The content landscape is constantly evolving, which also means what worked a few years ago, might not today.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 66 per cent of marketers expect that their 2022 content marketing budget will increase more than their 2021 budget. But where should they allocate this money?
This is where research can help. The Content Marketing Landscape in 2022: Small & Midsize Businesses report by Semrush has revealed the most popular content types that small businesses create, as well as the content types that deliver the best results for small businesses.
Most popular and effective types of content
According to the report, email was the number one content type in driving content marketing results, showing 27 per cent of the responses.
Unsurprisingly, blog posts and articles were high on the list, coming in second with 22 per cent. After all, blogging continues to be an effective form of content marketing. In fact, did you know that companies that blog generate 67 per cent more leads than companies that don’t? Blog posts should be relevant to your target audience and engaging. Make sure you are adding value, not just trying to sell something!
When it comes to creating content, it’s important not to put all of your eggs in one basket – it pays to invest in a range of content types. The report also showed that emails and newsletters are in fact the most popular type of content being created by small businesses, leading at 44 per cent, above blog posts which were the second-most popular content type at 33 per cent. The report also revealed that ads (29 per cent), product descriptions (27 per cent) and video (27 per cent) are among the most popular mediums, perhaps reflective of a fast return on investment from marketing spend.
Set goals, research and evaluate
With so many options and types of content, it’s essential to first clearly define your marketing goals and objectives. This will help you determine the right content medium to use in order to achieve the desired results. By this, we mean determining what your specific goal is from each individual piece of content. Purpose-driven content is far more effective. Avoid creating content just for the sake of it and remember that all of your content should be connected to your wider marketing strategy and business goals.
Content that isn’t attached to any kind of objective can just be fodder that lacks substance and fails to generate results. Spend some time thinking about the goals you want to achieve with your marketing content. The Semrush study found that the top three content goals regularly set by small businesses are: to build brand awareness (46 per cent); to increase website traffic (41 per cent); and to improve sales results (40 per cent). Your goals might be the same or different.
Do your research and find out what your audience wants to hear and on which platforms they like to engage. Use the analytics tools of these platforms to help you paint a picture of your typical audience member and their preferences.
Lastly, you need to evaluate the performance of your content marketing efforts to find out what works and what doesn’t. Taking the time to regularly review performance will highlight areas for improvement. Pay attention to key metrics (such as website views, engagement, shares, calls and leads), to help guide your strategy and make tweaks, if necessary.
At Reeton Media, we specialise in content marketing that connects, engages and inspires. Contact us on (02) 9825 9600 to organise a personalised content marketing brainstorming session for your brand or business.