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
Only 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
83% of marketers say it is better to focus on quality rather than quantity of content
B2B product marketers allocate approximately 29% of their total budget to content marketing
26% of B2B marketers spend more than 50% of their total marketing budget on content
61% of B2C marketers increased their content marketing budget in 2022
Video content is the primary form of media used in content strategies overtaking blogs in 2021
Short-form video has the highest ROI of any content format
Using the word 'video' in an email subject line boosts the open rates by 19%
68% of online experiences begin with a search engine
The #1 result in Google’s organic search results has an average CTR of 31.7%
66% of marketers use paid social media to distribute content
96% of marketers report that content marketing has helped them build credibility and trust with their audience
81% of consumers say that they need to be able to trust the brand behind the product before they buy
61% of people are more likely to buy from a company that delivers unique content
B2B vs B2C Investing
- 1B2B product marketers allocate approximately 29% of their total budget to content marketing
- 226% of B2B marketers spend more than 50% of their total marketing budget on content
- 361% of B2C marketers increased their content marketing budget in 2022
- 4The average B2B buyer consumes 13 pieces of content before deciding on a vendor
- 544% of B2B marketers say their organization is extremely or very successful at content marketing
- 638% of B2C marketers report their organization has a clearly defined content marketing strategy
- 7B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads than those that do not
- 891% of B2B marketers use content marketing to reach customers
- 996% of B2B buyers want content with more input from industry thought leaders
- 1058% of B2B marketers said webinars were the most effective content marketing tactic
- 1186% of B2C marketers use Facebook for content distribution, versus a lower percentage for B2B
- 12B2B buyers are 57% of the way through the buying decision before engaging a sales rep
- 1347% of B2B buyers consume three to five pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson
- 1470% of B2B buyers cite case studies as the most influential content type
- 1582% of B2C marketers report using community building as a measurable objective
- 1669% of B2B marketers plan to increase their video content budget
- 17B2C marketers are more likely to use user-generated content (UGC) than B2B marketers
- 1847% of B2B buyers say they will share their contact info for a webinar
- 1980% of B2B decision-makers prefer to get company information from a series of articles rather than an advertisement
- 2093% of B2B marketers use email to distribute content, making it the top channel
Interpretation
If content were currency, marketers would be printing money, allocating roughly a third of budgets and doubling down on blogs, webinars, video and email because buyers devour a dozen or more assets, prefer expert input and case studies and are often more than halfway to a decision before they ever speak with sales, so the winners focus on measurable, thought leader driven content and the channels that actually deliver it.
Consumer Behavior & Trust
- 196% of marketers report that content marketing has helped them build credibility and trust with their audience
- 281% of consumers say that they need to be able to trust the brand behind the product before they buy
- 361% of people are more likely to buy from a company that delivers unique content
- 471% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions
- 592% of consumers trust word-of-mouth and user-generated content more than advertising
- 670% of people would rather learn about a company through articles than an advert
- 778% of people perceive a relationship between themselves and a company using custom content
- 840% of consumers say they have purchased something after seeing it on an influencer's page
- 988% of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support
- 1074% of people say they hate being shown irrelevant content
- 1154% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support
- 1262% of millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social networks they are more likely to become a loyal customer
- 1384% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video
- 1441% of consumers read 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep
- 1587% of consumers say that they would only buy a product if the company stood up for a cause they cared about
- 1695% of customers read reviews before making a purchase
- 1765% of consumers feel connected to a brand when it sends them personalized offers or exclusive content
- 1845% of consumers will unfollow a brand on social media if their activity is too self-promoting
- 19Content marketing generates over 3x as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less, increasing consumer trust
- 2056% of consumers reported they are more influenced by images and videos on social media than the actual written content
Interpretation
If content were a handshake, these stats say people want it firm, genuine and tailored, delivered as helpful articles, authentic videos, reviews and user-generated or influencer proof; relevance and personalization build trust, inspire purchases and loyalty, push people to reward brands that stand for causes, and outperform noisy outbound ads in cost and lead generation while quickly punishing anything self-promoting or irrelevant.
