The Relationship between Digital Content Marketing Success and Sustainable Consumption Behavior ()
1. Introduction
Businesses focus on the product due to the suitability of supply and demand. After this process, they accepted modern marketing situations. Accordingly, since they need to be in constant communication with the consumer, they focus on the needs by establishing a constant interaction in this direction.
This study aims to investigate the relationship between digital content marketing success and sustainable consumption behavior. The study’s importance arises from the lack of studies that specifically analyze content marketing techniques, as well as the need to understand the different forms and strategies of digital content marketing mechanisms and, most importantly, assess them to determine their acceptability.
The study aims to achieve the following elements.
1) Monitoring and analyzing digital content marketing techniques,
2) Identifying the most effective digital content marketing techniques,
3) Analyzing the fundamentals of the digital marketing content industry,
4) Evaluating the most important digital content marketing strategies.
With the advent of digital transformation, e-marketing mechanisms are experiencing rapid and consecutive advancements due to changes in the marketing landscape, evolving consumer needs, heightened awareness, and improved relationships with modern technological platforms (Süzen & Başal, 2023a) . Depending solely on the traditional format of electronic advertising and efficient promotional techniques is no longer sufficient. On the other hand, developing innovative and inventive methods to advertise and market products and services is essential. Creating interactive content, such as building long-term connections with existing and potential consumers, is aimed at establishing an effective relationship environment. By directly promoting to consumers, business guarantees positive interaction by satisfying their interests and needs. Reducing trust in the brand can occur when there is a shift away from addressing the consumer’s inquiries and resolving their issues (Süzen & Sahin, 2023b) . As a result, the brand will start to develop a positive image due to the rise of digital content marketing. As a result of all this information, an attempt will be made to analyze digital content marketing techniques to determine their impact on the sustainable consumption process. This study, the contents to be used in digital marketing, which is expanding its effective area in marketing today, will be effective in opening new channels, which will increase efficiency by improving sustainability for the consumer. Depending on the results achieved, it is recommended that companies use content marketing more intensively due to increasing competition in order to retain existing customers and gain new customers due to the increase in demand. In addition, it is also important that the content marketing channels to be used are compatible with the group determined as the target in sales.
2. Digital Content Marketing
Digital content marketing activities are seen as one of the important steps in the digital world to increase the awareness of businesses’ brands among consumers. It is to focus on a predetermined target audience and present items containing information that will attract their attention. Thanks to this method, it is important because it provides a new and effective way against advertising blindness caused by advertisements that are frequently encountered today. The purpose of being here is to provide quality content for the target audience and to be accessible in searches without interruption and quickly. You should start by using original advertisements and content that will attract the attention of the consumer.
Creating regular and quality content in digital content marketing can attract attention and interest, with the goal of converting the target audience into customers. A more efficient and valuable process can be followed by utilizing digital marketing channels to develop loyalty, trust, and brand-friendly connections, thereby attracting potential consumers on digital platforms and boosting long-term sales (Lopes & Casais, 2022: pp. 1-7) . The achievement of content marketing relies on the creation of valuable content that attracts and acquires a specific and well-understood target audience, and leading to a profitable scenario for consumers through the establishment of effective relationships and the generation of loyalty as a result of interactions between consumers and the brand (Lou & Xie, 2021: pp. 376-402) .
Looking at Figure 1, the types of models used in digital marketing can be clearly seen.
According to Dobaj’s (2015) research, the various objectives of content marketing are demonstrated in the following manner;
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Figure 1. Type of digital marketing. Source: https://www.infidigit.com/blog/types-of-digital-marketing/ Access date: 14.03.2024.
● Increasing brand awareness,
● Creating a positive image of the company to increase sales (image building industry),
● Increasing interaction with the consumer,
● Increasing organizations’ web pages and followers (online traffic).
Content marketing sets the brand apart by enhancing brand awareness and improving positive perceptions, as it addresses the queries of visitors and users. According to Ramos (2013) , it includes implicit responses to social media platforms for thoughts on the use and benefits of consumer use of the product (The answer is of interest to visitors). In this process, he asserts that the consumer assists and motivates the customer to decide on buying that product. The purchasing decision-making process is guided by the opinions of the call center, which helps to solve problems (Pursuit).
Hayat (2022) expressed the characteristics of digital content marketing as follows:
1) Value: The value of digital marketing content is determined by the number of views, users and influencers.
