I just read Forrester Research's new report on content marketing, and one graph stood out to me as being particularly interesting.
According to Forrester, Americans are much more trusting of the things they read online than their European counterparts. From banner ads to search results, Americans said they trusted digital content at rates significantly higher than those polled in Europe.
In fact, only 33% of Europeans said they trusted online product reviews on websites like CNET and Consumer reports, compared with 54% of Americans.
Forrester Research
No matter the audience, Forrester reports, most advertisers are still struggling to make branded content work for them. Author Ryan Skinner cited previous research, finding that only 34% of consumer-facing companies thought their content marketing efforts were either very effective or effective.
The report surmises this is the case because many brands are so focused on generating sales, they forget to make content that people actually want to see and share with their friends.
Additionally, making quality content costs time and money, but doesn't always show immediate results when it comes to sales, Forrester found. As a result, people in charge of content at big companies have trouble convincing their bosses the investment is worth it.