Research Finds Australians Adopt Content Marketing More than North American & UK Peers

CLEVELAND, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study from Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and The Association for data-driven marketing & advertising (ADMA) shows that 96% of Australian marketers use content marketing, with businesses using 12 individual tactics on average.

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This premier study, Content Marketing in Australia: 2013 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends, reveals that, on average, Australian companies allocate 25% of their total marketing budget to content marketing, with 61% planning to increase that amount over the next 12 months – more than their North American peers who, in another recent CMI study, said they will increase their content marketing budgets by 54%.

According to the new study, which includes additional comparisons of Australian content marketers with their North American and UK peers, the most popular content marketing tactics in Australia are articles on a company's website (88%), social media (excluding blogs) (83%), eNewsletters (82%), and in-person events (74%).

"While Australian content marketers have widely adopted content marketing, only 29% believe their content marketing is 'very effective' or 'effective',"says Joe Pulizzi, Founder & Executive Director of Content Marketing Institute and co-author of Managing Content Marketing. "However, Australian businesses are continuing to invest in content marketing, with the majority planning to increase their spend in the coming year."

Australian content marketers use an average of four social media platforms to distribute content, with the most popular channels being Facebook (71%), Twitter (67%), and LinkedIn (67%).

"The research clearly shows that content marketing is an important component of data-driven marketing," says Jodie Sangster, Chief Executive Officer of ADMA. "Even though the concept of content marketing has been around for a while, marketers are just starting to understand the characteristics of effective content marketing that makes it compelling for the consumer."

Content Marketing in Australia: 2013 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends is the first survey from Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and The Association for data-driven marketing & advertising (ADMA) about content marketing in the Australian space to date. Two-hundred sixteen marketers in Australia from diverse industries and a range of company sizes were surveyed between August 2012 and January 2013. The full report can be found at http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/02/australia-2013-content-marketing-research/.

The full report will be presented at Content Marketing World Sydney, 4-6, March 2013. For registration or sponsorship information, click here.

About Content Marketing Institute 
Content Marketing Institute (CMI) is the leading global content marketing education and training organization. CMI teaches enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multi-channel storytelling. CMI's Content Marketing World event is the largest content marketing-focused event; it is produced in Australia (March 2013) and North America (September 2013). CMI also produces the quarterly magazine Chief Content Officer, and provides strategic consulting and content marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. Get more content marketing resources at ContentMarketingInstitute.com. CMI is a division of Z Squared Media, a 2012 Inc. 500 company.

About The Association for data-driven marketing & advertising (ADMA)

The Association for data-driven marketing & advertising (ADMA) is the principal industry body for information-based marketing and advertising and is the largest marketing and advertising body in Australia with over 500 member organisations.

ADMA represents the new era of marketing and advertising – a 360 view from end-to-end.

• From marketing to advertising
• From effective to creative
• From above to below
• From measurable to engaging

ADMA is the ultimate authority and go-to resource for creative and effective data-driven marketing across all channels and platforms, providing knowledge, advocacy, insight, and innovation to advance responsive and enlightened marketing.

SOURCE Content Marketing Institute