Content marketing is on the rise for business, with plans to invest more in year ahead

Australian businesses are producing more content marketing than ever before, with plans to boost spending in the area in 2014, new research shows.

A study published by The Content Marketing Institute and the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising, found eight in 10 Australian marketers are producing more content marketing than they did a year ago.

Content marketing involves creating and sharing media content in order to attract consumers. The aim is to create business loyalty by communicating with both existing and potential customers.

The research showed that Australians plan to spend more money on content marketing next year, with 53% of marketers saying they plan to increase their content marketing budget and 16% saying they will significantly increase it.

It found 84% of Australian marketers post articles on their website and maintain an active social media presence, and they rate eNewsletters as the most effective way to share content. LinkedIn was also the most common social media platform used to distribute content, with marketers rating it the most effective.

Marketing Angels founder and chief executive Michelle Gamble is not surprised at the findings as she has witnessed the boom in content marketing by businesses.

“It’s really the creation of any useful content that your target market might find helpful or entertaining,” she says.

“For Red Bull, a lot of their content is around entertainment like extreme sports. But what NapiSan is doing at the moment is creating a community where people can go to find out how to remove stains from clothes. It’s about helping people.”

Gamble says she is seeing a massive increase in Australian businesses using content marketing in order to gain customers.

“I would say it is coming into every one of our client campaigns,” she says. “Since Google’s latest change to their search algorithm it is even more important. You have to be producing quality content to rank highly.”

Over 70% of Australian companies employ someone to oversee their content marketing strategy, the research found. Australian businesses are also more likely to document their content marketing strategy in comparison to their American and British counterparts.

The secret behind content marketing’s success, according to Gamble, is that it builds goodwill.

“Back in the days of old, people would develop a relationship on a face-to-face basis. That has all changed now with social media and the internet. It has really enabled businesses to do that on a one-to-one basis with their customers and that drives word of mouth. And nothing beats that.”

Gamble expects content marketing to continue to grow and play a key role in businesses into the future.

“You will see the lines being blurred more and more between what is advertising, what is entertainment and what is useful content.”