By the mid 2019, marketers, content and media gurus were warning of an imminent content bubble. The warnings started early in the year, with PR Week sharing the opinion of Stuart Lambert, founding partner at Blurred, that the digital content bubble has already burst. He cited layoffs at Vice, Buzzfeed and HuffPost as proof of the phenomenon.
But is it really true? Are we witnessing a content bubble bursting upon us due to oversaturation? Have consumers reached the peak of demand for content and now going into a steady decline? We believe this is not true and we have the data to prove it. Also, we will offer you three infallible ways to burst content bubble, should you feel that it is about to occur in your digital marketing strategy.
The Future of Content Marketing: Big, Strong and Bright
So, let us start by showing you why the content bubble is not happening. We analyzed the most recent market trends and statistical data and will back our claims with cold hard numbers.
1. Content Marketing Still Rules as Top Inbound Marketing Priority
According to a survey conducted by Hubspot, content marketing is still a top priority for 55% marketers. They rely on content to get more qualified leads because:
Content marketing generates 3 times more leads than paid search advertising;
Over three quarters of interned users state that they read blogs on a regular basis;
A good content marketing strategy is the key reason for success in the previous year for 72% of marketers.
Thus, for professional content marketers, there is no content bubble, as this type of digital marketing asset generates high ROI and a steady flow of leads.
2. Companies Will Increase Spending on Content Creation
The Content Marketing Institute has released the latest statistics and trends for content marketing among B2B and B2C brands. And they prove that content creation will play a growing role in the overall digital marketing strategy of companies.
Thus:
56% of companies increased spending on content creation in 2019;
29% of companies will increase their content creation budget by more than 9% in 2020;
28% of companies will increase their content creation budget by 1% to 9% in 2020.
Also, one of the biggest brands in the world, Coca-Cola, has steadily increased its budget for content creation over the last 3 years until it has exceeded the budget for television advertising. If big brands put content ahead of traditional advertising channels, this is a really strong point that disproves the content bubble allegations.
3. Customers Demand Consistency from Brands
Content accompanies consumers along their journey from the first interaction with a brand and until they make a purchase. The customer journey, also known as lead nurturing, requires different types of content, such as:
General purpose blog posts
Tutorials and how-to articles
White papers
And, as McKinsey & Company, noted in its recent insights, customers want consistency from brands across the entire customer journey. What does consistency mean in this context? First of all, it means a uniform brand voice across all channels and types of content. It also means a steady flow of content, without long gaps between pieces. Last, but not least, it means having a careful plan for content creation and distribution, adapted to each phase of the lead nurturing process.
Thus, as long as there is demand from consumers, we can’t really talk of a content bubble.
4. Original Written Content Is More Important than Video for Marketers
There is an increasingly popular motto that video is king of content at the present. It may be so in terms of engagement on social media platforms. But for those to whom content is their bread and butter – that is, marketers – this is not quite true.
As Social Media Examiner found in its annual report, 58% of marketers believe that original written content is more important than audio/video content. And OptinMonster has created a top of the most engaging types of written content:
Blog post
Original research.
Now, let us focus on what you really want to read here:
Three Ways to Burst the Content Bubble
1. Create a Diversified Content Mix
As you have seen above, written content is in high demand in various formats. From short and snappy blog posts to in-depth white papers, you have the freedom to build a very diversified content mix.
This helps you to burst the content bubble in two ways:
you can keep your followers and leads engaged with different types of content;
you can prioritize long form content for periods when you have more time to create it.
With a clear content creation calendar in place, you can have a steady flow of content that suits your leads’ demands.
2. Leverage the Relationship with Influencers
Influencer marketing is not dead. In fact, it is up and kicking. Nurturing good relationships with influencers is also a great help for bursting the content bubble. Whenever you are out of time or ideas for fresh content, you can contact these influencers for an interview or for a collage of their opinions on a topic of interest for your readers.
3. Use Social Listening to Find Content Ideas
Social listening means, first of all, monitoring the sentiment related to your brand online. But it also means being in touch with the interests, needs, and issues your target customers talk about on the social media and elsewhere.
Thus, you can identify trends, hot topics, latest developments, popular hashtags, etc. and incorporate them in your content strategy. In this way, you will always have an ongoing flow of content ideas. At the same time, you will be among the first to write on a new topic of interest and your content stands higher chances of going viral.