Manufacturers seem to have turned an important corner when it comes to content marketing. That’s according to the Manufacturing Content Marketing: 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report released by the Content Marketing Institute.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the results of that study.
White papers are still an important part of the marketing mix
On average, manufacturer marketers use 8 tactics. White papers rank 8th at 49%. Although white papers are not used as much as social media and email, they are still an important part of a multi-platform marketing mix.
Manufacturers are getting better at content creation
A full 59% of manufacturing marketers say they have become “much more” or “somewhat more” successful compared to their efforts in 2015. Of that group, 82% say their increased success can be attributed to them doing a better job at content creation, producing higher-quality content, and getting more efficient at content creation. Additionally, 72% say they are having greater success due to the fact that they have a content marketing strategy.
Manufacturers are creating a content marketing strategy
In 2015, only 18% reported that they have a documented content strategy. In 2016, 31% reported that they have a documented content strategy. According to the Content Marketing Institue, documenting your strategy is a key to success.
Content Marketing is a higher priority for Manufacturers
A full 62% of surveyed organizations that reported an increase in success in 2016 say that the cause of their success is based on the fact that they are making content marketing a greater priority. This is the case because the leadership team at the organization is prioritizing content. Among the top performers in this area, 76% agree that their leadership team gives them ample time to produce content marketing results.
Manufacturer Marketers’ efforts are maturing
Data from 2016 suggests that many organizations are growing out of the young and first-steps phases of content marketing and into the adolescent phase. In fact, 37% of 2016’s respondents say their organizations are in the adolescent phase of content marketing maturity vs. 29% in 2015. According to the Content Marketing Association, with maturity comes experience. Manufacturers learn what works and what doesn’t work over time. Additionally, those organizations with higher levels of content marketing maturity often are more successful with their content marketing efforts.
Where to from here
Just like in many other sectors, manufacturers still have a long way to go in order to achieve maximum results from their strategies. First, they need to be much more committed to marketing great content. Second, they need greater clarity around what makes their efforts successful. Only 33% say it’s clear in their organization what an effective or successful content marketing program looks like.
Be sure to download the Manufacturing Content Marketing: 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report to learn more about how manufacturing marketers are doing in their effort to generate more leads and close more sales.
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