Is Content Marketing really dead and is it a beautiful practice of the past?
It’s rare that one hears about content marketing being dead, and that’s exactly what the analytics firm Statista claims n its statistics about it.
People are investing more and more on content marketing — the area has changed, however. In 2021, the majority of companies (69 percent), according to figures, were investing on video marketing.
Therefore, the answer to the question, in one word, is NO!
Content Marketing is not dead, it has changed its ground from text to video, but it is still alive and healthier.
With the rise of social media, everyone has jumped on the content marketing bandwagon, and is convinced that this tactic will last forever.
So let’s look at why content marketing isn’t dead and why you should consider including it in your marketing strategy. Read and I’ll give you 5 reasons it is still alive.
What exactly is content marketing?
We have defined the concept in another post but we'll do it, anyway.
What exactly is content marketing? Let’s start by defining what it isn’t. Content marketing is not just creating more stuff to fill more pages on your website. It should be a lot more than that. In fact, you don’t have to write any new content at all!.
Over past few years, content marketing has grown. Today, it’s most effective when integrated with other forms of digital marketing, like email, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO). But
Examples of content marketing:
Content marketing involves creating content that your target market finds interesting or useful. It can take many forms, such as
Blogging — Content marketing goes way beyond blogging — email newsletters, content-rich ebooks, case studies, webinars, and even videos.
You can use content marketing in combination with other types of marketing, such as email newsletters or banner ads to help reach new prospects. For example, you might create a short video showing how to use your product or service.
Or you could write an educational guide that helps users get more out of their social media marketing campaigns. Content marketing helps you position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
The key is creating content that attracts people’s attention and helps them achieve their goals, whether that means selling more products or just gathering information.
Who can Use Content Marketing?
Content marketing is super helpful for all sorts of businesses. It's not just for big names like Apple or Coca-Cola, but small local shops can also benefit from it.
No matter if you're into tech, fashion, healthcare, or finance, content marketing can make a big difference. It's like sharing stories or useful tips online to show why your business rocks and why people should pick you. And guess what? Content marketing still works like a charm today!
So, if you want to shine in the online world and attract potential customers, content marketing is your friend. It helps businesses of all shapes and sizes showcase their uniqueness and connect with folks who could turn into loyal customers.
Businesses leverage content marketing to:
- Capture the attention of their desired audience,
- Cement their expertise within their field,
- Convert leads into customers,
- Foster ongoing relationships with their audience,
- Enhance credibility and trustworthiness,
- Expand their reach and visibility,
- Educate and Inform: Delivering valuable insights and knowledge through content helps businesses educate their audience, positioning themselves as thought leaders in their industry.,
- Humanize the Brand: By sharing authentic stories and experiences, businesses can humanize their
brand, making it more relatable and trustworthy to consumers, - Generate Leads: Content marketing can be used to create lead magnets such as eBooks, webinars, or whitepapers, enticing potential customers to provide their contact information in exchange for valuable content,
- Enhance Customer Support: Providing helpful guides, tutorials, and FAQs through content can assist customers in troubleshooting issues independently, thereby improving overall customer satisfaction,
- Encourage Advocacy: Engaging content can prompt satisfied customers to become brand
advocates, spreading positive word-of-mouth and attracting new customers through referrals.
Arguments of those who say content Marketing is dead!
- There is a lack of clear ROI:
According to a study by Content Marketing Institute, only 15% of marketers say they’ve successfully measured the return on investment for their content marketing initiatives. This is partly due to the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to content marketing, so it’s difficult to determine what works for a given company. - Lack of budget:
One of the main reasons content marketing is no longer the top priority for many businesses is because it’s expensive. Creating high-quality content takes time, effort and a dedication to craft every piece of content. Unless your company can afford to invest heavily in content marketing, it’s likely that your efforts will go to waste. - Lack of engagement:
According to a study by Content Marketing Institute, only 36% of readers say they’re likely to return to a piece of content if it’s not interesting. This is likely because content that is poorly written or is not relevant to the - Over-reliance on search engines
Content marketing used to be all about crafting unique and valuable pieces of content that would be discovered by users through natural search engine optimization (SEO). However, as search engines have become more and more competitive, many businesses have abandoned content marketing in favor of more expensive (and questionable) SEO techniques. - Lack of investment
Content marketing is a time-consuming and ongoing process, which requires a lot of investment. Many businesses don’t have the time or resources to invest in content marketing, which means that their content is often mediocre and ineffective. - Low user engagement
If a business’s content is mediocre, it’s likely that users will have little interest in actually reading it. Poor user engagement can lead to a loss of audience, which can ultimately lead to a loss of revenue
. - The audience is no longer interested in consuming content.
