What: We talked to Juan Carlos Samper, co-founder and CEO of WeAreContent, in order to find out why every company should have an adequate content marketing strategy.
Why it matters: By the end of 2017, the global content marketing industry was projected to grow 16% a year, reaching a value of more than US $400 billion by 2021.
As we’ve seen the previous years, content marketing has speedily become a go-to marketing strategy. Companies everywhere are more aware of the importance of building audiences through the creation of innovative content. According to the Content Marketing Institute, brands that have put in place a successful content strategy have decided to increase the budget up to 55%.
Content has become the core of our communication, particularly digital. Thus, according to reporting by Social Media Today, it is the main link between brands and consumers, which is why it should be used to connect with a built audience in an authentic, emotional way. The sale itself should come naturally as a consequence.
Experts in Content Marketing
For all of the above, it is important to hear from experts like Juan Carlos Samper, who co-founded and is CEO of WeAreContent, a company specialized in content marketing targeted to Hispanics. Portada conducted an exclusive interview with him in order to find out more about what makes his company unique, and his perspective on how content marketing can help open conversations and build meaningful relationships with audiences.
Portada: How have WeAreContent’s objectives changed with the latest emerging technologies?
Juan Carlos Samper: When we started, we had the idea to be a self-service platform with a lot of content suppliers for the Hispanic market (right now we have near 3.500), but the reality is that the market has a misconception of what content marketing is (vs branded content and storytelling) and now we are using the platform to create original content for brands. Normally the companies don’t have people prepared to be content leaders. We are also using our platform to create and develop content strategies for brands.
Portada: What makes WeAreContent unique?
J.C.S.: At this time, we are the only company in the Hispanic market that develops strategies, creates and distributes content for brands. We have a methodology to guarantee success. Moreover, we have a community of more than 3000 content providers to guarantee the quality of the content we produce.
We launched WeAreNative Ads, the native advertising platform for the distribution of content for the Hispanic market.
What the Future Holds
Portada: What are your predictions for the role of content marketing in 2019?
J.C.S.: The Content Marketing Institute has a few points that I would like to highlight as a way of answering:
- 56% of the companies reported that the area of greatest growth has been the creation of content.
- 93% of companies reported that they now have a serious commitment to content marketing.
- 96% of companies consider that due to their content marketing strategy, they are companies that generate more confidence vs companies that do not.
To finish, those most successful brands in their content marketing strategies plan to increase their budgets at levels close to 55%. This clearly shows the importance of content marketing in today’s digital world.
Content for Multicultural Audiences
Portada: What’s the situation of Spanish-language content in the U.S. and how will it change in the near future?
J.C.S.: If we bear in mind that in the USA we can find near 40 million Hispanic speakers (17.8% of the population), it means that we should have near 17% of websites in Spanish, but the reality is that only 5% of total websites in the US are in Spanish.
As you can see on the chart of the Captura Group Study, there is an important gap for Spanish-speakers. 40% of the Spanish speakers prefer content in Spanish, but there is a lack of Spanish content and they only consume 24%. There is not enough content in Spanish around the globe.
Portada: How does WeAreContent address the needs of multicultural audiences?
J.C.S.: We are focused on people who speak Spanish and we want to continue in the same way in the near future. We have experience in content strategies for brands that want to target Hispanics. We are working with agencies, media companies, and advertisers through a process that ensures success in their content strategies. The next step will be Portuguese.
Why You Need to Do Content Marketing
Portada: What are the benefits of an effective content marketing strategy?
J.C.S.: A good content marketing strategy helps brands in 4 aspects:
- Brings quality traffic to websites up to 99% cheaper than with paid campaigns.
- Achieves leads on average 62% cheaper than with paid campaigns (we have 99% cheaper cases).
- Generates real assets for brands. Each time you make a piece of content, you are developing an asset that will never die in time and never stop generating traffic. That does not happen with paid campaigns.
- It allows you to create your own audiences so you do not depend on the media to communicate your message.
Portada: How do you measure the effectiveness of content marketing?
J.C.S.: Once you start with your content marketing strategy, you’ll see an increase in organic traffic (based on SEO) and an increase in potential customers (if you develop content formats for potential customers such as e-books, guides, etc.). You can see all this on the google search console.
How You Should Proceed
Portada: What are the best ways to build an audience with content?
J.C.S.: Clearly work with WeAreContent… but there is a methodology that you can consider:
- First, define the buyer.
- Then, define your goals.
- Use SEO techniques in the creation process.
- Distribute the content through social networks, native advertising (that’s why we launched www.wearenativeads.com), and those channels that serve you to reach your target.
- Finally, measure and analyze the results.
Portada: Anything else you’d like to add?
J.C.S.: A digital marketing strategy without a content marketing strategy is incomplete. Brands should start thinking as media if they want to have their own audiences. It is the greatest benefit they can have in the short, medium and long term. Cases like www.babycenter.com, www.quericavida.com show the importance of building your own audience.
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