Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
73% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
91% of B2B marketers use content marketing to generate brand awareness
Short-form video is the top trend B2B marketers plan to invest in with 31% currently leveraging it
61% of B2B marketers stated that generating high-quality leads is their biggest challenge
Organic search drives 53% of all B2B site traffic on average
The average conversion rate for B2B industry websites is 2.23%
LinkedIn is used by 96% of B2B content marketers for organic social media distribution
80% of B2B leads generated on social media come from LinkedIn
40% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn is the most effective channel for driving high-quality leads
For every $1 spent on email marketing B2B brands earn $36 on average
81% of B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is email newsletters
64% of B2B marketers say they use a dedicated email marketing platform
B2B buyers spend only 17% of the total purchase journey meeting with potential suppliers
77% of B2B buyers state their latest purchase was very complex or difficult
75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience
Buyer Trends
- 1B2B buyers spend only 17% of the total purchase journey meeting with potential suppliers
- 277% of B2B buyers state their latest purchase was very complex or difficult
- 375% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience
- 470% of B2B buyers have fully defined their needs before engaging with a sales representative
- 5Millennials make up 73% of all B2B buying decisions
- 690% of B2B buyers use online search to research business purchases
- 767% of the buyer’s journey is now done digitally
- 8B2B e-commerce sales are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2027
- 980% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels by 2025
- 1084% of B2B buyers admit to buying from a vendor that they didn't know about before
- 11On average 6 to 10 decision-makers are involved in B2B buying groups
- 1252% of B2B buyers say valid certification logos on a vendor website increase trust
- 1394% of B2B buyers research online before making a purchase decision
- 1433% of B2B buyers desire a seller-free sales experience
- 15Marketing budgets dropped to 7.7% of overall company revenue in 2024
- 1641% of B2B organisations plan to increase marketing spend in key areas despite economic headwinds
- 1773% of B2B buyers say they want a personalized B2C-like customer experience
- 18Mobile usage influences roughly 40% of revenue in leading B2B organizations
- 19Customer experience (CX) is the primary differentiator for 80% of B2B buyers
- 2020% of current B2B sales roles will be replaced by AI by 2026
Interpretation
Today’s B2B buyer shops like a consumer but decides like a committee: led by millennials, they research extensively online and usually define needs before contacting sales, preferring rep-free yet highly personalized B2C style experiences, rewarding visible certifications and standout customer experience, and driving a swift shift toward e-commerce, mobile and AI-enabled interactions that will shrink traditional sales roles even as smart companies reallocate modest marketing budgets to capture a projected three trillion dollar market.
Content Strategy
- 173% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
- 291% of B2B marketers use content marketing to generate brand awareness
- 3Short-form video is the top trend B2B marketers plan to invest in with 31% currently leveraging it
- 466% of B2B marketers agreed that their organization has a content strategy in place
- 5Case studies are the most effective content format for B2B marketers at 73% effectiveness
- 650% of B2B marketers say that producing content consistently is their top challenge
- 740% of B2B marketers have a documented content strategy
- 8Video is the number one format marketers used in their content strategy in 2023
- 971% of B2B marketers say content marketing has become more important to their organization over the last year
- 10B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those that do not
- 1148% of B2B decision-makers spend one hour or more per week consuming thought-leadership content
- 12Interactive content generates 2x more conversions than passive content for B2B
- 1369% of B2B marketers plan to increase their video content budget in the coming year
- 1462% of B2B buyers engage with 3-7 pieces of content before connecting with a salesperson
- 1584% of B2B marketers are outsourcing content creation
- 16Webinars are the preferred content format for 42% of B2B buyers
- 1756% of B2B marketers use ebooks and white papers for lead generation
- 1887% of B2B marketers prioritize the audience's informational needs over their organization's sales message
- 19Companies with 10–50 employees are the most likely to use AI for content ideas
- 20Infographics have had the biggest increase in usage among B2B marketers in the last four years at 65% adoption
Interpretation
Content is king in B2B—video, short-form clips, case studies, blogs and interactive pieces are driving awareness, conversions and leads—but with widespread outsourcing, only 40% documenting their strategy and half struggling to produce consistently, the real winners will be the teams that put the audience first, institutionalize a plan, and smartly scale video, interactive and visual formats.
