Content marketing today involves balancing the use of websites, blogs, social media accounts, and messaging apps to create a cohesive brand presence, attract visitors, and convert leads. In order to remain relevant and ensure you’re getting a reasonable return on investment (ROI) for your efforts, it is important to pay attention to your key metrics. In addition to your internal figures, you can also learn a great deal from benchmarking your content marketing plans against industry competitors.
There are many content marketing statistics floating around that can help you identify the most effective content marketing tactics in your industry and keep up with the competition by creating content that your audience wants to consume. To help you with your research we’ve compiled this extensive list of 50 of the best content marketing stats that we could find. They are organized by the following subjects, and each statistic is accompanied by commentary to help generate some new ideas for your marketing campaigns.
- B2B Content Marketing Stats
- B2C Content Marketing Stats
- Blogging Stats
- Email Marketing Stats
- Mobile & Social Media Content Marketing Stats
- Video Content Marketing Stats
B2B Content Marketing Stats
1. Producing engaging content was selected as the top B2B content marketing challenge. Many companies these days are able to generate a steady volume of content that is optimized using SEO and other tools. But creating pieces that are truly engaging is the real hallmark of a successful content marketing plan. It’s hard to generate content that’s useful, memorable, and easy to understand, but that’s the reason it’s a crucial differentiator for those who can.
2. 69% of B2B organizations successful at content marketing have a documented strategy. Proper planning will make any content marketing campaign more effective. The fact that successful companies have documented content strategies should come as no surprise, but what matters most is creating one that’s effective. Especially for B2B marketing efforts, your plan should be comprehensive and ensure that your content is tailored to the needs of each unique business segment.
3. 47% of buyers will view three to 5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales representative. We all know that the self-service economy is upon us, and this statistic is a great reminder of just how important your B2B or B2C content is. When someone is browsing your offerings, their initial opinion of your brand will be highly influenced by what they see. They are also likely to view several pieces of content, so make sure that you have enough material prepared to keep them engaged.
4. Only 18% of content marketers think that their company has acquired the right marketing management technology to be successful. The fact that this figure is so low is a real indicator of just how difficult it is for software programs to meet unique needs. No one system is perfect, and both requirements and capabilities are constantly evolving. In order to remain competitive, it’s important for content marketing teams to stay informed of the latest technology offerings.
5. 92% of businesses consider content as an important business asset. Nearly all companies surveyed by the Content Marketing Institute indicated that content is an important asset. As a known generator of new leads and repeat business, content can be easily shared among your audience. This is especially true for B2B customers who are frequently searching for new technologies and best practices that can improve their operations.
6. B2B organizations, on average, spend 26% of their total marketing budget on content marketing. This is an interesting benchmark to align your own marketing efforts with. Spending a quarter of an overall marketing budget on content is likely routine for many businesses, but for some, they may be spending much more or less. While each business will have its own budget allocation and unique needs, this is a good opportunity to question your team about what they might be overlooking.
7. The most popular type of content highlighted by 97% of B2B buyers is prescriptive in nature and explains how to be successful. Most people who are searching for content seek to have a question answered or learn how to do something new. This is the same for all of us, regardless of whether we are searching as a consumer or business professional. In the B2B world, one of the best ways to demonstrate authority is by creating content that shares a deep understanding of the subject matter.
8. 63% of content marketers consider referrals to be their top source of B2B marketing leads. Most marketers can appreciate the fact that loyal customers are among the most valuable assets that a brand can have. Referrals are especially helpful for B2B companies, as these companies often face fierce competition within their niche. The savviest content marketers find innovative ways to engage with their existing customers in order to generate new leads and may even create a formal referral program.
9. The 3 most valuable content types for B2B businesses are articles or blog posts, white papers, and videos. Respondents to one survey indicated that these 3 content types were the most effective in moving prospects through the sales funnel. Generating buyers from your initial leads is the ultimate goal of any B2B marketing effort, and it’s helpful to know which types of content are most effective. Always try to tailor your content to the preferences and expectations of your customer base.
10. B2B businesses that are successful in content marketing use, on average, 5 different formats. In addition to this statistic, this report also highlighted that the least successful companies distributed content using four formats. This really highlights the effectiveness of expanding your omnichannel communication plan. Distributing content in even one additional format can mean the difference between success and failure for your content marketing campaigns.
B2C Content Marketing Stats
11. 40% of B2C content marketers don’t perform any competitive benchmarking or only do so once per year. While it may never be a good idea to obsess over what your competitors are doing, it’s important to remain close enough to uncover any potentially major disruptors. Competitive positioning is important for content as well since there is always a risk of being overtaken in search results. You can gain tremendous insights by reviewing your competitors’ performance and developing new content marketing strategies.
