Marketers who attended 2015’s Content Marketing World (CMW) conference in Cleveland, Ohio, received some unexpected advice when it came to their efforts: If you don't know why you are creating content, maybe you should just stop.
Most businesses have come to accept the valuable role content plays in driving greater awareness, engagement, and action — the building blocks of loyal and lasting customer relationships. Yet, despite its popularity, marketers' confidence in the success of their content marketing efforts has been in steady decline over the past few years. For example, in 2014, research by CMW's parent company, Content Marketing Institute found that 42% of marketers believed their efforts were effective; this number fell to 38% in 2015, and dropped further in the just-released 2016 study, to 30%.
The problem, as CMW keynote speaker Kristina Halvorson described it, is a lack of strategy: Too many marketers are jumping on the content bandwagon, churning out large volumes of content for every conceivable channel — without considering how that content will help their audience, or understanding how those efforts will, ultimately, help the company achieve its goals.
For example, as this review of the conference from Demand Gen. Report discusses, businesses often cite high social engagement stats as a means of justifying marketing success. But views and clicks don't always translate to a positive impact on business goals — or on customer satisfaction.
Halvorson is not alone in her opinion. The theme of "think more, do less" was echoed by many of the presenters at the conference — and it's a strategy that we at Prove very strongly believe in. But we also recognize that this doesn't just apply to content marketing.
Every custom marketing solution we provide for our clients is based on sound, strategic analysis of the qualitative and quantitative insights we gather. If we don't find compelling evidence that a specific tactic will benefit your business, we'll make sure you don't waste your budget, or your time, on it. It's this process that enables us to develop a strong, well-planned marketing matrix that will increase your marketing ROI, and give you confidence that your efforts are taking your business in the right direction.