Written articles are the most engaging form of content for social media users, according to a new comprehensive study regarding the most successful marketing methods on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Marketing enterprise Clutch partnered with Smart Insights to poll the opinions of 344 social media marketers across the globe, with the aim of uncovering what consumers want to see and read in the content that they consume, as well as highlighting many of the common challenges and the tools and resources that are worth investing in.
Brands should focus their efforts on creating articles, videos and images, as the study found that all three content types are vastly more compelling for consumers compared to formats such as infographics, quizzes, polls, webinars and promotions. Engaging written articles came out on top, just ahead of creative videos and breathtaking stills.
“These content types are effective in getting cut-through in newsfeeds,” Smart Insights CEO Dave Chaffey said. “So, it’s important not only to use these types of content but to invest in them so the quality is there.”
Ad agency H2O Media also said that these formats are the backbone of their content campaigns and are vital for attracting new customers and building a better brand reputation.
Marketers also generally enjoy more success when they publish their own original content, either created in-house or via a digital agency. One of the respondents, Clay Darrohn, the founder of fishbat, said that original content is vital, as it gives the reader a “unique experience” whereas duplicated content can make a brand seem less authentic.
The report found that B2B and B2C enterprises prefer different social platforms for their organic content campaigns. While Facebook was the de facto outlet for B2Cs, with a sizeable 96 per cent of respondents using it to engage with users, B2Bs find more value in LinkedIn and Twitter. Clutch believes that this is due to the fact that B2Bs can reach executives such as senior level purchasers and vice presidents more readily on the latter two platforms.
In terms of top challenges, a lack of human and financial resources and a formal strategy are making it difficult for brands to fulfil their potential on social, but the use of digital software and agencies are helping to overcome this.
