Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
73% of B2B marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
Only 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
52% of B2B marketers say that changing their strategy to adapt to new trends is their biggest challenge
Short-form video is the most used content format by B2B marketers
94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content
Case studies are considered the most effective content format for the middle and bottom of the funnel
72% of B2B marketers use Generative AI for content marketing tasks
Brainstorming new topics is the most common use case for AI in B2B content (51%)
The average blog post takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to write
46% of B2B marketers say measuring the ROI of content is their top challenge
Conversions are the most common metric used to measure content success (75%)
Website traffic is measured by 80% of B2B content marketers
Average B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson
71% of B2B buyers say they review blog posts during their buying journey
40% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to buy from a vendor that uses data to back up claims
Buyer Behavior
- 1Average B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson
- 271% of B2B buyers say they review blog posts during their buying journey
- 340% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to buy from a vendor that uses data to back up claims
- 462% of B2B buyers rely more on practical case studies now than a year ago
- 575% of B2B buyers and decision-makers use social media to support their purchase decision
- 6B2B buyers spend 27% of their time in the purchase journey researching independently online
- 746% of B2B buyers wish content was shorter and more condensed
- 896% of B2B buyers look for content with input from industry thought leaders
- 957% of B2B buyers prefer to access content without filling out a form (ungated)
- 1067% of webinars are attended live by B2B buyers rather than watched on-demand
- 1180% of business decision-makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement
- 1244% of B2B buyers say they will share content with their team if it is relevant to their pain points
- 13Mobile devices drive 50% of B2B search queries
- 1481% of B2B buyers prefer self-service content portals over talking to a rep
- 1538% of B2B buyers say content that is too salesy is a major turn-off
- 16Peer reviews influencing B2B buying decisions has risen to 63%
- 1755% of decision makers say thought leadership drives them to invite a vendor to bid
- 18B2B buyers are 5x more likely to engage with a sales rep who provides new insights through content
- 1939% of B2B buyers say they consume content on mobile devices significantly more than desktop
- 2088% of B2B buyers say the trustworthiness of the source is important when selecting content
Interpretation
Modern B2B buyers are skeptical, self-directed researchers who consume several short, data-backed blog posts, case studies and thought leadership—mostly on mobile and social, often ungated and peer-reviewed—and they are five times more likely to engage a salesperson who brings fresh insight rather than a salesy pitch.
Formats & Channels
- 1Short-form video is the most used content format by B2B marketers
- 294% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content
- 3Case studies are considered the most effective content format for the middle and bottom of the funnel
- 453% of B2B marketers use webinars as a key content format
- 5Long-form blog posts (3000+ words) generate 3x more traffic than typical length posts
- 684% of B2B marketers are using email newsletters as a distribution channel
- 7Interactive content sees 52.6% more engagement than static content
- 866% of B2B marketers use repurposing as a key distribution tactic
- 9Podcasts are used by 42% of B2B marketers to reach their audience
- 1038% of B2B marketers plan to invest more in TikTok for content distribution
- 11Articles less than 3,000 words rank third in verified B2B performance
- 12Infographics are the fourth most used media in content marketing strategies
- 1359% of B2B marketers use virtual events/webinars/online courses
- 14Research reports and white papers are created by 46% of B2B marketers
- 1572% of B2B marketers say that video helps improve their conversion rate
- 16Twitter/X is used by only 67% of B2B content marketers, a drop from previous years
- 17SlideShare is still utilized by 16% of B2B marketers for B2B content
- 18Organic search is the top distribution channel for 49% of B2B content marketers
- 19Ebooks constitute 37% of B2B content assets created
- 20Paid social media promotion is used by 69% of B2B marketers
Interpretation
B2B marketers are acting like omnivorous content chefs, piling on short-form video and LinkedIn (94%) while still banking on email newsletters (84%) and organic search (49%), repurposing content aggressively (66%) across webinars (53%), podcasts (42%) and rising channels like TikTok (38% planning more investment), and balancing high-engagement formats such as interactive content (52.6% more engagement) and video (72% say it boosts conversion) with heavyweight assets like 3,000+-word posts that drive three times the traffic and case studies that close deals in the mid and bottom funnel.
