Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
70% of B2C marketers report that their organization has a content marketing strategy
Only 42% of B2C marketers have a documented content strategy
82% of marketers actively invest in content marketing
Short-form video is the content format with the highest ROI for B2C marketers
91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
The average blog post takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to write
70% of consumers prefer to learn about products through content rather than traditional advertising
82% of customers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content
79% of people say user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions
Content marketing generates over 3x as many leads as outbound marketing but costs 62% less
Adopters of content marketing have conversion rates that are nearly 6x higher than non-adopters
For every $1 spent on email marketing B2C brands see an average return of $36
The market for AI in marketing is projected to reach $107 billion by 2028
58% of marketers use AI for generative content creation
27% of the global online population uses voice search on mobile
Consumer Behavior & Preferences
- 170% of consumers prefer to learn about products through content rather than traditional advertising
- 282% of customers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content
- 379% of people say user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions
- 461% of online consumers in the US have made a purchase based on a blog recommendation
- 5Consumers are 131% more likely to buy from a brand immediately after consuming early-stage, educational content
- 690% of consumers expect brands to provide content that is meaningful and useful
- 774% of consumers dislike being shown irrelevant content
- 847% of buyers view 3 to 5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep or buying
- 968% of consumers like it when brands engage with them using images or video
- 1054% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support
- 1188% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- 12Mobile devices account for approximately 58% of global web traffic
- 1371% of consumers expect personalization from companies
- 1496% of consumers don't trust ads but trust content that informs them
- 15The average human attention span has dropped to 8 seconds, making skimmable content vital
- 1656% of consumers have made a purchase after watching a video on social media
- 1744% of consumers say they will likely become repeat buyers after a personalized shopping experience
- 1886% of consumers say authenticity is key when deciding what brands they like and support
- 1945% of consumers will unfollow a brand on social media if they post too much self-promotion
- 2063% of consumers trust influencers’ opinions of products much more than what brands say about themselves
Interpretation
Seventy percent of consumers prefer learning about products through content rather than ads, and because 96% distrust traditional advertising while 90% expect useful, meaningful material, brands that deliver authentic, personalized, skimmable educational content backed by user reviews, influencer and user-generated posts and mobile-friendly video can boost trust and purchases, with early-stage content increasing buying likelihood by 131 percent and 56 percent of consumers having purchased after watching social video, whereas irrelevant or overly self-promotional messaging will drive people away, so be useful, not annoying.
Content Formats & Channels
- 1Short-form video is the content format with the highest ROI for B2C marketers
- 291% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
- 3The average blog post takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to write
- 461% of B2C marketers use social media stories as a primary content format
- 580% of B2C marketers use email newsletters to distribute content
- 6Infographics can increase web traffic by up to 12%
- 757% of B2C marketers use long-form articles (3000+ words) for lead generation
- 8Facebook is the top distribution channel for 87% of B2C marketers
- 93000+ word blog posts get 3x more traffic than those under 1000 words
- 10Articles with images get 94% more views than those without
- 1172% of customers prefer learning about a product or service via video
- 12Instagram is used by 78% of B2C content marketers
- 13Podcasts are used by 25% of B2C marketers
- 1453% of marketers re-use existing content in new formats (repurposing)
- 15Interactive content generates 2x more conversions than passive content
- 1666% of B2C marketers use short posts (under 200 words) on social media
- 17Case studies are used by 32% of B2C marketers compared to 73% of B2B
- 18Visual content is 40x more likely to be shared on social media
- 1966% of video marketers stated they plan to use TikTok this year
- 20Blog posts with more than 7 images get 116% more organic traffic
Interpretation
B2C marketers are practically crowning video king: 91% use video and short-form delivers the highest ROI, 72% of customers prefer learning by video and 66% of video marketers plan to use TikTok while 78% use Instagram and Facebook remains the top distribution channel for 87% of marketers; 80% rely on email newsletters and 53% repurpose existing content because visuals pay off, with articles that include images getting 94% more views, visual content being 40 times more likely to be shared, and blog posts over 3000 words or with seven or more images earning three times and 116% more organic traffic respectively; interactive content generates twice the conversions and infographics can lift traffic by up to 12%, yet 66% still favor short social posts under 200 words, podcasts are used by 25%, case studies lag at 32% in B2C versus 73% in B2B, and the average blog post still takes about 4 hours and 10 minutes to write.
