Content Marketing: Justifying the Costs and Benefits to the C-Suite

Content marketing used to be an unfamiliar concept for business leaders.

Now, most companies and marketers recognize its importance, but some still struggle to explain its benefits to upper management. As a result, they take the easy route and suggest funding for standard paid search or other usual marketing efforts, leaving out content marketing.

Part of the content marketer’s job is to champion the value that content adds to the bottom line and explain its benefits in a clear, compelling way in order to get the sign-off and budget necessary to move projects through to execution.

Executives often understand the soft benefits of content marketing, such as engaging prospects, raising awareness, and educating clients.

But what about the return on investment?

That takes more effort, but shifting your company from the usual approach will pay off. It’s time to create a presentation, organize your facts, set up a meeting, and explain the costs, benefits, and importance of content marketing to your C-suite executives.

What Is the Competition Doing?

Don’t go into the meeting without doing your competitive research.

After all, your CEO and executive team probably have an idea of which techniques the competition are utilizing. These might amount to sending mass email campaigns, buying PPC or other display ads without any tailored content, participating in trade shows, or using product listing services—all which are behind the times.

Your competitors have probably realized that they need to optimize their websites for search engines and they’ve coded their static pages properly.

If they’re not using content marketing, this is your chance to surge ahead of them; if they are, you’d better catch up fast.

Content Marketing vs. Paid Search

It used to be that content marketing and paid search were direct competitors for your marketing budget dollars. And at companies that don’t create any specialized content (for use in paid channels or otherwise), they still are.

But today, content marketing and paid search can work together: Instead of creating ads leading to your homepage or contact page, pick out your best-performing content and create a paid search ad with it. If it’s popular with the people who found it through your other channels, chances are it will be popular with some well-targeted audiences who haven’t found you organically yet.

Content Marketing vs. Display Ads

How often do you (or your executives) actually click on display ads for real purposes?

We’re not talking about competitive intelligence research or your marketer’s curiosity—but for-real purchasing or buyer research.

Back in 2012, Hubspot noted that “the average banner ad has a 0.1% clickthrough rate (CTR), and the standard 468×60 banner has a 0.04% CTR.”

Today, display ads have moved up slightly to 0.35 percent.

What’s caused the 300 percent increase? My bet is that smart marketers who’ve coupled display ads with an already successful content marketing program—instead of bottom-of-funnel “contact us” ads—are responsible, although the numbers still aren’t all that impressive.

Now you’ve presented your case of why marketing budget spent on display, paid search, and other traditional methods without a content component is not the best use of resources. How do you persuade the C-suite that content marketing is the right direction? Show them how it works!

Create Your Executives … as Personas

Try creating personas based on one or two members of your executive team.

Craft two or three emails that would be directed at their personas to demonstrate how this part of the process works.

Not sure how to start? Here’s a great oversimplified tip to help you learn more about personas:

Be sure to show how content marketing makes the shift away from price-sensitive selling, positioning your company instead as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.

Demonstrate the Staying Power

One of the major goals of any marketing department is to reach more prospects. A well-executed content marketing program gives a company that opportunity, 24/7.

Unlike trade shows or in-person seminars, content created on your blog or in white papers and e-books has staying power. It continues to drive opportunities years after you initially created it.

Do a live search during your presentation and show how solid content that was created weeks, months, or even years before still lives on page one of Google because it’s still relevant.

Share Expert Advice

Start sharing articles about the benefits of inbound and content marketing. Subscribe to blogs that provide data-driven proof of content marketing’s value. You’ll be able to share with your executives these blog posts that lend credence to your proposal.

Start Small

Demonstrate the real-time effectiveness of content marketing. Write an article, comment on other blogs, or do a guest post, and start to show the impact that those little tactics have on traffic and lead flow. If you can show the C-suite how these activities work with real numbers, you’ll gain more credibility and the budget to execute it.

For any executive, it is ultimately about the bottom line. How will content marketing increase revenue, decrease costs, and drive sales?

The presentation you make and information you share will give them the hard data that they need to invest in content.

Common Misconceptions About Content Marketing

Here is a useful list of the most common myths that tend to stop e

1. Content Marketing is Expensive and Time-Consuming

While content marketing does require an initial investment of time and resources, it can be one of the most cost-effective strategies in the long run. Unlike paid ads, which stop driving traffic the moment you stop paying for them, well-crafted content can generate leads and traffic for months or even years after its creation.

2. It’s Only About Blogging

Many executives assume content marketing is limited to blogging. In reality, it includes a wide range of formats: videos, podcasts, white papers, eBooks, infographics, case studies, and more. This diversity allows businesses to reach audiences across various platforms and cater to different preferences.

3. Results Are Immediate

Content marketing is a long-term strategy that builds momentum over time. While it may not generate immediate leads like a paid ad campaign, the compound effect of consistent, high-quality content creates a sustainable pipeline of traffic, leads, and sales.

4. Anyone Can Do It

Creating impactful content requires expertise. From understanding buyer personas to crafting compelling stories and leveraging SEO, effective content marketing is a skill that requires strategic planning and creativity.

5. Content Marketing Doesn’t Provide ROI

This misconception stems from the challenge of directly attributing revenue to content. However, tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, and SEMrush make it easier to track traffic, lead generation, and conversions driven by content efforts. The long-term ROI of content marketing often surpasses that of traditional paid advertising.

6. More Content Means Better Results

Quality always trumps quantity in content marketing. Publishing valuable, well-researched content less frequently is more effective than flooding channels with subpar posts. High-quality content builds trust and authority, while poor content can damage credibility.

7. Only Large Companies Benefit

Small businesses often think they lack the resources to compete in content marketing. However, niche content tailored to a specific audience can drive impressive results. With the right strategy, even small businesses can outshine larger competitors.

8. Content Marketing Replaces All Other Marketing Efforts

Content marketing complements rather than replaces other efforts. It integrates seamlessly with paid ads, social media, and email campaigns to amplify their effectiveness and drive a cohesive marketing strategy.

9. Social Media Alone is Enough

While social media is a vital channel for distributing content, it’s only part of the equation. Without owned platforms like a blog or website, you lose control over the narrative and risk losing visibility due to algorithm changes.

10. It’s Just for SEO

Although content marketing significantly enhances SEO, its purpose goes beyond ranking on search engines. It’s about educating, entertaining, and building trust with your audience, ultimately converting them into loyal customers.

By addressing these misconceptions, you can provide a clearer understanding of content marketing’s strategic value and position it as a cornerstone for sustainable business growth.

Ready to Start Implementing Content Writing?

Gaining buy-in for content marketing from the C-suite requires a clear, data-driven approach that aligns with their focus on ROI and strategic growth.

By showcasing content marketing’s ability to complement traditional tactics, drive long-term results, and establish your company as a thought leader, you can demonstrate its value effectively.

Start small, share real-time results, and tailor your presentation to their concerns to build a strong case for content marketing investment.