Customer attention is arguably the most precious commodity to any organisation – and there are more than 10 million brands in the world, and all of them competing fiercely for it.
Content is consequently becoming the conduit through which organisations can earn their customers’ attention, whether B2C or B2B. Content becomes the brands’ side of the value exchange – providing customers with interesting and relevant information in return for their time.
Content marketing is now demanding significant amounts of consumer attention, rivalling traditional paid for media. As the price of paid-for content rises, so too does the demand for free content. Consequently, customers are turning to their favourite brands for entertainment, news, and general information in their droves.
Research conducted by Dres Consulting shows that a quarter of all time spent consuming media is spent with branded content.
• 30% of total time spent reading magazines is devoted to reading content marketing titles
• 20% of total time surfing the internet is spent on content-led websites
• 25% of total time spent using apps and online games is spent of brand produced apps and games
It is therefore no coincidence that the marketing directors believe the top three most important channels for engaging consumers are: content-led websites (37%), branded mobiles apps (30%), and customer magazines (25%). Email newsletters (22%), branded games (15%), and branded TV (13%) were also found to be among the most popular content initiatives.
Frequency was also found to be an integral part of a consumer’s experience with content. Some 57% of consumers read a content marketing title at least once a month, 37% visit a content-led website, and 15% use a branded app or game each month.
The phrase ‘content is king’ has long resonated with marketers, but our research indicates that content is more than king; it is fast becoming a currency, whereby brands and organisations can create value for their customers in return for their engagement. Brands that fail to enter into this value exchange with their customers will find themselves left behind.
Julia Hutchison is chief operating officer of the Content Marketing Association (formerly the Association of Publishing Agencies)
