Australian businesses and organisations use on average 5-6 different types of content for content marketing purposes, according to new research produced by the Content Marketing Institute, in conjunction with the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA).
According to the Content Marketing in Australia: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report, social media posts (excluding videos) make up the most popular content type used, clocking in at 90 per cent.
Next most popular type at 75 per cent is pre-produced video, followed by illustrations/photos (67 per cent), case studies (66 per cent), infographics (64 per cent) and ebooks/whitepapers (49 per cent).
The top three most effective content types used by marketers are:
- Social media posts – 56 per cent
- Case studies – 46 per cent
- Videos (pre-produced) – 43 per cent
Ebooks and whitepapers, infographics, illustrations and photos, and interactive tools also figure in the ‘most effective content’ stakes.
Content Distribution
When it comes to content distribution, Australian marketers rely heavily on email (91 per cent), social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter (90 per cent), as well as blogs (72 per cent) and, interestingly, in-person events (50 per cent).
Not unsurprisingly, these are exactly the top four methods marketers find the most effective in helping their organisation achieve specific objectives.
Other distribution methods include:
- Print Magazines (29%)
- Digital Magazines (25%)
- Separate Content Hubs (e.g., micro-sites, resource centres) (25%)
- Webinars/Webcasts/Virtual Events (25%).
Social Media
When it comes to those social media platforms Australian marketers use for content marketing purposes, according to the research, Facebook tops the list at 93 per cent, followed by:
- LinkedIn (87 per cent)
- Twitter (74 per cent)
- YouTube (64 per cent)
- Instagram (47 per cent).
Surprisingly, Google+ is still a player, with 30 per cent of marketers indicating they use the platform for content marketing purposes.
And here comes another surprise:
In terms of social media effectiveness, marketers slot LinkedIn in at number one at 64 per cent, shading Facebook at 63 per cent, and well ahead of YouTube at 27 per cent and Twitter, 23 per cent.
And finally, what I also found interesting from the research falls under the following:
How often Australian marketers consider various concepts while creating content.” (Graph below, click to enlarge)
It’s heartening to see the majority of marketers ensure their content is “fact-based and/or credible” (84 per cent).
However, what is disheartening is the statistic that only 58 per cent of respondents “always/frequently” focused on creating content for their audience versus their brand.
In other words, 42 per cent of marketers “sometimes/rarely/never” focus on creating content for their audience.
What a great opportunity for brands that take an audience-first approach!
Download the full Content Marketing in Australia: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report.
Leave a Reply