Challenges and hurdles in content marketing

Under the title "Content Marketing 2018: Balancing act between real hurdles and theoretical requirements", the German full-service media provider w&co Media Service recently conducted a survey. For this snapshot study, managing directors as well as marketing and sales managers of online retailers and brand manufacturers in Germany were asked about the topic of content marketing in personal interviews at the Internet World trade fair 2018. A central topic of the w&co study was the goals and hurdles in content marketing. At first, the answers do not appear spectacular: the absolute top answer among the most important goals in content marketing is differentiation from the competition at 37 percent, followed by 15 percent strengthening the brand or corporate image. 13 percent want to use it to strengthen brand awareness. In other words, a full 65 percent are using content marketing to achieve classic goals that are no different from those of traditional advertising formats. Only a few dare to take a more concrete approach. For example, 15 percent state customer loyalty as the most important goal, a good one in ten (11 percent) wants to use it to increase sales to existing customers, and six percent focus primarily on new target groups with content marketing. For only two percent, the focus is on transporting certain corporate values.

Missing answers reveal interesting insights on content marketing

However, no one opted for the response option to better understand customer needs from the response analysis of content marketing. There was also no agreement on generating leads or customer contact data for a personalized approach. It is therefore not surprising that building a community or influencers who actively engage with the brand did not receive a vote either. "When it comes to the question of content marketing goals - given the answer options in the survey - it is much more exciting what is not one of the goals in practice today," explains Janina Pielken, Marketing Manager at w&co MediaServices. "In content marketing - at least in theory - the possibilities for personalization, analysis of customer needs and multiplier effects through communities and influencers are considered key advantages and are discussed in all facets. It is unlikely that executives from marketing, sales and management are unaware of the diverse potential of content marketing."

The reasons for these vague objectives in content marketing are technical and organizational. About one-third (31 percent) see complex processes as the biggest challenge. Many interfaces and time delays in coordination between teams and service providers stand in the way of content development, production and release.
Another 14 percent say their content management is inadequate and error-prone. Searching for specific versions and formats of content takes time, approvals are complex, and much is done manually without system-supported workflows. A good one in ten (11 percent) consider the lack of control options during content production to be the biggest problem, and corrections are only made at a very late stage.

Majority cannot achieve content marketing goals

A total of 56 percent - over half - therefore lack suitable IT infrastructures and workflow control via media platforms. "This makes content marketing cumbersome, responsiveness decreases, and active interaction with customers or communities is thus impossible," adds Pielken. "The technical deficiencies significantly impact the marketing team, making them unproductive and - much worse - stifling creativity, a core competency that makes all the difference in content marketing in particular to differentiate a brand."
For almost one in four (23 percent), the problem is that content is not produced in a coherent way. Content marketing via individual channels therefore contributes too little to overarching brand development and identity. This means that the current highest goals of these measures cannot be achieved from the outset for 79 percent of those surveyed.

Unnecessary increases in cost

Almost one in five (18 percent) complain that different teams are responsible for different channels. As a result, multiple use of existing content is hardly possible, and no synergy effects can be exploited in content creation for different channels. This makes content marketing unnecessarily expensive for organizational reasons alone. No resources are left for the actual requirement of positioning oneself consistently on the market with unique selling points.

Source: www.w-co.de