12. The most successful B2C marketers allocate 40% of their marketing budget for content marketing, while the average is 26%. This statistic shows the major commitment to content marketing that successful companies make. It’s clear from this data that content marketing should be a top priority during any B2C marketing effort with proper budget allocation and management support.
13. 68% of marketers distribute their content using paid resources. Content distribution is never an easy task, especially when trying to reach an audience across multiple web and social platforms. The popularity of paid content distribution programs is a clear response to these challenges. In many cases, using paid content distribution options such as sponsored social media posts can significantly improve your reach.
14. Only 1 out of every 3 B2C marketers have a documented content strategy. Without a proper plan in place, content marketing can quickly lose its effectiveness. Some of the best tactics involve repurposing content and engaging with customers on a number of different platforms. It’s challenging to do this without a comprehensive content marketing strategy that your entire team can understand and get behind.
15. When compared to B2B businesses, B2C content is shared almost 10 times more frequently. This is an incredible stat that really highlights the trust consumers place on recommendations from other people they know. We are often driven to share new content related to products and brands that we already know or are interested in trying. This high frequency of sharing also represents a true opportunity for content marketers in the B2C space and a great reason to share more content.
16. 82% of B2C marketers are trying to create content that develops loyalty with customers. Achieving a high degree of customer loyalty means that your business is meeting or even exceeding customer expectations. Your content represents your brand in a number of ways, and you can certainly build a higher degree of loyalty by releasing engaging material. If your customers find your content valuable, they’re more likely to share it with others and return to your website or other channels for additional insights.
Blogging Stats
17. Creating an effective content strategy was highlighted as the top priority among business bloggers. Blogging is still one of the absolute best ways to connect with people and develop an audience. When you are planning your content strategy, it’s important to document key information such as your writing schedule, target audience, and distribution channels. In many ways, your strategy acts as a roadmap when things get overwhelming and can keep your entire team organized.
18. Businesses that maintain a blog receive 55% more traffic and 97% more inbound links from other websites. It’s a known fact that with exceptional content and proper SEO, blog posts that rank can drive a ton of traffic. Static pages are an important component of any business website, but a blog is where you can really connect with potential customers and business partners. These statistics really reinforce the fact that blogs are a true catalyst for driving more traffic to your site.
19. Over 409 million people access 20 billion WordPress pages each and every month. This statistic conveys a lot of information in a single set of numbers. It’s clear that each person visits a number of different pages, there is a very high level of overall traffic, and WordPress is certainly a leading blogging platform. A lot of this traffic is directed toward blog posts, and the more pages and posts that your website contains, the more likely you are to be noticed by those browsing for new content.
20. Blog posts that have titles containing 6 to 13 words are the most likely to be clicked. While this stat gives quite a large range for the optimal number of words in a blog title, it does provide some clear boundaries from which to craft your headlines. A blog post title should be catchy, and not too long or short so as to be a distraction when compared to similar posts. The main point here is to stick with post titles that contain a reasonable number of words and focus on your messaging.
21. There are over 4 million blog posts written each day. This figure reminds us of just how much blog content is being created each and every day. For most marketers, this represents opportunity, but it also points to the fact that there’s a lot of competition out there. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to create content that engages readers and is informative in a way that adds value to someone’s business or life.
22. When measuring blog performance, only 32% of bloggers use analytics for all of their posts. Data is such an important part of managing a blog, and there are many useful plugins and tools that make the process easier. Key performance metrics such as page views and unique visitors can be tracked, and you can also optimize on-page SEO by reviewing any flagged issues with your posts. Detailed analytics can really help any business blogger identify what is working well and also where improvements might be needed.
23. Just over half of bloggers (58%) indicated that they collaborated with other websites and influencers on 10-50% of their posts. Collaborations with other influential figures can really improve the authority and trust of your website. It’s vital to engage with other thought leaders in your space and find ways to share ideas and content where appropriate. Each new post gives collaborators an opportunity to share ideas with other audiences and attract new business.
24. Long-form content with a length of over 3,000 words is more likely to be shared compared to short-form content. Short-form posts are a useful way answer basic customer questions and attract new visitors to your website, but it’s longer-form content that your audience will likely find most useful. Including additional media such as infographics or videos can give people an even greater reason to share your posts with others.
