The last decade has seen content marketing evolve from a niche sub-sector to a mainstay of modern marketing strategy – but brands are increasingly grappling for a share of voice to effectively engage their target audiences.
According to leading market research firm Technavio, the global content marketing industry will be worth $575 billion by 2021. This growth is being driven by the cost-effectiveness of content marketing compared to traditional advertising; its ability to tackle pain points and build trust among customers; and its usefulness in building brand awareness and generating leads.
But content marketing may have reached a saturation point as everyone jumps on board the content band wagon. Some firms are still treating content marketing like a hamster wheel – continually spitting out more content and then moving onto the next piece. The financial services industry is also guilty of focusing too much on a salesy product approach and providing bland content that lacks an emotional connection.
In order to overcome this tsunami of content from competitors and succeed in grabbing the attention of audiences, marketers therefore need to work smarter, not harder. Effective content programs should focus on engaging with audiences and looking at how they nurture that relationship. Otherwise brands are just broadcasting.
At Honner we see a much bigger opportunity for businesses willing to shift their focus from high volumes of content to a more strategic focus on creating customer value and connecting with audiences.
We work closely with sales and marketing executives to create content that’s truly integrated into an organisation’s business development process. We use our combination of technical knowledge and communications experience to tell highly crafted stories that will increase sales leads, reduce the cost of sales, and increase customer retention.
Blog Series on Content Marketing
Over the next eight weeks, we’ll put the spotlight on each of the eight steps in The 8-Step Honner Content Model (see below) . This will include strategies and tips from Honner to maximise each stage.
Blog 1: Far from the madding crowd: The 8-step Honner content model to connect, converse and convince.
Blog 2: Start by listening deeply: the 8-step Honner content model to connect, converse and convince. (16 May 2019)
The 8-Step Honner Content Model.
While every project is different, the Honner Content Team have come together and identified the foundations of what a firm needs to do to transform their content marketing process. Check out our new infographic, which profiles the key success factors a firm needs to undertake to transform their content marketing process.
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