Thought leadership, branded content is driving engagement on the Web. Whether that brand is "personal" or corporate, people are reading. And, when it's contained within a custom publication, their response is increasingly favorable.Roper Public Affairs conducted a national poll on behalf of the Custom Publishing Council and found an increase of 6 points from 2005 to 68% of responders today who acknowledged that custom content has helped them make purchasing decisions.
Say HELLO to ROI!For companies who are on the fence about creating customer-focused content, consider this finding:"Overall, custom media is a preferred source of information with nearly three-quarters of respondents agreeing that getting information about companies from an interesting collection of articles is more appealing than getting information from advertisements."While preference for print was higher than for electronic (56% to 37% respectively) the key factor is that content related to their work won out overall. In fact, 66% buyfrom the companies who provide them with useful information.
They like articles and information targeted to their specific interests. And, they remember you. So, if you're intent on building awareness, it's time to embrace custom publishing for your marketing content.While the study indicates the respondents are Americans - not classified by B2B or B2C, your prospects are people. And people don't shed their stripes when they walk into their offices.The study is important for a couple of reasons. People are telling you they want information and not ads. They want value, not sales pitches.
This means you need to focus on your customers. Really, really focus! Get to know them. Find out what they're interested in. Create an editorial calendar that addresses those issues and interests from their perspective.Incidentally, these findings may also be indicative as to why marketers think newsletters are one of their most effective marketing tools. Then again, it depends on the custom content they deliver.To learn more about the study, here's the press release from Custom Publishing Council
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