One third of retail businesses are missing the opportunity to bring people closer to their brand through content marketing, according to recent survey results from the National Retail Association and content marketing agency, Edge.

This is considerably high compared to national statistics, which show 96 per cent of Australian marketers are using content marketing.

Of the 70 per cent of Australian retail marketers using content marketing, one in four retail marketers don’t have a content marketing strategy, and 18 per cent are not measuring the effectiveness of their content marketing.

Edge compiled the survey results into a white paper which also includes helpful content marketing tips and insights for retailers. The white paper can be downloaded here.

Fergus Stoddart, director of Edge, said creating content is the most effective way to build loyalty with new and existing customers, but with consumers being increasingly fickle it is important retailers know they are creating the right type of content.

“With 72 per cent of retail marketers recognising the biggest challenge is to create the right content, retail brands need to get to know their audience better, their routines, personalities, habits and interests. They also need to create a strategy which outlines what they are trying to achieve with their content marketing,” said Stoddart.

“Retail is an extremely competitive environment and businesses need to make sure they are developing content which is delivering the best results. Retailers who have set up strong content strategies to repeatedly engage customers and an effective evaluation plan see the greatest return on investment.”

The survey also found that brand-owned websites (76 per cent) and Facebook (54 per cent) were the two most efficient channels for delivering content. 

Interestingly, while 57 per cent of Australian marketers use YouTube to distribute content, only 37 per cent of retail marketers are embracing the platform. There is an opportunity for retailers to use more videos as part of their strategy. 

Only seven per cent of retailers are using apps to distribute content. This shows there is an opportunity to increase customer engagement and loyalty through developing a useful app that adds value to the customer and strengthens the retailer/customer relationship.

The survey was run in partnership with the National Retail Association, SkuVantage, and Retail Oasis in March and April 2014, and had respondents from a variety of different sectors within the retail industry.