25. Marketers who prioritize blogging as part of their campaigns are 13x more likely to achieve a positive ROI. This stat really represents how valuable blogging can be for your business. Blog posts are a valuable reference point for all your other social media posts and communications across all channels. Since it’s easy to cross-post your content to a number of different platforms, you can increase your ROI by leveraging your blog posts across multiple distribution platforms and driving more traffic back to your website.
26. On average, it takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete a blog post. This statistic includes all types of blog posts, so it’s not a great indicator of how long it takes to write your content. What it does show us is how much time people spend planning, writing, editing, and distributing their blog content. Given the significant time commitment, it’s crucial to develop a clear blogging schedule and select topics that are highly relevant to your target customers.
27. Including a relevant image with your blog post increases the number of views by 94% versus a post without an image. Including an image with your blog posts is not difficult and can nearly double the number of views that they receive. With so many posts to scroll through, people are often drawn to an image before they begin reading the title or text of a post. Always properly format your images to optimize the page loading time and make your content easy to view on mobile devices.
Email Marketing Stats
28. Email remains the most popular format for sharing content, with 94% of buyers reported to be using it. Even with so many social media platforms and messaging apps, many people still prefer to use email for the majority of their important communications. When sharing media, an email is a logical choice because the recipient can read the message when they choose and not feel obligated to respond to a text message. This highlights the fact that your content should be email-friendly and easy to share.
29. The most popular marketing tactic in 2019, used by 84% of respondents, was email marketing. Email marketing is popular with many businesses because it allows you to share your content directly with a relevant audience which has already developed some level of trust with your brand. Building an email list is often mentioned as one of the best things you can do to solidify your long-term business prospects. You can also use your email marketing messages to highlight recent posts, promotions, and calls to action.
30. The 2 most popular platforms for reading email are iPhone mail and Gmail. This is an informative statistic because it highlights the popularity of both mobile readers and long-term email platforms such as Gmail. Since many of your customers may be viewing your email content on a smartphone, you should always optimize your website and content to be mobile-ready. It’s also a good idea to test the readability of your email content on multiple devices and platforms to identify any compatibility issues that may be present.
31. Segmented email campaigns have a 14.31% higher open rate than those which are non-segmented. Segmenting your email campaigns helps increase the relevance of the content you’re sharing. Simply sending a blanket email to a giant list of contacts can be useful, but it will likely be ignored by a large number of recipients. After you segment your email list, you can then direct specific messaging to each particular group and increase your open rate and engagement.
32. 58% of marketers believe that the ROI from their email campaigns will continue to increase in the future. This is a clear indication of how invested the majority of companies are in email marketing. Most consumers are so used to sending and receiving email messages today that email is likely to remain a standard form of communication for many years to come. Investing in new technology and tools to streamline your email marketing efforts might be a valuable option for the long-term growth of your company.
Mobile & Social Media Content Marketing Stats
33. One in five smartphone users access their device every 5 minutes. This statistic applies to people throughout the world and really highlights just how often we use our phones. It’s also a clear reminder of how frequently many users are picking up their device and then putting it down again. Attention is very limited, and as a content marketer you must make a really strong impression right away or your material will be quickly overlooked.
34. Both standard Instagram posts and Instagram Stories are considered the most effective content format for influencer marketing. In one survey, over three-quarters of respondents selected Instagram as the top influencer platform. Part of the appeal of Instagram is the highly visual format dominated by pictures and short-form video content. Content marketers that work with influencers should definitely be leveraging the vast audience and benefits of Instagram.
35. Nearly 7 out of 10 adults in the United States (69%) use the Facebook platform. Among them, nearly three-fourths (74%) use the popular social media network at least once per day. For marketers who are targeting an adult demographic, Facebook is one of the best places to advertise and post content. With so many individuals accessing the platform to keep in touch with friends and family, you may want to consider posting content that has a more personal angle. Using images of people in your Facebook content and sharing quotes and testimonials are just two of the many ways to achieve this.
36. Roughly two out of every three 18-29 year-olds in the United States use Instagram and Snapchat. Just as Facebook is popular with an older crowd, Instagram and Snapchat are most definitely the go-to social platforms for the younger generation. Brands that cater to a younger crowd may be able to generate a high level of engagement by targeting these two platforms for their marketing efforts. Product placements, endorsements, and influencer marketing are all potential tactics to use for your content.
37. Twitter ads receive 26% more viewing time than content posted on other social media channels. Advertising can be used along with content marketing to create an added boost to engagement. Given the increase in viewing time for ads on Twitter versus other platforms, it may be a worthwhile place to target some of your advertising dollars. Twitter is also a useful forum for sharing company news, product updates, and other short-form content.
