MUMBAI: Content marketing has become top of mind for India’s brand marketers over the last year, as social media’s popularity as a marketing strategy wanes, according to new research.
The survey, carried out by Times Internet and DMA Asia, revealed that 57% of respondents believed that content marketing has replaced social media marketing as India’s most popular strategy over 2017-18.
The survey captured the thoughts of 150 brand marketers in India across categories including FMCG, pharmaceuticals, real estate, auto and retail.
Almost 30% of the marketers said consolidating their content marketing strategy would be their key focus in 2018; measuring ROI (27%) was close behind.
Despite the boom in mobile phone and internet penetration in India – especially in rural India – marketers in the country believe that social media is a less effective strategy than in previous years.
The popularity of social media marketing saw a 30% decline from the previous year’s survey – as only 36% of surveyed marketers cited it as a strategy that was working well for them in 2017-18.
Multi-platform digital marketing, however, remains a priority for India’s brands. Over 40% of respondents confirmed that they spend more than a quarter of the overall marketing budget on digital platforms and strategies.
Marketers are also putting more focus into proving ROI in their marketing efforts in order to protect or grow their digital marketing projects.
Securing enough budgets for digital marketing and measuring ROI are two of the biggest challenges at 32% and 27% respectively.
When measuring ROI on digital marketing, weekly and monthly measurement remained the most popular options at 38% each.
The survey, carried out by Times Internet and DMA Asia, revealed that 57% of respondents believed that content marketing has replaced social media marketing as India’s most popular strategy over 2017-18.
The survey captured the thoughts of 150 brand marketers in India across categories including FMCG, pharmaceuticals, real estate, auto and retail.
Almost 30% of the marketers said consolidating their content marketing strategy would be their key focus in 2018; measuring ROI (27%) was close behind.
Despite the boom in mobile phone and internet penetration in India – especially in rural India – marketers in the country believe that social media is a less effective strategy than in previous years.
The popularity of social media marketing saw a 30% decline from the previous year’s survey – as only 36% of surveyed marketers cited it as a strategy that was working well for them in 2017-18.
Multi-platform digital marketing, however, remains a priority for India’s brands. Over 40% of respondents confirmed that they spend more than a quarter of the overall marketing budget on digital platforms and strategies.
Marketers are also putting more focus into proving ROI in their marketing efforts in order to protect or grow their digital marketing projects.
Securing enough budgets for digital marketing and measuring ROI are two of the biggest challenges at 32% and 27% respectively.
When measuring ROI on digital marketing, weekly and monthly measurement remained the most popular options at 38% each.
Sourced from Times Internet; additional content by WARC staff