2) Pluralism and diffusion: Digital content marketing is characterized by its ubiquity, participation, and the multitude of digital tools and channels used for publishing, which depends on the unlimited republishing by electronic tool users.
3) Interaction: Digital content marketing is defined by its capacity to engage in real-time, direct, interactive, and conversational communication with target audiences, resulting in enhanced consumer confidence and brand loyalty.
4) Access: The target audience can be easily reached and the consumer tends to use digital tools and platforms more frequently through the publication of electronic marketing content.
According to Hayat (2022) , there are many forms and patterns of digital content marketing, which can be classified into four primary categories:
1) Text including reports, e-books, social media, magazines, blogs and press releases.
2) Image with pictures, graphs, infographics and tables.
3) Video containing recorded, live or short video clips (reels).
4) Sound like background music accompanying the content.
3. Sustainable Consumer Behavior
Sustainable consumption is a concept that seeks to enhance the consumption of products and services that improve quality of life, while decreasing the use of polluting substances, in order to ensure the needs of future generations are met without interruption (Demir, 1994) . Yates (2008) defines sustainable consumption in general terms as “the prudent and wise use of natural resources to raise living standards”. Kotler and Armstrong (2023) define sustainable marketing as the act of satisfying the current needs of consumers and businesses while also safeguarding and enhancing their capacity to meet the needs of future generations. In addition, sustainable marketing (Hayta, 2009: pp. 143-151) is a strategic perspective that has the potential to contribute positively to the sustainable development of countries (Ergen, 2014) . Sustainable consumption encompasses various behavioral practices that involve turning one’s sensitivity towards nature into a lifestyle (Kuduz, 2022: pp. 215-230) . According to Erbil and Babaoğul (2019) , sustainable consumption is a socially important concept that encompasses human, economic, and cultural aspects within society, as well as the ecological importance of natural resources.
Kayıkçı et al. (2019) argue that in order to realize sustainable consumption; following is necessary:
● Strengthening local economies and using local products,
● Recycling of post-consumption wastes back into production through recycling (Seyfang, 2005: pp. 5290-5306) ,
● Creating sustainable communities that are resilient and inclusive, and empower individuals to actively participate and thrive,
● Establishing institutional organizations to respond to consumption problems,
● Creating alternative systems with new social and economic institutions and encouraging society to engage in environmental behavior.
Researchers examine green consumer behavior on three main variables. According to (Fraj & Martinez, 2007: pp. 26-33) , these variables are:
1) Knowledge levels.
2) Demographic and socio-economic variables.
3) Psychological factors.
Ensuring sustainability in consumption behavior is related to the protection of the living world. Greta Thunberg, who attracted the attention of the society with her School Strike for the Climate against global warming, has been constantly drawing attention to this issue since 2018 (Wikipedia, 2023) . Green marketing and purchasing environmentally friendly products are effective in global sustainability both socially and economically. Meeting the demands and needs of the consumer within sustainable limits without causing a negative environmental impact is also taken into consideration from the consumer perspective during the marketing phase.
4. Similar Studies in the Field
The research conducted in the U.S.A. regarding the connection between environmental awareness and purchasing behavior has revealed that a positive correlation exists between education level and environmental awareness, and environmental awareness plays a crucial role in stimulating the adoption of environmentally friendly purchasing behavior (Alsmadi, 2007: pp. 339-361) . A study was conducted in the UK with young people aged 19 - 21 to examine the link between environmental awareness and green purchasing behavior, and the findings reveal that the variable of environmental awareness accounts for 20% of green purchasing behavior (Kotler, 2011: pp. 132-135; Schlegemilch et al., 1996: p. 5) . A study conducted by Chan and Lau in 2000 in two major cities of China examined the impact of environmental knowledge on both intention and actual behavior of “green purchasing”, and the study revealed that environmental knowledge has a one-to-one effect on purchasing behavior (Yılmaz, 2003) . Yılmaz (2013) conducted a study that concluded a significant difference existed in attitudes towards friendly product awareness. According to “B2B Content Marketing 2018: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - North America,” published and shared by the Content Marketing Institute, the overall increase in success of the companies surveyed contributed to the following factors;
Content distribution (better targeting, identication of what works) 50%; content marketing has become a greater priority 49%; spending more time on content marketing 46%; management/HR (organizational changes, staffing, new content marketing roles) 39% and content creation (higher quality, more efficient) 78%; strategy (development or adjustment) 72% and content measurement (growing in ability to show results) 36%.
