Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
82% of marketers actively use content marketing
73% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
40% of B2C marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
Video is the #1 format marketers created in 2022
91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
70% of marketers are investing in content marketing visually with video
81% of retail shoppers conduct online research before buying
70% of consumers prefer learning about a company through articles rather than ads
61% of U.S. online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog
Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less
E-commerce sites with blogs convert visitors at 2.9% vs 0.5% for sites without blogs
Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don't blog
50% of marketers use AI to create content outlines and drafts
84% of bloggers report that AI and automation have impacted their content strategy
Mobile commerce sales are expected to account for 44.2% of retail ecommerce sales in the US
Consumer Behavior
- 181% of retail shoppers conduct online research before buying
- 270% of consumers prefer learning about a company through articles rather than ads
- 361% of U.S. online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog
- 480% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences
- 547% of buyers view three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep
- 695% of buyers consider vendor-agnostic content as trustworthy
- 782% of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content
- 890% of consumers find custom content useful
- 952% of consumers say that waiting for slow-loading content frustrates them enough to leave the site
- 1074% of consumers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized to them
- 1144% of consumers say they will likely become repeat buyers after a personalized shopping experience
- 1288% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations
- 1368% of consumers spend time reading about brands that interest them
- 1460% of consumers are more inspired to shop after watching social media content from a creator/influencer
- 1554% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support
- 1684% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video
- 1771% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand to others if they have a positive social media service experience
- 1876% of visitors scan content rather than reading it word for word
- 1962% of millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become a loyal customer
- 2093% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions
Interpretation
Content is the courteous salesperson, not a shouting billboard, because shoppers research before buying, prefer articles and vendor-agnostic content to ads, trust blogs, reviews and influencer videos enough to convert, expect fast, personalized and useful experiences across social and web, tend to scan multiple pieces before engaging sales, and will abandon or stop buying from slow or impersonal sites, so brands that consistently deliver helpful tailored content earn more purchases, repeat customers and recommendations.
Content Formats & Channels
- 1Video is the #1 format marketers created in 2022
- 291% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
- 370% of marketers are investing in content marketing visually with video
- 4Short-form video has the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy
- 579% of people say user-generated content (UGC) highly impacts their purchasing decisions
- 6Consumers find UGC 9.8x more impactful than influencer content
- 7Blog posts remain the most popular content format for 90% of marketers
- 8Articles with images get 94% more total views
- 9Interactive content generates 2x more conversions than passive content
- 1053% of marketers prioritize blogging as their primary content marketing method
- 11Long-form blog posts generate 9x more leads than short-form posts
- 12Podcasts are used by 25% of content marketers
- 1361% of marketers used social media stories (Instagram, Facebook) for content distribution
- 1454% of marketers use email marketing to distribute content
- 15Infographics are liked and shared on social media 3x more than any other type of content
- 1687% of video marketers say video has increased dwell time on their website
- 1796% of marketers agree that videos have helped increase user understanding of their product or service
- 1848% of marketers say that optimizing older blog posts is a key tactic
- 1960% of marketers use case studies in their content strategy
- 20LinkedIn is the most popular distribution channel for B2B content at 96%
Interpretation
If ecommerce content were a recipe, pile in video as the base, spice with short form clips for the highest ROI, fold in long form, image rich blog posts to generate leads, amplify everything with user generated content since consumers find it nearly ten times more persuasive than influencer material, add interactive pieces and infographics to double conversions and shares, and serve across LinkedIn, social stories and email while refreshing older posts and using case studies to keep results cooking.