Content Types & Formats
- 1Video content is the primary form of media used in content strategies overtaking blogs in 2021
- 2Short-form video has the highest ROI of any content format
- 3Using the word 'video' in an email subject line boosts the open rates by 19%
- 491% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
- 5Podcasts are used by 25% of content marketers as a regular format
- 6Infographics are liked and shared on social media 3x more than any other type of content
- 7Long-form content (3000+ words) gets 3x more traffic and 4x more shares than average length articles
- 848% of marketers say that research reports generated the best results for their content marketing
- 9The average blog post takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to write
- 10Articles with more than 7 images get 116% more organic traffic
- 1173% of consumers prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service
- 12Interactive content generates 2x more conversions than passive content
- 1353% of marketers are repurposing content into different formats
- 1480% of people remember what they see, compared to ten percent what they hear and 20 percent of what they read
- 15Case studies are the 5th most popular type of content format used by marketers
- 16The ideal length for a blog post for SEO is between 1760 and 2400 words
- 1732% of marketers say that visual images are the most important form of content for their business
- 18Audio content consumption has increased by over 20% year over year
- 19Live video usage in content marketing increased to 30% in 2022
- 20Ebooks constitute 17% of the content types created by B2B marketers
Interpretation
If content were a TV remote, visuals would be holding it: video has seized the spotlight and even boosts email opens, short clips deliver the best ROI while live and audio channels climb, infographics and images supercharge shares and memory, long-form research-rich pieces earn the deepest traffic and results, interactive formats double conversions, and repurposing turns one great idea into many high-performing assets.
SEO, Traffic & Distribution
- 168% of online experiences begin with a search engine
- 2The #1 result in Google’s organic search results has an average CTR of 31.7%
- 366% of marketers use paid social media to distribute content
- 4LinkedIn creates 80% of B2B social media leads
- 5Updating and republishing old blog posts with new content and images can increase organic traffic by as much as 106%
- 661% of marketers consider SEO the most efficient method for acquiring customers
- 7Companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website
- 80.78% of Google searchers click on results from the 2nd page
- 9Titles with 6-13 words attract the highest and most consistent amount of traffic
- 1094% of content gets zero external links
- 11Paid distribution channels have decreased in usage by 12% in the last year
- 12Email marketing has an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent
- 1390% of content gets no traffic from Google
- 1459% of people will share an article without reading it first
- 1543% of marketers say that 'Social Media' is their primary channel for content distribution
- 16Content with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement on Instagram
- 1753% of marketers use email marketing as a distribution channel for content
- 18Tuesday is the best day to send a corporate email for content distribution
- 19Websites with a blog have 434% more indexed pages
Interpretation
These stats make it clear that search-first thinking pays: 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine and the top organic result grabs 31.7% of clicks, so prioritize SEO, which 61% of marketers call the most efficient acquisition method, and blogging, which yields 434% more indexed pages and 97% more links and, when you refresh old posts, can boost organic traffic by up to 106%, because otherwise 90% of content gets no traffic from Google and 94% gets zero external links while page two attracts only 0.78% of clicks; supplement that with high-return channels like email, used by 53% of marketers and returning $36 for every $1 with Tuesdays performing best, and with LinkedIn, which creates 80% of B2B social media leads, while treating social carefully since 43% call it their primary distribution channel, 66% still use paid social even as paid distribution fell 12% and 59% of people will share without reading; finally write titles of six to thirteen words and include at least one hashtag to gain roughly 12.6% more Instagram engagement.
Strategy & Effectiveness
- 173% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
- 2Only 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
- 383% of marketers say it is better to focus on quality rather than quantity of content
- 461% of marketers say measuring the ROI of their content is their biggest challenge
- 5Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less
- 678% of CMOs believe that custom content is the future of marketing
- 7Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to see positive ROI
- 846% of businesses want to increase their content creation spending in the coming year
- 950% of marketers outsource some content marketing activities
- 1081% of marketers view content as a core business strategy
- 1172% of marketers say content marketing increases engagement
- 1297% of marketers surveyed reported that content marketing was part of their marketing efforts
- 1351% of businesses that invest in content marketing publish content every day
- 14Brands relying on content marketing save over $14 on every new customer acquired
- 1560% of B2B marketers report that their content marketing strategy is very successful or extremely successful compared to one year ago
- 16Generating more quality leads is the top goal for 79% of content marketers
- 1755% of successful content marketing teams used Personas to guide their creation
- 18Marketers with a documented strategy are 413% more likely to report success
- 1964% of marketers say learning how to build a content strategy is their top educational need
- 20Pandemic-related shifts caused 70% of B2B marketers to pivot their content strategy
Interpretation
Content marketing is the thrifty, lead-generating engine everyone touts as the future, but too many teams treat it like a hobby without a playbook even though documenting strategy and prioritizing quality, blogging and personas dramatically boosts success and helps solve persistent ROI problems.