Based on the responses of 38% of respondents to the question “Does your company have a content marketing strategy?”, it was found that their company does indeed have a content marketing plan, albeit undocumented; 37% of respondents acknowledged the truth of this statement (Soba & Taştepe, 2022: pp. 48-55) . Content marketing is a form of marketing that involves creating and sharing editorial content to acquire customers (Nosrati et al., 2013: pp. 56-63) . Trust must be built with visitors to the site, protecting existing and potential sales on the website. Content marketing is an alternative to the limited number of distribution methods (Illashenko, 2011: pp. 64-74) . Diachuk et al. (2019) argue that social media and various optimization techniques interact with the target audience through website content. One needs to find a way to collaborate and find solutions to increase website traffic and sales opportunities. Furthermore, it would be beneficial for companies that are beginning to contemplate using content marketing strategies to attain their business objectives and enhance their market dominance to develop a comprehensive content marketing model for efficient website content management. Content can be analyzed according to various metrics such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) metrics (Patel, 2014) . These include: Organic traffic, keyword rankings, etc.; Engagement metrics: Likes, shares, comments, etc.; User behavior metrics: Time on page, bounce rate, scroll depth rate, click-through rate, etc.; Sales metrics: On-page conversions, etc., all of which can provide business owners with valuable insights into the pieces of content on a site that generate traffic, convert users or drive your site visitors away. Both the content inventory and the results of the inspection should be recorded in a spreadsheet. Using social media during the event can greatly increase user engagement at the event. One can benefit from influential speakers at conferences, outstanding keynote speeches and special guests. The Event Marketing Institute’s 2016 Event Tracking Report revealed that 98% of respondents were producing digital content. By participating in live events, each respondent can share their content. Consumers often share event content by posting it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Brands most commonly use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter to publish and share conten (Event Marketing Institute, 2016) .
Efendioğlu (2021) argues that digital content marketing adds value to consumers’ lives and educational knowledge. In addition to trust, creating brand-related content can be used to acquire existing and potential consumers in order to build long-term relationships. His study confirms that digital content marketing is more credible and acceptable to consumers than other forms of marketing. Weerasinghe (2018) conducted a field study on 75 people to measure the types of electronic marketing content that are most effective in consumer association with the brand. This study confirms the importance of digital content marketing being targeted at resolving consumer issues: The content is most effective when it is used in the process of producing solutions for the problems and needs of the people. Kabir (2019) states that digital content marketing should be considered as an administrative process of an integrated marketing approach to build a continuous relationship between the company and the consumer based on trust, commitment and loyalty as a result of the presentation of marketing content that is appropriate to the interests of consumers. Digital marketing content can be distributed through the brand owner’s various electronic platforms.
5. Method
5.1. Population Sampling
Descriptive analysis methods were used in the study. The questionnaire was administered online. A sample is a small group selected from a certain universe, according to certain rules, and considered adequate to represent the universe from which it was chosen (Karasar, 2005) . While determining the sample number, the sample table included in the study of Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2000) was used. The total number in the universe is 450, the minimum number that should be 107 according to Cohen, Manion and Morrison’s 99% confidence interval and 5% margin of error, and in this research, the number of samples reached is 84. To collect the data, a survey was distributed to 122 participants (Content writer, Content manager, Digital Marketing and Others) and only 84 of them were included in the study (Onwuegbuzie & Collins, 2007: p. 287) . The population of the research consists of internet users. The study was limited to Istanbul province due to time and financial constraints, rather than all internet users. Since the study was conducted throughout Istanbul, it was deemed appropriate to continue with a small sample, considering that it would be difficult to reach the required population. Due to the use of sampling theory, only 84 out of 122 samples were found to be suitable. The demographic characteristics included in the study were also found as a result of frequency analysis. After the reliability analysis, it was decided that there was no need to remove any items. The study was conducted in this way.
5.2. Research Model
The working framework and the set of variables for the model created based on the research hypotheses are shown in Figure 2 below.
5.3. Hypotheses of the Study
H1: Digital content inputs influence sustainable consumption behavior.
H2: Digital Content discourse approach influences sustainable consumption behavior.