Conversion & ROI
- 1Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less
- 2E-commerce sites with blogs convert visitors at 2.9% vs 0.5% for sites without blogs
- 3Companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don't blog
- 4Adopters of content marketing have conversion rates that are nearly 6x higher than non-adopters
- 5Email marketing generates $36 for every $1 spent
- 672% of marketers say content marketing improves lead generation
- 7Marketers who prioritize blogging tend to see 13x positive ROI
- 8Small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than those without
- 975% of marketers report that content marketing generates better ROI than other channels
- 1087% of marketers report that video gives them a positive return on investment
- 11Using videos on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 86%
- 12Content marketing revenue is projected to exceed $135 billion by 2026
- 13Leads from search engines have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads have a 1.7% close rate
- 1458% of marketers say original written content is the most important type of content for ROI
- 15Brands that rely on content save over $14 on every new customer acquired
- 1663% of marketers cite traffic as the top metric for assessing content success
- 17Personalized Calls to Action convert 202% better than default versions
- 1851% of B2B marketers utilize sales conversion as a metric for content performance
- 1961% of marketers say generating traffic and leads is their biggest challenge
- 20Updating and republishing old blog posts can increase traffic by 106%
Interpretation
Consider this: investing in original content, including blogs, video and email, is the marketing equivalent of buying a gold mine because it costs far less while producing far more leads and higher conversion rates (blogs convert 2.9 percent versus 0.5 percent for sites without blogs; adopters see nearly six times the conversions; search leads close at 14.6 percent compared with 1.7 percent for outbound leads; personalized calls to action convert 202 percent better), delivers outsized ROI such as thirty-six dollars back for every dollar spent on email and vastly higher returns for bloggers, helps small businesses grow leads by 126 percent and boosts traffic by 106 percent when old posts are updated, and is a chief reason marketers expect content revenue to top one hundred thirty-five billion dollars by 2026, so ignoring content means leaving low-cost, high-value customers on the table.
Strategy & Investment
- 182% of marketers actively use content marketing
- 273% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy
- 340% of B2C marketers have a documented content marketing strategy
- 4The top three goals for e-commerce content marketers are creating brand awareness, building credibility/trust, and educating the audience
- 546% of businesses plan to increase their content marketing spend within the next year
- 697% of organizations have a content marketing strategy in place
- 742% of companies have a designated person or group responsible for their content marketing strategy
- 869% of successful B2B marketers have a documented content strategy
- 960% of B2C marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity
- 10Only 42% of B2C marketers believe their organization is effective at content marketing
- 1150% of marketers say that consistency is the most important factor in their content strategy success
- 1251% of businesses that invest in content marketing publish content every day
- 1378% of CMOs view custom content as the future of marketing
- 14Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing
- 1591% of B2B marketers use content marketing to reach customers
- 1664% of marketers want to learn how to build a better content strategy
- 17In-house content creation is the most common model, used by 55% of companies
- 1872% of marketers say content marketing increases engagement
- 1981% of marketers view content as a core business strategy
- 2027% of marketers report having a "mature" content marketing strategy
Interpretation
Content marketing has become the marketing equivalent of breathing, with nearly every organization doing it and CMOs hailing custom content as the future, but with less than a third calling their programs mature and only about half documenting strategies or feeling effective, companies are outsourcing or boosting budgets to publish consistently because it costs far less than traditional tactics while building awareness, trust, and engagement.
Tech & Trends
- 150% of marketers use AI to create content outlines and drafts
- 284% of bloggers report that AI and automation have impacted their content strategy
- 3Mobile commerce sales are expected to account for 44.2% of retail ecommerce sales in the US
- 458% of marketers plan to increase their investment in AI for content creation
- 571% of people prefer to search by voice instead of typing
- 640.7% of all voice search answers come from a featured snippet
- 772% of digital marketers describe their content marketing efforts as "manual" rather than automated
- 8Visual search market size is expected to exceed $14 million by 2023
- 948% of marketing leaders say AI is making the most significant difference in how they create content
- 1088% of marketers who use SEO use keyword research tools
- 1165% of marketers leverage a content management system (CMS) to manage their content
- 12Augmented Reality (AR) experiences are 200% more engaging as they deliver double the levels of engagement compared to their non-AR equivalent
- 1366% of shoppers say AR would increase their confidence in buying a product online
- 1462% of marketers are using a customer relationship management (CRM) system for content marketing
- 1527% of marketers rely on paid distribution to get their content seen on mobile
- 16The global content marketing software market is expected to grow by $9.59 billion during 2020-2024
- 1733% of marketers use machine learning to deliver personalized content
- 18By 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur in digital channels
- 1949% of marketers use social media listening tools to generate content ideas
- 20Interactive content will be a major focus for 88% of marketers in the coming years
Interpretation
With 50% of marketers already using AI to draft content and 58% planning to increase AI spend, while mobile, voice, visual search and AR reshape shopping behavior and yet 72% of content work remains manual, marketers who do not automate and personalize now risk trying to sell with smoke signals as commerce goes decisively digital.
