Subscribe RSS
Comment RSSGood Content Isn’t Cheap, So Don’t Treat it That Way
Written by Michael LevanduskiJanuary 24, 2013 # 3:38 pm # Marketing Insights, Specials # 4 Comments
For anyone who has been in the business for a while, it is easy to say that there has always been a huge interest in online content as a marketing tool. Content marketing is widespread, and is used on just about any web page ever visited. The practice of content marketing takes time, effort, and the right set of skills in order to produce the right content for the marketing problem at hand. Many marketers will confess to having little skill in the creation of content on the web, which is why content developers and freelance writers exist. However, it seems that the commitment to creating successful and compelling content on the web has gotten a bit lazy, and marketers just are not paying like they used to.
There is a new survey from a company called BusinessBolts, which helps entrepreneurs and business people in starting up their own businesses. This survey shows that despite new and exciting marketing tactics that exist in today’s digital world, 74% of marketers are still using content marketing heavily as a primary marketing tool. According to the report, “Marketers are seeing massive benefits from content marketing even with minimal effort and minimal spending on content creation. The biggest benefits come in the form of increasing their traffic.”
Now, even though all of these businesses and content marketers are still using content as a huge generator of traffic and business, things get confusing upon finding out how much people spend on content creation these days. When participants in the survey were asked how much their company spends on content creation each month, a total of 62% said less than $100. After that, 28% more said between $100 and $500. Only 3% of respondents said that they would and have paid more than $50 for a 1,000 word article of content.
It is hard to understand how a company can expect quality content that will generate for them the traffic and reach that they desire while spending so little on its creation. Of course, 61% of respondents said that they create their own content, but that might be even worse. Many marketers jump into the creation of content with no idea of what to do or how to create it.
Even with marketers spending as little as they do on content marketing now, there are still some that say they wish they could spend more. When asked if content marketing has helped to lower advertising expenses, only 45% reported that it has. With content marketers giving out very little money for the creation of what they hope is quality content, they still feel that paying as little as they do has not helped them to save a buck.
The answer to this conundrum is quite simple. Marketers need to invest the right amount of money into content creation if they expect a quality outcome. Some marketers are skilled writers, and creating content for themselves is a great answer. For the many that can’t write, though, hiring a writer is the only option. Therefore, in order to get the quality content that is expected, investing the right amount of money is needed. When it comes to one’s own business, being cheap with the creator of the content will get them nowhere.
Written by Michael Levanduski
Michael Levanduski is a news reporter at Performance Marketing Insider. He’s been a writer at one level or another for the past 15+ years. He has three kids and lives in Grand Rapids, MI.
There are four comments. Join the discussion.
Share/Bookmark this!
Well I do agree with what you have said. As a matter of fact, having these idea can help you in order to become more capable in doing great contents.
TracyAnn0312 recently posted..gun holsters
so the writing skills are in trend this season?)) There a pile of useful ideas that are worth using if you are dealing with personal online business/blogging. Thanks for the tips!
evan recently posted..Organic Themes
Hi Michael,
What a great post you’ve made here. I almost never write comments on blogs but this one resonated with me.
I’m a freelance writer who caters to that 3% you mentioned. There’s actually quite a few of us who charge in that price bracket (and above), but here’s the interesting thing about it:
The competition isn’t that fierce.
No joke. I rarely have days without a packed schedule. On occasion, I even have to turn work down. My advertising costs are minimal at best.
I’ll tell you why I think that is. Folks who “bite the bullet” and pay for high quality content aren’t just more likely to get a positive ROI, they’re also the types of marketers who are more likely to know how to utilize the content successfully.
The people who hope to get away with paying a penny or two per word for content usually end up with garbage and therefore make very little money from the project they invested in.
This is why you see so many low-cost writers constantly advertising. They have to do a ton of work in order to make a decent income, and this problem is compounded by the fact that their clients don’t come back to them as often (if at all).
Higher quality = higher conversions.
As much as I’d love to see more internet marketers grasp that concept, I’m doing just fine working for a tiny fraction of the 3% who do get it.
I believe, with the constant update made by Google, the site owners will eventually use high-quality contents in order to stay in the business, rather than content marketing tactics.
Sarah Park recently posted..Basic Guidelines to Becoming an Oil Rig Worker