H3: Digital Content functions influence sustainable consumption behavior.
H4: Digital Content marketing techniques influence sustainable consumption behavior.
H5: Demographic and socio-economic variables influence sustainable consumption behavior.
5.4. Data Collection Tool
In the statistical analysis of the research, data collected from primary sources were used in the analysis process. Information from journals, statistics and web pages were used for the conceptual area. The questionnaire, which was designed on Google form, includes the scales used in the questionnaires that were designed and developed to achieve the research objectives. Data were collected online via the internet in this study, which utilized a questionnaire method. It is limited to a certain number due to time and cost constraints. The questionnaire consists of two sections. The first section includes an area for demographic information. In the second part, there are scale expressions created for the areas of
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Figure 2. Study framework and variables.
digital content and sustainable consumption. The questionnaire was asked to the respondents in the form of a five-point Likert-type rating scale ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.
5.5. Research Methodology
The research methodology relies on descriptive analysis and concentrates on investigating the phenomenon in order to obtain definitive answers to the identified questions. Descriptive analysis is regarded as the primary component for nearly all research, as it formulates a suitable response to a particular research inquiry regarding what can be understood about it (Loeb et al., 2017) . The data obtained from the questionnaire data applied to the respondents were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 25) main program in order to perform appropriate analysis. The research was conducted in a virtual environment between 01-30/May/2023. Before conducting the test, normality and missing value tests were applied in the study. The tests included kurtosis and skewness coefficients as well as histograms, and comments were made on the results.
5.6. Statistical Analysis Method
Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were used in the data analysis of the study. Data analysis was conducted using (SPSS 25). The researcher used the following statistical tools:
1) Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test.
2) Pearson correlation coefficient for validity.
3) Cronbach’s Alpha for Reliability Statistics.
4) Frequency and Descriptive analysis.
5) One sample T test.
5.7. Findings
A five-point Likert model was used to obtain the results, as shown in Table 1 below.
The results from Table 2 indicate that 98% of the respondents who filled out the questionnaire were younger than 40 years old. This aligns with the preference of business settings to hire individuals who are in their younger years. Because, unlike traditional marketing methods, content designs in digital marketing are seen as a new method that will create benefit and value by informing them, attracting their attention, and allowing them to participate by understanding them. It is seen that young consumers are starting to feel themselves more in sustainable consumption behavior as their aspects of being sensitive to the environment and giving importance to the ecological dimension are stronger.
The results indicate that 76% of the respondents were male. 98% of the respondents work in digital marketing (content writing, content management,
e-marketing and campaigns). The results indicated that 90% of those who completed the survey work in digital marketing (content writing, content management, e-marketing and campaigns). This result confirms that the target group had a clear interest in the survey topic and that the survey was distributed only to interested people. It indicates that 83% of the respondents have a bachelor’s degree or lower.
Referring to Table 3, the findings reveal that a majority of companies frequently use both text and images in a single post, accounting for over 68.86%, which is considered quite reasonable. This is noticed in various social media followings, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others. The results also indicated that the use of text and video in the preparation of the publication ranked second. These results are important for building the company’s brand, increasing its visibility on search engines and achieving higher levels of engagement, loyalty and customer attraction.
This item has a mean of 6.08 (60.8%), the sign of the test is positive, so the mean of this item is significantly larger than the default value of 5.5. It is concluded that the respondents agree with this item. It is thought that the differences between men and women in accessing new communication areas such as the Internet are due to the effects of cultural and social values. Collecting the study data on the internet caused such a problem to be seen because the gender of the participants involved in the process would be more men than women.
With reference to Table 4, the results indicated that most companies use the emotional method in their marketing messages through social media to win customers and attract them to purchase. Taking customers’ needs into consideration, identifying their behavior, and protecting their emotions are crucial in order to win them over, according to marketing research and interviews conducted with numerous companies.
The mean for this item is 5.71 (57.1%), the sign of the test is positive, so the mean for this item is significantly greater than the default value of 5.5. It is concluded that the respondents agree with this item.
With reference to Table 5, the results showed that interest in the promotion function ranked first in digital content through corporate social media and interest in awareness ranked second.
The mean for this item is 5.58 (55.8%), the sign of the test is positive, so the mean for this item is significantly greater than the default value of 5.5. The respondents have concluded that this item is accepted.
