According to statista.com, content marketing currently generates over US$65 billion for businesses across all industries that use it as part of their marketing strategy. This figure is expected to double by 2026 to over US$130 billion. And although statistics vary between sources, the same site claims that 97% of marketing departments use content marketing in their strategy. It’s big business for startups and can help generate revenue that positions them in Forbes Top 100.
Likes and re-tweets across social media platforms may look good on the surface. Still, without an effective content marketing strategy, whose success is more difficult to quantify, it is improbable that a startup or company can ever reach its maximum potential. The idea behind winning content and increased revenue comes from clients who trust their favourite brands, get informed and educated, and keep coming back to devour information, eventually buying from them.
Million and billion-dollar startups use content marketing to provide insight to curious clientele. Even one of the most giant unicorns, Databricks, with its unearthly revenue of US$813 million, uses content marketing to position itself as one of the world’s leading brands.
Not every content marketing strategy is the same. Far from a one-size-fits-all approach, content marketing can be adapted depending on the company's objectives and where in the funnel the audience is.
Content marketing has come to be expected for any company, especially digital companies and startups; it is the new norm in marketing, and consumers actively search for it. It helps build trust that a website alone can’t do in a transparent, educational, and informative way.
High-quality content has long been valued by companies such as American Express, with a jaw-dropping US$181.16 billion net worth. They tactfully make their content all about their customer, offering a sense of community through their content, giving their customers’ businesses more exposure, and continually adapting content according to current trends. This keeps them relevant and evergreen, a critical content marketing tactic.
Amex provides its readers with tips and insights, even drawing on what other companies are doing to show their readers a more rounded picture of what is going on in their industry.
Billion-dollar companies don’t use pushy sales. Before consuming a product, customers devour all the information about it. They want to trust the company they’re buying from. They want to know we care. So we, as startups, need to provide that information — that content. Yes, for free. But the average ROI on hiring a skilled writer or agency for your content marketing is a cool US$984,000 when done correctly. Here’s what we mean by correctly:
Search engines favor pages that add quality content consistently. Posting consistently can often seem impossible when you’re a startup experiencing growth or wearing all the hats in your solopreneur endeavor. But we at Castleberry identified that more than 83% of billion-dollar companies would use content marketing in 2022, so you can’t afford to fall behind.
When done correctly, content marketing is a full-time job that startup founders don’t always have time to explore fully. This is why many companies outsource their content marketing through a specialised content creation team and strategy.
Relevant, researched, authentic. It’s common knowledge that 90% of startups fail, and one of the many reasons is inefficient marketing. Take time to learn what your customer — your buyer persona — needs. It can be tempting to write only about your products when in fact, you need to address the needs of your audience.
As of 2021, Canva was estimated to be worth around US$40 billion. Part of its marketing strategy is — you’ve guessed it — content marketing. Their blog empowers and educates users, providing masses of beneficial information for their customers.
But there’s an excellent array of benefits for Canva, which make the investment in quality content worth it — users spend longer on their site, reducing their bounce rate and getting them where they need to be on Google, for starters. Potential buyers feel like they have all the information they need to make an informed purchase. The company positions itself as a thought leader, inspiring over 10 million people to design in 179 different countries, making them one of the best sources of information for designers.
LinkedIn has more than 65,000 job offers for copywriters worldwide at the time of posting. That’s approximately 65,000 companies that understand how important well-written content has become in the online marketplace. This begs the question: is an in-house copywriter best, or could I outsource my content writing to an agency?
FTX is an example of a multi-million dollar company that uses content marketing to scale and grow. The advantages of using a specialised media company for content marketing include highly-targeted content that isn’t written ad-hoc. By opening an account with a specialist agency, startups can leverage artificial intelligence to provide enhanced SEO optimisation and a whole host of other software in their content that they would otherwise have to pay out for, on top of an in-house copywriter.
Add the pool of talented writers agencies such as Castleberry Media typically contract, and you have the right voice for your brand. They like to find out what your startup is about and find the perfect writer for you.
Venture capital (VC) - backed startups will probably be familiar with some of the conditions that will determine the success of Web 3. For the uninitiated, up until now, companies have been able to grow their companies by either harvesting personal data or buying it. In layman’s terms, companies with a higher paid ad budget have had more floor space, but this has changed over the last 15 years.
Companies that offer value will take center stage, regardless of their budget. This is why companies are jumping on the content marketing bandwagon and outsourcing quality written content for their startup — the Internet of Value is coming, and we need to be ready.
Content marketing has evolved, and those companies turning over the highest revenues deliver consistent valuable content. Google doesn’t take kindly to YMYL content or keyword-stuffing, favouring companies that offer resources that clients can use. Content marketing has well and truly moved into our digital worlds, and with good reason: it works to help new and old companies break the billion-dollar barrier.
If you would like to learn more about creating a successful content strategy for your startup, reach out to us or sign up for our monthly newsletter, where we share the secrets to brand building with content marketing.
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