Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
73% of B2B marketers and small business owners use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
58% of B2B marketers spent more on content creation in 2023 than the previous year
Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less
Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that do not blog
Video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year than those who do not use video
96% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn for organic social media distribution
80% of B2B marketers use email marketing software for content distribution
Organic search is the top traffic source for 27% of B2B websites but is considered the most valuable channel
44% of B2B buyers consume three to five pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson
71% of B2B buyers review a blog post during their buying journey
56% of B2B buyers rely more on content to research and make purchasing decisions than they did a year ago
50% of B2B marketers say that producing enough content volume is their top challenge
Only 21% of B2B marketers say they are successful at tracking ROI of their content marketing
Creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience is a challenge for 44% of marketers
Buyer Consumption Habits
- 144% of B2B buyers consume three to five pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson
- 271% of B2B buyers review a blog post during their buying journey
- 356% of B2B buyers rely more on content to research and make purchasing decisions than they did a year ago
- 4The average B2B buyer spends 27% of their purchase journey time researching independently online
- 562% of B2B buyers say that a practical case study is the most valuable content format
- 690% of B2B buyers say online content has a moderate to major effect on purchasing decisions
- 765% of B2B buyers prefer credible content from industry influencers over brand-direct content
- 841% of B2B buyers read content on a mobile device during their request for proposal (RFP) process
- 970% of B2B buyers watch video throughout their entire path to purchase
- 1060% of B2B buyers want prospective vendors to offer less sales-heavy content and more data-driven insights
- 1196% of B2B buyers want content with more input from industry thought leaders
- 1240% of B2B buyers claim that LinkedIn is the first place they go when looking for solutions
- 1375% of B2B buyers say the winning vendor’s content had a significant impact on their buying decision
- 1448% of B2B buyers wait 1-3 months after reading content before contacting a sales representative
- 1534% of B2B buyers share content with more than 5 colleagues during the decision process
- 1688% of B2B buyers say that the trustworthiness of the source is the most important factor in content consumption
- 1764% of C-suite executives prefer to watch a video over reading text when researching a purchase
- 1851% of B2B buyers conduct a more detailed technical analysis of content than they did last year
- 1925% of B2B buyers say they are willing to fill out a form for a white paper, down from 35% previously
- 2092% of B2B buyers prefer short-form content for initial research but long-form for decision making
Interpretation
Think of today's B2B buyer as a cautious detective: they skim short content and videos, consume three to five pieces before engaging, then dig into long-form, data-driven case studies and influencer-backed insights—often on mobile and LinkedIn—sharing findings with colleagues and waiting months to contact sales, so vendors must earn trust with credible, non-salesy content to win the deal.
Channel Distribution
- 196% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn for organic social media distribution
- 280% of B2B marketers use email marketing software for content distribution
- 3Organic search is the top traffic source for 27% of B2B websites but is considered the most valuable channel
- 452% of B2B buyers list LinkedIn as the most influential channel during their research process
- 576% of B2B marketers use Facebook for distributing content, making it the second most used platform
- 6Paid social media advertising is used by 67% of B2B marketers to promote content
- 7Twitter (X) is used by 82% of B2B content marketers for organic distribution
- 8YouTube is utilized by 53% of B2B marketers for content distribution
- 977% of B2B marketers use their organization’s website as the primary channel to distribute content
- 10Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is used by 64% of B2B marketers for paid distribution
- 11SlideShare is used by 25% of B2B marketers as a specific distribution channel for presentations
- 12Guest posting on third-party publications is a distribution method for 43% of B2B marketers
- 1333% of B2B marketers use print magazines as a content distribution channel
- 14Only 12% of B2B marketers use Medium for content distribution
- 15Instagram is used by 46% of B2B marketers, mostly for brand culture rather than direct lead gen
- 16Virtual events are used by 75% of B2B marketers for content distribution since 2020
- 17Speaking at in-person events is a content distribution strategy for 52% of B2B marketers
- 1830% of B2B marketers utilize partner emails or co-marketing for distribution
- 19Syndication on partner websites is used by 26% of B2B marketers for distribution
- 2018% of B2B marketers use TikTok for content distribution, a number that is slowly rising
Interpretation
B2B marketers cast a wide distribution net but mostly fish in familiar ponds: LinkedIn, company websites, email and organic search command trust and value, paid social, Facebook, X and YouTube amplify reach, and newer or niche channels like TikTok, Medium and SlideShare remain experimental.