With reference to Table 6, the results indicate that there is a high level of interest among followers and customers in obtaining specific information about the provided products and services. The second is the interest of followers and customers in the tips offered by content marketing. In third place is the interest in offers made by companies.
The mean for this item is 5.88 (58.8%) and the sign of the test is positive, so the mean for this item is significantly greater than the default value of 5.5. The respondents have concluded that this item is accepted.
The latest results of the hypotheses created for the study are clearly given in Table 7.
6. Discussion
The great developments in communication tools today have been an important cause for some mechanisms to change and evolve by changing dimensions. Internet technology, which enables change and makes continuous progress, has
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Table 4. Content discourse approach.
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Table 6. Content marketing techniques.
undertaken the biggest task in transferring many physical structures to the virtual environment. Businesses use content marketing to sell their products, impress them, and attract the attention of their specifically targeted audience to ensure their satisfaction with the products. This study contains different guiding clues for future studies. Companies that strive for social responsibility and environmental awareness also prioritize sustainability. For sustainability, correct use of resources and reduction of pollution are essential (Kalmijn et al., 2004: pp. 75-89) . Sustainability of consumption can be achieved by strengthening the customer’s bond with the business.
The consumer’s perception of a product or service varies according to time and culture. The product’s features, retention process, experience and cost are other factors that shape the value created by the consumer. The value that the consumer obtains after purchasing the product is related to the benefits he receives. In the digital technology era, consumers can access information more easily online. They can more easily see positive or negative statements about the product. Therefore, the consumer’s value towards the product may change rapidly.
The fact that a product attracts attention and provides social benefit can affect the consumer behaviorally. It is the image of a consumer who uses energy beneficially and does not harm the environment and follows a sustainable lifestyle. Unlike traditional marketing, with digitalization, today consumers can access unlimited information anytime and anywhere. Digital content is created in order to influence their purchasing decisions and behaviors. It is important to be at the forefront of the search process in the digital environment and convey messages that will attract the attention of the consumer. Digital content can be provided in many ways, from articles to music, from social media to videos. The aim here is to create an impact in the digital field through processes that will increase sales to potential customers, brand awareness and loyalty.
Factors that cause failure in the content marketing process:
● Failure to determine the correct and adequate scope of marketing activities,
● Failure to fully express the target points of the study to be carried out,
● There are no statements of uncertainty among marketing channels,
● Choosing the wrong channel, apart from affecting the marketing target audience,
● Poor blog selection, outside the standards of the marketing target audience,
● Lack of diversity,
● Reasons such as poor selection of the title used can be listed.
6.1. Conclusion
The findings of the study revealed that there is a relationship between content marketing and sustainable consumer behavior as behavior is influenced by the content and information provided, and this result can be measured due to similarities with previous research. Sustainable consumer behavior is affected by demographic, economic and psychological variables. Successful companies, aware of the importance of these variables, understand the need to take all of them into account when offering relevant content to consumers. The results of the research revealed that followers and customers are highly interested in specific information about products and services. It was concluded that followers and customers showed more interest in posts containing text, images and videos, depending on the scope of the content prepared. It was determined that to improve their product offerings to consumers, companies should use emotional messages when creating and distributing digital content. The promotional function of digital content is one of the most common marketing methods for companies to promote their products. For consumers who will care about the environmental consequences that may come from the media in the future, it may be concluded that they should avoid unnecessary shopping while saving more. Consumers who continue to live with the awareness that they will leave the environment they live in to future generations will be more sensitive about sustainable consumption. If they take into account the instant results when shopping online, they will be more economical and will not make purchases beyond their needs. All these results show us that these variables will continue to be addressed effectively in the future.
6.2. Suggestions
The study is emerging as an effective tool in the digital age for businesses to use in strategic target setting in marketing, particularly for the new consumer segment. Businesses should primarily offer the right resources where consumers can access information about the product. Providing sincere information that will create value will increase consumer confidence. For this reason, it is recommended that businesses pay more attention to this area as it will be a friendly channel to influence the consumer who spends most of his time in the digital environment. Businesses that want to influence consumers through marketing communications and ensure that their brands are at the top should pay more attention to the use of content marketing. It is an important marketing channel to influence consumers who are exposed to too many brand advertisements today. If content planning is to be done, you should start with a strategic plan for this.