Email and Automation
- 1For every $1 spent on email marketing B2B brands earn $36 on average
- 281% of B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is email newsletters
- 364% of B2B marketers say they use a dedicated email marketing platform
- 4Personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates in B2B
- 577% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted via email
- 659% of B2B respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions
- 7The average open rate for B2B email marketing is approximately 21.5%
- 885% of B2B organizations use marketing automation software
- 9Marketing automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales productivity on average
- 10B2B marketers who use segmentation in email campaigns see a 760% revenue increase
- 1140% of B2B marketers say that email newsletters are crucial to their content marketing success
- 12Cold emailing accounts for significantly less engagement with only a 1% average response rate in B2B
- 13Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than non-automated emails
- 1431% of B2B marketers use email automation to nurture leads
- 15Adding videos to your email content can increase click rates by 300%
- 16The best time to send B2B emails is 10:00 AM on Tuesdays
- 1747% of B2B marketers use email marketing for customer retention
- 18Subject lines with 6 to 10 words have the highest open rate in B2B email marketing
- 1963% of B2B companies outsource at least part of their marketing automation strategy
- 2080% of marketing automation users saw an increase in leads
Interpretation
Think of B2B email as your highest-yield investment: every $1 spent returns about $36, newsletters dominate content strategies and buyers prefer email, personalization and segmentation deliver massive transaction and revenue uplifts, automation and automated campaigns are now table stakes that boost productivity, leads and revenue far more than manual sends, videos and concise six-to-ten-word subject lines significantly lift engagement and Tuesdays at 10:00 AM are the sweet spot, while cold outreach barely moves the needle with only about a one percent response rate.
SEO and Lead Gen
- 161% of B2B marketers stated that generating high-quality leads is their biggest challenge
- 2Organic search drives 53% of all B2B site traffic on average
- 3The average conversion rate for B2B industry websites is 2.23%
- 468% of B2B online experiences begin with a search engine
- 5B2B companies with mature lead generation processes achieve 133% greater revenue than average companies
- 657% of B2B marketers consider SEO leads as the top revenue generator
- 774% of marketers say they pay for search advertising (PPC)
- 8First-page Google results capture 71% of search traffic clicks for B2B queries
- 927% of B2B marketers say low lead quality is a barrier to success
- 10The average cost per lead (CPL) for the B2B industry is $198
- 1185% of B2B marketers say lead generation is their most important content marketing goal
- 1244% of B2B marketers say their marketing and sales teams are aligned on what constitutes a qualified lead
- 13Long-tail keywords account for 70% of all search traffic
- 14Leads who are nurtured with targeted content produce a 20% increase in sales opportunities
- 1559% of B2B marketers say SEO has the biggest impact on their lead generation goals
- 16Updating and republishing old blog posts can increase organic traffic by as much as 106%
- 1760% of B2B marketers report that their cost per lead has increased
- 18Voice search impacts B2B SEO with 40% of adults now using voice search daily
- 1979% of B2B marketers have not established a lead scoring system
- 20Only 5.7% of pages rank in the top 10 search results within a year of publication
Interpretation
These stats show that while 61% of B2B marketers struggle to generate high-quality leads and cost per lead is rising, organic search and SEO, fueled by long-tail keywords, first-page dominance, voice-ready content, and refreshed blog posts, drive the lion's share of traffic and revenue, yet low lead quality, poor sales-marketing alignment, missing lead scoring, and the tiny fraction of pages that ever hit the top ten mean that companies that mature their lead generation and nurture prospects with targeted content will dramatically outperform their peers.
Social Media
- 1LinkedIn is used by 96% of B2B content marketers for organic social media distribution
- 280% of B2B leads generated on social media come from LinkedIn
- 340% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn is the most effective channel for driving high-quality leads
- 475% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-level executives use social media to make purchasing decisions
- 5Employee advocacy on social media results in 5x more web traffic and 25% more leads
- 665% of B2B companies have acquired a customer through LinkedIn paid ads
- 7Cost per lead on LinkedIn is 28% lower than on Google AdWords
- 860% of B2B marketers use Twitter/X for content marketing purposes
- 9Influencer marketing is used by 46% of B2B marketers
- 1086% of B2B marketers consider influencer marketing successful for brand awareness
- 11Only 17% of B2B marketers currently use TikTok but 30% expect to start soon
- 12B2B buyers engage with social media content primarily on mobile devices (80%)
- 13Images are the most commonly posted content type on social media for B2B at 73%
- 1482% of B2B marketers maintain a presence on Facebook
- 1572% of B2B marketers say social media helps them develop a loyal fan base
- 16B2B companies with a formal employee advocacy program see a 58% increase in social engagement
- 1754% of B2B marketers have used live streaming as a social media tactic
- 18Threads was adopted by 12% of B2B marketers within one year of launch
- 1989% of B2B marketers use social media primarily for brand building
- 20LinkedIn live streams see 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than regular video posts
Interpretation
If B2B social media were a marketplace, LinkedIn is the crowded main square that draws nearly every marketer, generates most social leads, lowers cost per lead versus search and delivers outsized engagement for live video, while employee advocacy, images, influencers and mobile-first content quietly drive conversions, Twitter and Facebook remain useful, TikTok is an emerging alley, and companies that formalize advocacy and embrace live and visual formats see markedly higher traffic, leads and engagement.
