In 1996 Bill Gates coined the “content is king” phrase. Years later marketers began to ask the question if content was dying as the web was flooded with huge amount of information.
However, research has proven one thing to be true – Content marketing is still the most popular strategy, with 82% of companies dedicating a budget for content production. According to Hubspot, 90% of marketers plan to continue investing in their content marketing plan in 2022, with 66% planning to increase their content marketing budgets. Here’s why.
Decreased in-person events
The global pandemic all over the world forced employees to work remotely and consumers to make online purchases. Companies canceled in-person events and interactions to protect public health and comply with government regulations during the crisis. Marketers shifted towards online channels for brand exposure, and content marketing remained the most effective strategy.
Buyers also evolved, preferring to learn about products and services through internet rather than rely on sales interactions. According to Wyzowl, 69% of consumers chose to learn about a product or service from video content while 18% of those respondents said they preferred to learn about a product or service through text-based articles, such as a blog or website content.
Buyers are relying more on digital content
COVID-19 triggered a dramatic change in consumer behavior. Consumers are now online more than ever, consuming more content than ever before making purchase decisions. Unlike past generations, buyers today do research on products they want. Blogs and videos are educating them on product benefits and reviews are building confidence.
According to DemandGen, 44% of consumers admit to consuming three to five pieces of content before engaging with a vendor. Lifestyles have largely shifted to rely on digital content and offerings, prompting companies to pivot and meet the increased demand of consumers.
The shift towards digital offerings also changed peoples purchasing behaviour. A survey on customer ordering preferences, revealed that 70% of people preferred to order digitally than in-person.
The need for high-quality content
While content can be leveraged to build awareness and close sales, it needs to be timely and relevant. It has to address consumers’ pain points and help them through the buying process.
