Determining return on investment (ROI) for any marketing campaign can be a bit of a challenge. Marketers have to look at sales, cash flow, impressions and even online traffic to put together the full ROI picture. However, in almost all key metrics, content marketing can provide a better ROI than most other forms of marketing due to several factors.
Scalability: Flexibility When You Need It Most
One of the things that makes content marketing a unique marketing tool is its scalability. Whether you have a small, local business with fewer than ten employees or a huge multinational corporation with thousands of employees working around the globe, there's a strategy out there to fit your needs and your budget. Trying to reach local foodies to market a new restaurant? You can reach members of the community with targeted blog posts, reviews and social networking posts. Want to increase brand awareness among Fortune 500 companies for a multinational tech company? Publishing thought leadership pieces and pushing them through business-friendly channels will make sure your business gets the exposure it needs. Content marketing's elasticity ensures that no matter what your current goals are, a strategy can be shaped to fit your needs — giving it a leg up on other marketing methods in terms of return on investment.
Staying Connected to the Brand
One of the biggest ways that content can provide value for marketers is by allowing them to stay connected to consumers who might otherwise gravitate toward other brands. One great case study that illustrates this point is Kraft, who uses a robust content marketing strategy to generate more than 1.1 billion ad impressions a year, according to Ad Age. Kraft is in a unique position to market to its base through paid magazine subscriptions and through social media channels that capitalize on current food trends and incorporate them into meaningful (and promoted) content quickly to reach as many users as possible. This keeps their customers connected to the brand, delivering a steady and consistent flow of impressions for each marketing dollar.
Showing Leadership: Influencing Consumers and Competitors
While keeping current consumers connected to a brand is certainly a worthy goal, being able to establish your brand as a leader in its industry can really deliver growth and, ultimately, return on investment. A solid content marketing strategy positions a business as a thought leader in its industry with intelligent content designed not only for consumers, but for competitors as well. When a business positions itself as a leader in an industry, not only will consumer confidence grow, but other brands will take notice, too — creating an effect that will increase online traffic and, ultimately, conversions, which provides excellent ROI.
Content marketing presents several unique opportunities for marketers to supplement traditional marketing. Its flexibility and its unique ability to keep not only consumers, but other companies as well, connected to brands makes it a superb marketing tool that marketers cannot afford to ignore.
