According to a recent study by UK-based Zazzle Media, email continues to play a significant role in content marketing strategies, yet companies are struggling to measure campaign success and only a fifth report a firm grasp on best practices.
Industry insiders may find this news troubling, especially since content now makes up roughly 23% of average marketing spend.
Zazzle Media polled hundreds of digital marketers and decision-makers, with over 50% reporting challenges in producing consistently engaging content for their marketing channels. Out of the survey respondents, about 43% cited lack of budget as their main challenge, while 42% said that they had difficulty measuring ROI on content marketing campaigns effectively.
Only 20% of companies rated themselves “advanced” in content marketing strategies; 52% said that they were average; and 28% gave themselves a “basic” rating. Less than half of respondents said that they consistently link their content marketing strategies to other aspects of their business.
Written content is still the most popular marketing channel, with 88% of survey respondents saying that they use it. Email followed closely behind, with 80% reporting that they rely on the platform to push their content.
Even with all of these challenges to producing quality content and measuring its effectiveness, companies continue to grow their content marketing budgets. About 85% of companies polled expected to grow their content marketing allocation over the next year, with more than half of those predicting a significant increase in spending.
Clearly, content marketing continues to play a significant role, yet many marketers still struggle with how best to manage and measure their efforts.