ROI & Performance Metrics
- 1Content marketing generates over 3x as many leads as outbound marketing but costs 62% less
- 2Adopters of content marketing have conversion rates that are nearly 6x higher than non-adopters
- 3For every $1 spent on email marketing B2C brands see an average return of $36
- 4Small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than those without
- 575% of B2C marketers use website traffic to measure content success
- 6Content marketing leaders experience 7.8x more year-over-year site traffic than non-leaders
- 753% of B2C marketers link content to increased revenue
- 8Companies engaging in blogging receive 97% more links to their website
- 962% of B2C marketers measure the success of their content by social media engagement
- 10Using videos on landing pages can increase conversion by 86%
- 11Cost-per-lead drops by 80% after 5 months of consistent content marketing
- 12Organic search drives 53% of all trackable web traffic
- 13Websites with active blogs have 434% more indexed pages
- 1472% of marketers say content marketing increases the number of leads
- 15Companies that blog 15+ times per month get 5x more traffic than those that don't
- 16Repurposing content can increase the reach of a piece by 111%
- 17Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to see positive ROI
- 18Only 35% of B2C marketers measure content marketing ROI
- 19Bounce rates are 15% lower on pages with video content
- 20SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate while outbound leads have a 1.7% close rate
Interpretation
Ignore content marketing at your peril: it generates over three times as many leads as outbound while costing 62% less, delivers nearly six times the conversion rate, returns about $36 for every $1 spent on email, and when combined with blogging, SEO and video it snowballs results — small businesses that blog see 126% more lead growth, websites with blogs have 434% more indexed pages and receive 97% more links, videos can boost landing page conversions by 86% and lower bounce rates by 15%, organic search drives 53% of traffic and SEO leads close at 14.6% versus 1.7% for outbound, cost per lead drops 80% after five months, repurposing increases reach 111%, content leaders enjoy 7.8 times more year over year traffic and bloggers who prioritize content are 13 times more likely to see positive ROI, yet only 35% of B2C marketers actually measure ROI.
Strategy & Budgets
- 170% of B2C marketers report that their organization has a content marketing strategy
- 2Only 42% of B2C marketers have a documented content strategy
- 382% of marketers actively invest in content marketing
- 426% of B2C marketing budgets are allocated specifically to content marketing on average
- 550% of B2C marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity
- 6Creating brand awareness is the top goal for 84% of B2C content marketers
- 7Content creation is the single largest spending category for B2C marketers
- 861% of B2C marketers meet with their content team daily or weekly
- 951% of B2C marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget this year
- 1044% of B2C marketers have a dedicated content marketing team
- 11Consistency is cited as the top challenge by 48% of content creators
- 1273% of B2C marketers use keyword search volume to guide content strategy
- 1360% of the most successful B2C marketers have a documented strategy versus 21% of the least successful
- 1433% of B2C marketers use paid distribution to promote content
- 1578% of B2C marketers use keyword research for competitive analysis during planning
- 16Quality of content is rated the most important success factor by 83% of marketers
- 1755% of B2C marketers struggle with creating content that appeals to different buyer stages
- 1865% of B2C companies re-evaluate their content strategy at least every 6 months
- 19User-generated content is central to the strategy of 56% of B2C brands
- 2029% of B2C marketers say their organization is extremely successful with content marketing
Interpretation
B2C marketers are feeding the content beast with real money and effort, with most claiming a strategy and 82% investing in content, yet fewer than half actually document it, only a third use paid distribution, inconsistency and poor buyer-stage targeting undermine otherwise quality-driven goals like brand awareness, and the result is that only about 29% call their programs extremely successful, so documenting the plan and combining quality with consistent execution and smarter distribution is the pragmatic fix.
Trends & Technology
- 1The market for AI in marketing is projected to reach $107 billion by 2028
- 258% of marketers use AI for generative content creation
- 327% of the global online population uses voice search on mobile
- 471% of marketers say AI helps them personalize the customer experience
- 550% of content marketers use AI to brainstorm new topics
- 6Social commerce sales are expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2026
- 780% of marketers who use automation see an increase in leads
- 835% of B2C marketers are experimenting with the metaverse
- 9Mobile video consumption rises by 100% every year
- 1069% of marketers use ChatGPT for content marketing tasks
- 1140% of millennials use voice search before making a purchase online
- 1290% of leading marketers say personalization significantly contributes to business profitability
- 13Chatbots will save businesses 2.5 billion hours by 2024
- 1464% of marketers actively invest in search engine optimization (SEO) technology
- 15Virtual Reality (VR) in marketing is expected to grow by 28% annually
- 1633% of B2C marketers use automated email marketing tools
- 1787% of marketers believe AI technologies will give them a competitive edge
- 1842% of marketers use AI to optimize content for search engines
- 19Shoppable video content is achieving conversion rates of over 30%
- 2060% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results buttons
Interpretation
With AI tools—from 58% using them for generative content to 69% relying on ChatGPT and 71% saying AI improves personalization—propelling a market headed to $107 billion by 2028 while social commerce nears $2.9 trillion, mobile video and voice-driven shopping surge, shoppable video converts at over 30 percent, chatbots and automation save time and boost leads, and VR and metaverse experiments multiply, the bottom line is clear: brands that marry AI, automation and immersive, mobile-first content will turn attention into profit while the hesitant watch opportunity walk out the front door.
