Email is the best channel for sending content, but there are many barriers to success, according to Email-Driven Content Marketing, a study by Ascend2.
For one, 44% are daunted by improving
the quality of leads, and 42% struggle with increasing conversion rates. Yet those two tasks are also top priorities — improving lead quality for 54% and conversions for 49%.
In
addition, 40% say it is a challenge to increase the number of leads/and subscribers. Thirty-seven percent have difficulty building engagement time, and 34% are flummoxed by trying to improve brand
preference
Despite these challenges, email is rated as an effective channel by 82%, and social media by 54%. In addition, 51% point to SEO/organic search, another 51% to website/blogs
and 21% to display adds.
Among those polled, 41% consider themselves somewhat successful at email-driven content marketing, and 54% consider themselves very successful, or best in class. Only
5% say they are not successful.
In addition, 41% say their email effectiveness is improving significantly, and 49% see moderate improvement.
Only 11% exclusively use in-house
resources, 58% use both in-house and outsourced resources and 31% depend fully on outside specialists.
The most effective digital content forms are:
- Videos/motion graphics
— 44%
- Webinars/events — 43%
- Research/eBooks — 41%
- Newsletters/blog posts — 40
- Interactive content — 38
- Case
studies/articles — 36%
- Infographics — 25%
Ascend2 surveyed 224 marketing influencers.