As many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) find themselves having to adapt to the pressure of tough economic conditions and compete against the success of competitors, a study has shown that the majority are using content marketing in order to level the playing field.

Observers believe the popularity of content marketing has increased for SMEs due to the fact that the average SME lacks access to the same resources as more established competitors. To successfully compete, SMEs use content marketing strategies as a viable way of bringing significant boosts to brand awareness without spending funds on some of the more expensive marketing strategies.

Research carried out jointly between Outbrain and the Content Marketing Institute discovered that around 94% of SMEs report channelling funds into content marketing.

According to the findings, companies working in the B2B sector usually utilise 12 tactics, but around 7% of SMEs use more than 20. Of all the content marketing routes, social media has remained one of the most popular; around 86% of the respondents said they sought to boost engagement with consumers through social media.

Over the next year, the majority of the companies taking part in the research (88%) said they predict that their budgets for marketing will either increase or stay the same.

SMEs continue to acknowledge the advantages presented by using social media, directing much of their marketing efforts into this channel. According to the study, the three most popular social networks were Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which were used by 80%, 81% and 83% of the respondents respectively.

However, businesses wanting to make the most of social media must do more than just have a presence on a network. To drive traffic conversion rates through the use of social media, SMEs must provide unique, fresh and innovative content for their consumer base.

Richard Bell

Richard has a First in English Literature and Creative Writing, and has experience writing fiction and short stories (which he has published both online and in magazines).