4 Marketing Graphs That Will Change Your 2015 Plans

Statistics on the 2015 B2C Content Marketing trends are out and the results may surprise you.  The new findings were recently posted by ExactTarget in the third annual B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends- North America.  Based on the study, we’re listing four things you should be doing to stay ahead of the B2C Content Marketing bell curve in 2015:

4 Marketing Graphs That Will Change Your 2015 Plans

1. Document Your Content Marketing Strategy

Write down your Content Marketing strategy on paper to increase your organizations effectiveness across the board.  50% of B2C marketers surveyed say they do not document their content marketing strategies.  However, of the 27% who do document their strategies, 43% say they are successful at tracking their ROIs compared to just 23% of the population surveyed.  Also, 65% of marketers with a documented strategy consider their organization to be effective at content marketing compared to the 28% who only use a verbal strategy.

For optimal effectiveness, be concrete and document your strategy.

 

2. Distribute eNewsletters and Don’t Skip Out on In-Person Events

Although Social Media content (other than blogs) is currently the most used tactic of B2C marketers, surveys found eNewsletters and In-person Events to be the most effective content marketing channels with 66% and 63% effectiveness, respectively.  Illustrations/Photos came in 4th with a 59% rating of effectiveness, followed by Social Media with a 58%.

On average marketers used 11 tactics in their B2C strategies.

 

 

 

3.  Opt to Use Instagram More Often Than LinkedIn for Stronger B2C Effectiveness

Yes, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are still the reigning kings and queens of the B2C social media platforms, ranked as both the most used and most effective channels of communication by B2C marketers.  LinkedIn comes in 4th as the most used platform, but is replaced by Instagram when it comes to effectiveness.  In B2C marketing we are starting to see a shift away from LinkedIn, which seems better utilized within B2B.

 

 

4. Align Your Organizational Goals with the Correct Measuring Metrics of Success.

Drew Beechler, of ExactTarget, points to the discrepancies between a B2C marketers main content marketing goals and what they are using to measure success. Customer Retention/ Loyalty, Engagement, Brand Awareness, and Sales ranked the highest in B2C Content Marketing Goals, but the most used measurement of success- Website Traffic and Sales- does not necessarily equate to these objectives.  While measuring success can seem elusive, aligning marketing goals with metrics will better estimate effectiveness and ROI.

 

You can read the full report from Content Marketing Institute here.