We’ve seen how email and content marketing can work together to really improve your results. But let’s now dive into the data a little more and look at how marketers are seeing the effectiveness of email-driven content marketing changing, and the best types of digital content to focus on which really drive results.
When looking at the most effective channels for broadcasting content, the top three are head and shoulders above the rest. The vast majority (89%) of best-in-class marketers report that email is the most effective channel to drive marketing content to prospects. Social media and a website or blog are also reportedly important channels at 60% and 52% respectively.
But how is this changing over time and is an email/content integration something to seriously consider spending your budget on? Of course it is, but don’t just take our word for it…
Nearly all (97%) best-in-class marketers surveyed consider the effectiveness in email-driven content marketing channels to be improving to some extent, with 65% describing the improvement in effectiveness as ‘significant’.
OK, but there are many different types of digital content, how do you identify which ones are the most effective for your business? This is where testing is invaluable, as results will vary for different sectors and organisations. Overall, the results look like this:
Half of the best-in-class marketing influencers surveyed reported that both videos/motion graphics and research/eBooks are the most effective types of digital content for marketing purposes. Nearly as effective are webinars and events for 47% of marketers. So experiment a little, mix it up, and most importantly track what is working and what fails to impress.
Don’t forget the problem might be in the execution. We sometimes hear marketers say ‘we’ve tried case studies or interactive content and it didn’t work’, but try some different styles or approaches before writing off a particular type. Don’t forget, over your calendar year you are likely to use a mix of these tactics, and results will vary – that’s perfectly normal!
I don’t have time!
As we all know marketers find designing and building digital content one of the most time–consuming parts of their email marketing campaigns. Something that is highlighted in our 2018 Email Marketing Census, where design and content are making greater demands on marketers’ time – much more than important activities such as strategy/planning, data and optimization – with 18% of respondents saying that they spend more than eight hours on it for each typical campaign.
Creating digital content can often exceed the resources available in-house for many organizations. This is the primary reason 54% of best-in-class marketers report that a collaboration between outsourced and in-house resources is most effective. Outsourcing to a specialist is used by 43% and just 3% say they only use in-house resources.
Be prepared to work with external agencies and specialists, build up a roster of likely candidates and let them play to their strengths. This leaves you heaps of time to focus on the important aspects of strategy, optimization and data integration.