More than half of B2C marketers to spend more on content in 2019

December 17, 2018 by Aimee
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Content Marketing Institute has released the latest part of its Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report for B2C marketers in 2019, and the main takeaway is that brands with a strong commitment to creating content are usually more successful at building loyalty with consumers and achieving other important goals.

Content will be high on the agenda for B2C marketers next year, as 57% expect to see an uptick in their budgets for this discipline next year. Substantial investment is also in the cards for almost a third of marketers, who say that their budgets for content spending will increase by 9% or more in 2019.

Content creation will be the single biggest focus for marketers during the next 12 months, as 56% plan invest more in engaging articles, blogs and infographics. Whether working in-house or with a skilled agency, the study suggests that high output will be central to strategies in all sectors and industries.

This is supported by the fact that 23% of B2C marketers want to spend more on “content marketing outsourcing” next year. Other areas of proposed investment include “paid content distribution” (37%), “content marketing staff” (34%) and “content marketing technology” (34%).

In terms of objectives and goals for content, building loyalty and pushing brand authority lead the way. About 81% say they want content creation to drive loyalty and retention, and the same number say the process is rooted in a desire to make their organisation a “credible and trusted” resource.

“B2C marketers have for many years reported that brand awareness is a top goal for content marketing,” Content Marketing Institute research director, Lisa Murton Beets, says. “It’s still an important goal, but now we also see a strong concern for using content to build loyalty. B2C marketers realize that while it is important to drive people to their content, it’s just as important to keep them coming back for more.”

MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer, Ann Handley, added: “There are many types of content that B2C marketers can apply their creativity toward to nurture relationships. Consider the power of videos that tell stories, in-person events that build a sense of community, newsletters that inform, podcasts that inspire – the possibilities are endless.”

Making a strong commitment to content marketing appears to give brands a better chance of achieving success, as the “most committed” marketers deliver better results across the board. These marketers have documented strategies, effective measurements of ROI and an understanding of metrics, all of which help them to adopt a more mature approach to content. In contrast, the least committed fall behind in key areas.

As noted in various studies in recent weeks, educating consumers and providing added value will be an excellent strategy to pursue in 2019, as successful B2C marketers are regularly providing audiences with targeted resources that improve their wellbeing in some way. Getting more comfortable with the metrics that measure its effectiveness and tie content into the goals of the wider business is also recommended.

Aimee