Lead Generation Efficacy
- 1Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less
- 2Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that do not blog
- 3Video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year than those who do not use video
- 472% of marketers say having a good content strategy was the major key to their success in generating leads
- 5Webinars convert between 20% to 40% of attendees into qualified leads
- 6Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to see a positive ROI
- 7Long-form content generates 1.2x more leads than short-form content in B2B markets
- 8Inbound marketing practices (including content) produce 54% more leads than traditional outbound practices
- 9Companies that nurture leads with content generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost
- 10Interactive content generates 2x more conversions than passive content
- 11Content marketing efforts see a 6x higher conversion rate than other methods for adopters vs non-adopters
- 12Articles with images get 94% more views and lead to higher conversion intent
- 13B2B companies that blog 11+ times per month get almost 3x more traffic than those blogging 0-1 times
- 14Podcasts generate higher brand lift and lead recall for 60% of B2B listeners
- 15Gated content like white papers generates a 15-50% conversion rate depending on industry relevance
- 16Educational content increases customers' likelihood to purchase by 131%
- 17Using 'video' in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19%, driving more leads to content
- 18Content marketing yields conversion rates 6x higher than other methods for adopters
- 19Leads form SEO-focused content have a 14.6% close rate compared to 1.7% for outbound leads
- 20Case studies have a 70% effectiveness rating for converting B2B leads
Interpretation
The data is clear and a little smug: stop shouting with outbound and instead invest in consistent, SEO smart content such as frequent blogs, long-form image-rich posts, video, webinars, interactive assets, gated white papers and case studies, because these tactics deliver far more qualified leads, higher conversions and ROI at a fraction of the cost.
Measurement & Challenges
- 150% of B2B marketers say that producing enough content volume is their top challenge
- 2Only 21% of B2B marketers say they are successful at tracking ROI of their content marketing
- 3Creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience is a challenge for 44% of marketers
- 461% of B2B marketers consider generating high-quality leads as their biggest challenge
- 5Lack of resources (budget/people) is cited by 47% of marketers as a barrier to results
- 6Aligning content marketing teams with sales teams is a top challenge for 41% of organizations
- 750% of B2B organizations have not conducted a content audit in over a year
- 866% of B2B marketers struggle to produce engaging content for their target audience
- 9Difficulty in attributing leads directly to specific content pieces affects 42% of B2B marketers
- 10Gaining consistency in content production is a major challenge for 38% of marketers
- 1135% of marketers say their inability to access subject matter experts (SMEs) hinders content creation
- 1263% of marketers admit they don't have the right technology to manage content marketing effectively
- 13Proving content marketing ROI to the C-suite is the primary hurdle for 28% of marketing leads
- 1437% of B2B marketers lack the data necessary to personalize content experiences
- 1555% of marketers say they don't know which content assets are most effective at driving revenue
- 1629% of marketers struggle with content workflow and approval delays affecting lead velocity
- 1743% of marketers cite a lack of integration between content marketing tech and sales systems
- 1860% of marketers find it difficult to produce content consistently enough to maintain lead flow
- 1952% of marketers struggle to understand how content impacts the bottom of the sales funnel
- 2032% of B2B marketers say their content technology stack is too complex to measure lead sources effectively
Interpretation
Half the industry is busy producing content like confetti while only a fifth can prove it moves the needle, because budget, people, access to subject matter experts, and the right tech and sales alignment are missing, leaving marketers unable to target, personalize, attribute, or scale high-quality leads.
Strategy & Investment
- 173% of B2B marketers and small business owners use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
- 240% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
- 358% of B2B marketers spent more on content creation in 2023 than the previous year
- 469% of successful B2B marketers document their content marketing strategy
- 550% of B2B marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity
- 648% of B2B content teams have increased their staff size over the last 12 months
- 784% of B2B marketers say content marketing creates brand awareness, making it a strategic priority
- 846% of B2B marketers plan to increase their spending on content creation in the coming year
- 9The average percentage of total marketing budget spent on content marketing is 26%
- 1083% of the most successful B2B marketers differentiate their content quality from competitors
- 1131% of B2B marketers focus their strategy on account-based marketing (ABM)
- 1242% of B2B organizations have a dedicated content marketing group or person
- 1354% of B2B marketers are focused on building recurring revenue through subscription-based content strategies
- 1481% of B2B marketers view their content strategy as a core business asset
- 1565% of B2B marketers engage in repurposing existing content as a core strategy
- 16The top three goals for B2B content marketing strategy are brand awareness, lead generation, and customer retention
- 1772% of B2B organizations are investing in AI tools to assist with content strategy and creation
- 1839% of B2B marketers have a strategy specifically for user-generated content
- 1927% of B2B marketing budget is allocated exclusively to content creation production costs
- 2081% of B2B organizations use live events (digital or in-person) as a critical part of their content strategy
Interpretation
B2B firms are pouring roughly a quarter of their marketing budgets, plus people and AI, into content to drive awareness, leads and retention, yet only a minority actually write down a strategy, so the ones who do—prioritizing quality, repurposing, live events and targeted tactics—turn noisy spend into measurable advantage.