- Social media has taken over as the primary way to distribute content.
- Publishers are struggling to find the right formula for content marketing.
Why content marketing still works
As long as there are people on Earth who are excited to read something, companies will have a reason to use content marketing.
It’s just not dead because it works.
What you need to do is prove that you understand how to create content that both captures your reader’s attention and promotes your company’s service or product.
Because content marketing is a relationship. A good content marketer must be more than an editor, an SEO expert, or a writer.
He or she must be a storyteller who can capture their reader’s attention in a way that makes them want to know more about what they’re reading.
They need to engage with their audience on social media, comment on blogs, and build relationships with other content marketers.
Content marketing is not dead because it relies on people—people who are interested in your product or service—and people don’t die.
why you should give it a shot
Content marketing has been around for years. In fact, some companies have been producing content for over 100 years — and most of them still do. But today, many people assume that content marketing is dead.
After all, why would any company want to talk about its products on an open platform?
However, in 2014 alone there were over 6 billion searches made on Google and 726 million Tweets posted. That’s a lot of content being produced by consumers every day!
Is Content Marketing Dead? These days, it seems like marketers are always looking for the next hot trend to implement in their marketing strategy in order to stay competitive and improve their success rate.
The challenge with this is that once you find something that works, it’s easy to fall into the trap of sticking with what works instead of trying something new and growing your business.
The 5 reasons Content Marketing is here to stay
1. The Rise of Video
The rise of video means that businesses can connect with customers in a more personal way.
As data shows that consumers who engage with video ads are 2x more likely to buy a product, it’s important for business owners and marketers alike to look at how they can use video in their marketing strategy.
Video offers an excellent opportunity for organizations looking to connect with a younger audience and reach potential customers far away.
A 2015 study found that people under 34 spend over four hours a day on mobile devices and tablets, while those over 55 spend just two hours.
There’s no need for customers to wade through pages of text, they can simply sit back and enjoy a short video featuring your products or services.
Video also provides a great opportunity for those businesses which want to reach a younger audience.
With such a dramatic shift in consumer habits, businesses need to use video.
There’s no better time than NOW!
2. The popularity of Influencer Marketing
While it’s true, that companies are less willing than ever to give up control of their brands and product placement, experts say that Influencer Marketing is on an incline.
According to a recent Forbes study, 80% of brands plan on spending more on influencer marketing in 2018.
3. Email is Alive and Well
Email is not only here to stay, but it’s also on the rise.
According to a recent study by Adobe, over 65% of consumers prefer email over social media.
In addition, experts predict that even though more people are spending more time on social networks, email open rates will continue on an upward trend through 2020.
So why is email marketing still so popular among marketers? Because it works!
Just think, while consumers might spend time on social media, those channels have less of an impact on their purchasing decisions.
Email on the other hand is directly connected to customers’ purchase journeys.
Think about it:
You’re far more likely to buy a product you’ve been thinking about after seeing it shared in your email inbox than you are if you see it posted on your Facebook feed.
4. Consumers are In Control
Consumers are empowered, and they have more choices than ever before.
As a result, businesses must connect with them on their terms authentically that builds trust, and drives results.
That’s where content marketing comes in…
it’s a powerful way for brands to establish and maintain relationships with customers by delivering valuable insights or entertaining content on their behalf — and it works better than most people think.
In fact, according to HubSpot research, companies that use content marketing see 1.8 times higher lead-to-customer conversion rates compared to those who don’t.
And when you consider how much cheaper it is to gain new customers through content marketing than other methods (like paid advertising), you can see why many experts believe content will continue its rise as one of today’s top strategies.
5. Advertising Has Evolved
Remember when you had no control over advertising content, its frequency or timing, or even whether it audience see it at all?
Those days are long gone, and in 2017 and beyond we’ll see advertising continue to evolve.
In fact, digital advertising has evolved so rapidly that industry forecasters predict spending on digital media will surpass traditional media by 2018.
In fact, in 2017 nearly half of U.S. marketing executives said they’ll invest in video marketing, according to survey results from IBM’s Institute for Business Value (IBV).
The same survey found that a strong majority of advertising professionals have already seen success with ads on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Other Reasons
- Consumers are more educated than ever about the value of content
- Brands are investing more in content marketing
- More people are creating and sharing content
- It’s easier than ever to find good content
- Content marketing is 67% more effective than advertising
Final Words
There’s no doubt that content marketing has been around for a long time. And in some ways, it will never really die out completely. So keep on crafting great content — it may be dead to some, but to others, it’s very much alive!