38. In the United States, video content is most often viewed from smartphones. Increases in mobile internet speeds and higher-powered devices now make it easy to watch high-quality videos from anywhere. People tend to do the majority of their browsing from their phones, either through dedicated apps or a mobile internet browser. Regardless of where you post your content, make sure that video thumbnails and any graphics or text within videos are easily viewable from a smaller screen.
39. 10% of the American population can only be reached through their smartphone. While currently only a tenth of the total U.S. population, this number is still striking and likely to continue rising. For younger people especially, the smartphone represents their entire social world, and it’s the only way that they consume information from other sources. For advertisers and content marketers, this a clear reminder to establish some mobile-first priorities.
Video Content Marketing Stats
40. Nearly half of all marketers are planning to add YouTube to their content distribution plans. YouTube continues to grow and is becoming a dominant platform for video content of all forms. With easy access to videos covering just about any topic, users often visit YouTube to view tutorials and learn more about new products and services. A content marketing plan that includes video content of any kind should definitely consider YouTube as a crucial distribution channel.
41. 91% of marketers mention that they are satisfied with the ROI from their video marketing efforts on social media. This figure is a near consensus and really shows us just how effective social media platforms can be for distributing video content. Marketers should consider an omnichannel distribution plan and may also want to add additional platforms that are popular with certain segments of their customer base. Creating highly tailored and relevant video content is as important as ever.
42. 90% of YouTube users say that they have found new products and services through the platform. Video content is an excellent medium for explaining ideas and creating an immersive viewing experience. The auto-play nature of YouTube leads visitors to far more content beyond their initial search and is a valuable opportunity for brands sharing video content. Content marketers can take advantage of these dynamics by optimizing the SEO of their video content to each platform where it’s distributed.
43. 84% of marketers point to video content as helping boost traffic to their websites. As mentioned in some of the previous stats, video content and platforms such as YouTube are widely used discovery tools for consumers. After receiving a piece of video content from a friend or finding it on their own, they may be interested in receiving more information. Always provide easy-to-click links to your website and social channels on all video content you post.
44. Social media posts that include a video are almost 50% more likely to be viewed. Static images and text often look boring when presented next to dynamic video content. Technology has made it possible to view video content with very little lag in most cases, with excellent support across social platforms. With so many potential channels that are suitable for video, it should be incorporated into new content whenever possible.
45. 40% of businesses report that video has the highest ROI among all content types. At times it can seem like video content has a much higher cost and time commitment versus other forms of content. But this stat reminds us that return on investment is really the most important metric in deciding how worthwhile something might be. With nearly half of all companies highlighting video content as having the best return, it might just be worth investing more time and effort here.
46. 80% of consumers report that they prefer to watch live video content instead of reading a blog post. The use of live video is becoming increasingly popular across all web and social media sites. Viewers appreciate the ability to ask questions in real-time, which is possible on many platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. Holding live events with giveaways and other promotions is an effective way to promote new product launches and make the most of live video.
47. Almost 60% of marketers are using live video to promote their products and services. This is a good follow-up to the previous statistic about viewer preferences for live video content. Over half of marketers are already using live video during their campaigns to better connect with customers. If live video is not part of your current content marketing plans, now is a great time to give it a try and see if it can add value and generate more business.
48. Shorter videos under 90 seconds in length have an average retention rate of 53%. The retention rate measures how much of your video content a viewer watches before moving on to something else. This statistic demonstrates that, on average, half of your short-format video content will be viewed. To help extend this time, marketers should include the most important information in the first half and try to make the video as engaging as possible with an expected payoff for the end of the clip.
49. Over 25% of global users regularly visit YouTube to find the latest news content. As we’ve mentioned before, YouTube is a great place to post your company news and information about new products and offerings. You should also be mindful of how any coverage you receive from other sources will be used on this platform. Whenever you receive some press, you may also be able to leverage appearances on YouTube by proactively monitoring user comments and sharing your company links.
50. On average, internet users spend almost 7 hours per week viewing digital video content. Seven hours is a lot of time, and there are potentially hundreds of clips being viewed by each person in an entire week. Your opportunity as a content marketer is vast, and video content can certainly be a leading component of your overall strategy. Repurposing your digital video content to create blog articles, social media posts, and other forms of content can help extend your reach while being resourceful.
Measuring the results of your content marketing efforts is crucial to your success. Install the Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress plugin to gain valuable insights such as your website’s page views, pages per session, the top 5 traffic sources sending visitors to your website, and your 10 most-viewed pages – all without leaving your WordPress dashboard.
