‘Viral’ is increasingly elusive, and brands should instead focus on delivering relevant content, according to a new report.
The Science of Content, published by Technology for Marketing (TFM) and BuzzSumo, aims to provide in-depth marketing guidance and advice for enterprises by analysing the ‘DNA’ of the content that performs the best in different markets.
TFM and BuzzSumo analysed 150,000 articles from ten different industries in attempt to produce catch-all content strategy advice for marketers.
The report comes to the conclusion that while it is common for enterprises to invest in getting content to go viral, only a very small number of articles and videos in each industry actually go viral.
When choosing a social platform on which to publish content, Facebook is the number one preference for the majority of industries, and is particularly dominant in the automotive, news, charity, financial advice and travel sectors. However, for more visual industries, such as fashion, Pinterest is a better fit for both content and target audiences.
This highlights the importance of end users when publishing content; marketers should ensure their efforts can be effective on a particular platform, and switch to a more appropriate outlet when required.
When looking at the ideal length of content, longer posts of up to 10,000 words are preferred by most industries, though the automotive sector has a preference for a shorter posts of up to 1,000 words.
The report also touched on the types of content that drive engagement and provide value for marketers., stating that list posts are ideal in consumer electronics and fashion, while video is best for news media. However, it also notes that it can be beneficial to look outside of the norms to get the desired results.
“While much has been written about general content marketing advice, there is very little guidance for marketers trying to understand what works for their specific audience,” UBM Digital & Content Director Luke Bilton said.
“This research conducted between TFM and BuzzSumo clearly shows that while best practice can be useful, it is far less important than understanding what makes your audience unique. True content strategy, this report shows, is a science based on analysis and experimentation.”
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