital-savvy marketers are better placed to make use of data to power decisions, but many of those present admitted that there are additional hurdles that are preventing brands from maximising their return on investment. Relevant topics, such as ad fraud and viewability errors, were discussed.

Meanwhile, Fonterra’s director of creative and media, Graham Woodall, said brands that have yet to truly embrace digital transformation schemes may be able to use this hesitancy to their advantage, as they will be able to approach new tech in a better way.

He said: “We’re at quite an early stage when it comes to doing anything interesting with digital. I look at that as a real positive in a funny way. Yes, it is sad that we are years behind a lot of the other contemporary brands, but the good news is that you can actually look at what’s out there and decide what you want to be. I think that’s a real advantage.”

Aimee

25/Jun/2018

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Brands in the travel and hospitality industry are turning to content marketing to deliver more personalised messages to audiences, according to new research by digital enterprises MailCharts, Liveclicker, SmarterHQ and Cheetah Digital.

The study, titled “Marketers Are on a Mission: The State of B2C Marketing,” takes an in-depth look at the various marketing activities that brands in the travel industry are leveraging to connect and engage with customers. There is currently a laser focus on content, as it allows brands to deliver higher-quality ads and messages compared to “mass marketing” methods, such as email.

Almost three-quarters of millennials are frustrated at the number of “irrelevant” emails they receive each day, so it is perhaps no surprise that brands are looking to use more engaging and innovative forms of communication to appeal to both young and older audiences. In fact, two-thirds of B2C marketers in travel are now aiming to provide personalised messages rather than a one-size-fits-all message.

“While ‘personalization’ has been a buzzword with marketers for years, it’s clear that brands have yet to master tailored messaging; as consumers are growing increasingly frustrated by generic communications that don’t align to their specific tastes, interests, or behaviors,” SmarterHQ CEO Michael Osborne said.

Data has been a headline topic in recent months with the arrival of GDPR, and travel brands are eager to make use of the growing mass of information they collect to serve up better content to people across the web. More than half of the respondents said personalisation was a priority; however critically, the report noted that brands still must get better at using data to support their marketing objectives.

“When it comes to personalization, data is paramount,” Cheetah Digital’s executive vice president for global marketing, Judd Marcello said. “Customer data is typically underused or used inefficiently. It tells brands, especially retailers, so much about where they can improve or what their customers want, and they can use that data to make a big impact on their business.”

There are now a variety of digital touchpoints available for brands to engage with audiences. In fact, almost one-fifth of marketers are planning to spend more to improve their multi-channel content output, with social media and mobile apps among the most popular platforms. Marketers are also investing more in running ads across a variety of channels rather than opting for a single channel approach.

While customers often see email marketing as a nuisance, 54% of the brands surveyed said it still delivers the best return on investment overall. The technology has been in place for some time now, making it a cost-effective and consistent means for getting in touch with customers. Behavioural emails will take centre stage in the future, with 30% of the brands planning to spend more in this area, which again shows the need to make better use of big data and analytics. Around 30% of the brands are also turning to cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence, to improve their marketing methods.

Aimee

18/Jun/2018

In 2017, agencies and brands alike began to see the importance of digital marketing in targeting and connecting with niche audiences, the IAB Digital Video Centre of Excellence says. This was particularly evident with video ads. The results of the March 2018 survey of 353 media buyers and brand marketers conducted by Advertiser Perceptions indicated that 23% of video advertising budgets in many businesses are set aside specifically for ads on social media sites. IAB revealed the results of the survey in April, with 50% of all respondents claiming they intend to spend even more money on video ads over the course of the next 12 months.

Social media advertising spending

Ads on social media often incorporate video content in the form of advertisements on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Professional guidance can help these video ads to increase their click-through, conversion and customer acquisition rates. A third-to-a-half of a company’s advertising spending should be spent initially on content that allows scaling, according to Chamber Media’s Travis Chambers. As the advertising spending grows, content will need refreshing every quarter for a couple of reasons.

