Why You Need Content Marketing & What it Costs

Why You Need Content Marketing & What it Costs

June 4, 2014 by Holly Rollins

If you’ve realized, like many B2B and B2C companies have, that content marketing generates leads: congratulations,

Personnel & budgeting for CM

Personnel & budgeting for content marketing

you’re in the majority! According to the Content Marketing Institute, 66 percent of even B2Bs used content marketing in 2012 and that figure is climbing.

If you are mulling over whether to start a content marketing program, here are some facts:

  • Content marketing (CM) does generate leads, if the message is on target to the right audience;
  • CM (or telling your story) in a non-advertorial way that scratches your client’s itch – and works;
  • CM is a must for most industries as part of a holistic marketing plan.

If you want to expand or tweak an existing CM initiative, here are some numbers to help you determine if your budget is weak or on track:

  • The average annual salary for a content manager in Greenville SC is $65,363, according to The Creative Group. Of course this position in larger metro areas would be closer to the $75,000 mark;
  • If you outsource content management and you are a mid-sized firm, your retainer (without an in-house dedicated CM manager) would range from $5,000 to $8,000 per month (in the Southeast);
  • Other B2Bs dedicate a quarter of their marketing budget to CM;
  • Other potential staff, contractors and technology costs may also apply, depending on your company and its objectives/budgets.

What does a content manager -in or out-of-house do? (You may ask):

  • Tell you company’s story;
  • Write blog posts;
  • Integrate the stories with appropriate social channels;
  • Integrate the stories with your marketing and PR plan and divisions, services or product lines;
  • Engage your firms’ clients, employees and sometimes vendors and other grassroots groups;
  • Continually monitor company & client needs and CM results.

There are pros and cons to an in-house or outsourced CM effort. But the crucial point in this digital age is that people look at online information 10 times before making a purchasing decision. CONTENT MATTERS.