five stages of content marketing journey
DESCRIPTION
In 2014, companies have allocated 30% of their marketing budgets to content marketing. And the allocation is 39% for the more successful companies. Given this, one question has become urgent: how can content marketing be done more effectively? Companies can answer this question better if they know where they are in their content marketing journey.TRANSCRIPT
Content Marketing share of total marketing budgets at most companies
30%2
3
Content Marketing share of total marketing budgets at more successful companies
39%
4
One question has become urgent: how can content marketing be done more effectively?
?
5
Knowing where you are in this evolution is the key to creating content marketing programs that deliver
ROI
6
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In our experience, we’ve found companies pass through five distinct stages of evolution.
54Reactive Repeatable Managed Optimized Scale
Stage 1 Reactive
8
Companies begin with some content experiments for marketing. Typically, sales or marketing team comes across a competitor using content marketing powerfully.
9
Their efforts at this stage are however sporadic.
10
Marketing is mostly very brand-centric.
brand
marketing
audience
Stage 2 Repeatable
12
As their experiments start producing some results, teams realize content marketing actually works!
13
The first serious ramp up begins – a small team with some basic processes is set up. Content volume increases suddenly, mostly through repurposing existing collaterals.
14
Quality often takes a hit at this stage as there is a need for more sophisticated content – video graphics, interactive presentations, infographics, etc.
!!!!
Stage 3 Managed
16
Companies start working with content marketing firms. Working with the vendor helps companies acquire best practices, and refine processes.
17
Quality becomes an explicit goal.
18
Success is about increasing engagement – time spent, shares, and social interactions. This is the beginning of the content marketing maturity phase. !
Stage 4 Optimized
20
Customer experience and acquisition is at the center of everything that is done. Conversions, or leads, become the key program goal.
21
Content marketing gets integrated with the rest of marketing.
22
Companies begin to reap the rewards of their efforts as tools for content management and distribution are deployed, and processes and workflows get standardized.
Stage 5 Scale
Companies now eye the marketing goal:
Brand Leadership
25
Content marketing becomes omni-channel. Companies aim for leadership in defining customer experiences and managing customer lifecycle.
26
Content marketing operations get centralized—and go global.
Content marketing programs are now assessed for business results. In this most mature form, content marketing becomes ROI-driven.
When you know where you are in your content marketing journey, you can make content synonymous with ROI.
321 54Reactive Repetitive Managed Optimized Scale
To download a 12-point content marketing maturity checklist, visit bit.ly/MWGchecklist