MINNEAPOLIS-- Today’s savvy marketers are embracing a variety of online tools, including social media, and they perceive quality content creation and storytelling are key to the success of their online content marketing efforts.

Social content, blogging, press releases and online articles are the forms of content used most often by marketers according to the survey by Readex Research, sponsored by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and Brandpoint. Marketers see the best results from social content, e-newsletters and blogging.

What’s more, 80 percent of survey respondents said they are willing to pay more for the added value of well-crafted, customized, professionally written copy.

“We consistently hear from our clients that creative and engaging storytelling, customization and professional-level writing are priorities,” says David Olson, senior vice president at Brandpoint. “The survey results bear this out, as respondents cited those qualities as the ones they consider most important when evaluating an outsourcing partner for their content needs.”

The majority (82 percent) of marketers said it’s more important that their website and blog copy be written for people rather than search engines. In fact, SEO expertise ranked fifth among the list of 11 qualities marketers want in a content provider. Marketers consider cost and high volume at a quick turnaround least important when choosing an outsourcing partner to produce content for them.

Marketers also recognize the value of outsourcing. Seventy percent of survey respondents said they plan to outsource content production in the next 12 months. The top three forms of content they plan to outsource are video, infographics and online articles.

“This survey affirms that marketing pros are embracing the value of online marketing, but they also acknowledge the need to stay true to certain fundamentals,” says Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute. “Quality continues to be a key requirement for success across all forms of content marketing. While the Internet continues to revolutionize the way we all do business, the need to tell a clear compelling story through our marketing efforts remains constant.”

For a comprehensive report on the survey results, click here.

About Content Marketing Institute
CMI teaches marketers how to own their media channels instead of having to rent them through advertising. CMI does this through events like Content Marketing World, media properties like Chief Content Officer magazine, and strategic consulting and research for some of the best-known brands in the world.

About Brandpoint
Brandpoint, the industry leader in content-based marketing solutions, began life 15 years ago as Article Resource Association, providing copyright-free, camera-ready content to print media across the country. As the digital marketing field evolved, the company maintained its front-runner position by developing new content marketing tools and utilizing emerging technologies for a broad portfolio of public relations industry, corporate and nonprofit clients. Today, Brandpoint is recognized as a pioneer in digital content marketing and real-time reporting of measurable, effective results.

About ARAnet
ARAnet is the parent company of Brandpoint and Adfusion. ARAnet is an article-based digital media company that educates consumers, builds brands and drives sales through product offerings that focus on digital advertising, SEO and public relations, and that leverage content and technology to achieve clients’ specific campaign goals.

Contacts

ARAnet, Inc.
Lisa Bergerson, 952-374-5272
Marketing/PR Manager
lbergerson@aranetonline.com
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