Blog posts and videos were among the top channels for customer engagement last year as brands in Asia spent more on digital content, a new study from Octane Research and DMAasia has found.
The ‘Digital 2021: Adapting to the New Normal’ report takes a look back at the changes that marketers made following the outbreak of the global pandemic, while also offering insights and advice for the year ahead.
More than 250 chief marketing officers and leaders at major companies took part, and the majority revealed that investment in content and other forms of digital marketing increased in 2020.
The investment drive also delivered results, as two-thirds of CMOs in India said that they were able to increase return on investment on formats such as video to boost consumer outreach.
While video was the best at maximising engagement, marketers turned to other campaigns centred on blog posts and emails to reach audiences at the right time.
The report noted that content marketing had finally been elevated to a “separate line item” within budgets, rather than being included with general marketing activities.
It added: “Online is driven through effective content management practices and we anticipate surge in this area for the 2021 Annual.”
This year will see different forms of video being deployed to engage consumers, as 61% of respondents said that content marketing strategies would feature live streams and webinars.
Social media will also be a vital tool as more than 51% of CMOs say that they have already used branded pages, hashtags and promotions to increase engagement.
While new tech and tools are shaking up strategies and campaigns, a large number of leaders are still relying on traditional email amid a rise in sent messages and open rates during the last year.
Influencer marketing programmes, deemed to be “high impact”, will also be used to drive awareness and engagement.
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