One reason is that content will become less effective as the audience watches that content multiply over time, and another is that social algorithms are aware of this and that content’s reach will also begin to decrease if there is not enough new content being uploaded. However, evergreen content can be served to new audiences continually and still retain its effectiveness. For high-converting mobile video, the most effective format is to have a hook within the first couple of seconds that will keep the viewer interested. Make sure both the problem and its solution are referenced very early, and then use humour, strong calls to action to entice a purchase, with press references and testimonials included to enhance credibility.

Strategies

With social media videos, many advertisers have rather polarised strategies, either being of a more traditional mindset and expecting to get results with a focus on brand awareness or more focused on e-commerce and immediate sales, often at the brand’s expense. These mindsets are correct together but not independently. Both avenues are required to achieve success, with several brands making huge top-funnel video adverts for social media but lacking any plan to ensure the customer stays engaged afterwards. Once the high funnel video has been served, it should be followed up to the same consumers with mid-to-low-funnel content that gives credibility, offers reminders and creates a sense of urgency, such as offers, origin stories and product demonstrations.

Mistakes to avoid

One easily avoidable but common mistake in regard to social media buying is viewing numbers in a vacuum, with many marketers examining ad platforms individually rather than as a whole. This mistake can result in a misinterpretation of failure when the opposite is true. A holistic mindset is vital when judging the effectiveness of campaigns. Another common mistake is using lower-paid junior ad buyers with limited experience, which rarely works out. It is far better to invest more in elite advertising buying talent, which over time can end up being worth millions.

Aimee

14/May/2018

According to a new study of the industry released by the news site TheManifest.com, most large brands are now publishing at least one piece of content marketing material every day and are investing a significant amount of resources and time to drive a better return on investment.

Content marketing has been a focal point for some brands for more than a decade, but the study suggests there has been a laser focus on the practice during the last two years. In 2016, just over one-third of digital marketers said it was important to allocate resources to the strategy, but this number has since soared to 53%. When next year rolls around, the figure is likely to be even higher.

Brands are now recognising how the right content marketing formats can make a difference to engagement levels. Therefore, marketers are increasing their publication rates significantly, with 51% saying they now push out videos, blogs, editorial articles, infographics and other resources every day. It appears that it is no longer an either-or situation for brands in terms of quantity and quality.

“Even ten years ago, content marketing was seen as a new buzzword,” said Lauren Fairbanks, CEO of S&G Content Marketing. “But over the last few years, it’s really moved into the marketing mainstream. Marketers know that content marketing is essential in reaching consumers in a very organic way.”

Thus, content is king, and more brand managers are eager to ascend the throne with targeted and relevant pieces that can strongly drive positive actions. The desire to think big is more evident at larger organisations, as 62% of enterprises with more than 5,000 employees said a new form of content is published every 24 hours.

The report said that this frequent schedule is now considered as the “gold standard” in the industry but admitted that keeping up with the pace may be challenging for an SME. A marketing agency is an excellent resource for anyone struggling, as the knowledge, expertise and general infrastructure offered by a third party can support higher quality creativity and busy schedules.

Video has emerged as the de facto content option for many during the last two years due to the rise of social media, but the written word shows no signs of losing out in relevance. A sizeable 69% of organisations said blog posts were their most popular content type, which suggests these are still desirable outlets for thought-leadership pieces and high-quality editorial content, while 72% said they prefer to use video.

As always, a unique mix of content formats is usually the best option, as brands need to target different subsets of consumers across a wide variety of different channels. Moving forward, marketers revealed that they are aiming to improve how their content ranks in search engines and their ability to optimise content for a range of connected devices. About 10% of marketers also want to create more actionable content to boost their engagement levels.

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EditorialPR Musings
Content Marketing Blog

Tech’s top performers use content marketing to build loyal audiences

Q4 IPA Bellwether Report shows UK companies are spending more on marketing

Enthusiasm for content marketing has helped manufacturing companies to succeed

Lack of support for SEOs leading to inaccurate forecasting, study finds

New report highlights challenges for digital marketers

80% of brands say digital marketing efforts are successful

Marketers struggle to keep pace with changing tech, new study finds

Travel brands using content to deliver personalised messages

Effective use of video ads on social media

Marketers spending more on content and publishing every day