Measurement & Goals
- 146% of B2B marketers say measuring the ROI of content is their top challenge
- 2Conversions are the most common metric used to measure content success (75%)
- 3Website traffic is measured by 80% of B2B content marketers
- 461% of B2B marketers measure content success through email engagement metrics
- 5Only 39% of B2B marketers are confident in their ability to measure content marketing ROI
- 657% of B2B marketers cite lead generation as a primary metric for success
- 7SEO rankings are used by 64% of marketers to gauge performance
- 8Social media analytics are tracked by 70% of B2B marketers
- 928% of marketers measure cost-per-acquisition (CPA) related to content
- 1018% of B2B marketers don't track content performance metrics at all
- 11Content marketing generates 3x as many leads as outbound marketing
- 12Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing
- 1350% of B2B marketers use time-on-page as a key engagement metric
- 1486% of B2B marketers use analytics tools to assist their content strategy
- 15Quality of leads is rated more important than quantity by 56% of B2B marketers
- 1634% of marketers struggle with attributing revenue to specific content pieces
- 17Year-over-year growth is the primary success indicator for 24% of B2B teams
- 18Subscriber growth is a key metric for 42% of B2B content marketers
- 19Pipeline influence is tracked by 41% of advanced B2B marketers
- 20Share of voice is a tracked metric for 19% of B2B organizations
Interpretation
B2B marketers obsessively track website traffic, conversions, SEO rankings, social analytics and email engagement, with roughly 80, 75, 64, 70 and 61 percent respectively using those metrics and 86 percent relying on analytics tools, yet 46 percent say measuring content ROI is their top challenge and only 39 percent feel confident doing it because attribution, cost-per-acquisition and tying content to revenue remain fuzzy, even as content costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing and delivers three times as many leads, prompting many teams to prioritize lead quality, with 56 percent rating quality over quantity, and to focus on subscriber and pipeline growth while 18 percent still don't track performance at all.
Production & Technology
- 172% of B2B marketers use Generative AI for content marketing tasks
- 2Brainstorming new topics is the most common use case for AI in B2B content (51%)
- 3The average blog post takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to write
- 449% of B2B organizations outsource at least one content marketing activity
- 5Writing is the most commonly outsourced content marketing activity (44%)
- 661% of B2B marketers say lack of resources is their biggest challenge in content creation
- 728% of B2B marketers use AI to write drafts of their content
- 8Only 29% of B2B marketers have the right technology to manage content across the organization
- 9B2B marketers creating content daily has dropped to 13%
- 1058% of marketers use a Content Management System (CMS) to assist creation
- 1145% of B2B teams use AI tools for SEO keyword research
- 12Creating content that appeals to multi-level roles is a top challenge for 44% of producers
- 1365% of B2B content marketers use project management tools to manage workflow
- 14Lack of time to create content is a barrier for 54% of B2B marketers
- 1531% of B2B marketers have strict guidelines against using Generative AI
- 1622% of B2B marketers use visual creation tools (like Canva) daily
- 17Audio/Video editing is outsourced by 35% of large B2B organizations
- 1843% of teams prioritize content accuracy over speed when using AI
- 1925% of B2B marketers use customer feedback tools to inform content creation
- 20Maintaining content consistency is a challenge for 47% of B2B teams
Interpretation
Even as 72% of B2B marketers tap generative AI, most commonly for brainstorming (51%), the industry is paradoxically cautious and stretched—only 28% use AI to draft content and 31% ban it outright, just 29% have the right tech, and chronic lack of resources (61%) and time (54%) means the average blog still takes 4 hours 10 minutes and only 13% create daily, which helps explain why 49% outsource at least one activity (writing 44%, audio/video editing outsourced by 35% of large orgs), why teams lean on CMSs (58%), project management tools (65%), AI for SEO (45%) and daily visual tools (22%), yet still wrestle with content consistency (47%), multi-level audience relevance (44%) and low use of customer feedback (25%), forcing an uneasy trade-off between speed and accuracy that 43% say should favor accuracy.
Strategy & Budgets
- 173% of B2B marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
- 2Only 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
- 352% of B2B marketers say that changing their strategy to adapt to new trends is their biggest challenge
- 482% of marketers report actively investing in content marketing
- 550% of B2B marketers expect their content marketing budget to increase in the coming year
- 6Brand awareness is cited as the top goal for B2B content marketing by 83% of marketers
- 769% of B2B marketers plan to increase their video content budget
- 8Integrating content marketing with sales and product teams is a priority for 62% of functional leaders
- 944% of B2B marketers say they have a standalone content marketing team
- 10High-performing B2B organizations are 2x more likely to have a documented content strategy
- 1142% of B2B marketers say they are "very successful" with their content marketing efforts
- 12In-person events have returned as a top spending category for 52% of B2B marketers
- 1327% of marketers say they do not have a clear content strategy at all
- 1461% of B2B marketers differentiate their content strategy by focusing on content quality/value
- 15Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a primary strategy for 67% of B2B marketers
- 1670% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing to retain existing customers
- 17B2B companies spend an average of 26% of their total marketing budget on content marketing
- 1848% of B2B marketing leaders say their content budget will remain flat year-over-year
- 19Aligning content with the buyer’s journey is a top strategic priority for 58% of marketers
- 2031% of B2B marketers feel their organization is extremely successful at content marketing
Interpretation
B2B content marketing looks like a crowded kitchen where most chefs are cooking without recipes, with 73% using it and 82% investing but only 40% working from a documented strategy even though high performers are twice as likely to have one, which helps explain why budgets are shifting to video, events and customer retention while nearly half expect flat spend and many struggle to adapt to new trends, leaving only about a third calling their efforts extremely successful despite a heavy focus on brand awareness, ABM, buyer journey alignment and content quality.
