27 Truly Impressive Content Marketing Stats
If you’ve been looking to expand reach, generate leads, establish authority, and create higher conversions, content marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing tools you can use. But how does content marketing contribute to your business’s bottom line? And how do you make sure it does?
Below, we've highlighted 27 important content marketing statistics that (we think) every business owner should be aware of. So whether you're just getting started or looking to optimize your existing strategy, these 27 stats will provide valuable insights into how and why content marketing can increase your bottom line and drive business success.
Content Marketing Audits
After performing a content audit, 53% of marketers noted an improvement in engagement rates and 49% saw improvements in traffic and rankings.
33% of companies perform content audits at least twice yearly. 24% perform only one content audit, 21% perform at least three content audits, 16% never audit content, and 6% perform audits every two to three years.
61% of companies that reported the most content marketing success conducted more than two audits a year.
37% of content marketers have admitted to never performing a content audit.
While daunting, it pays to perform content audits multiple times a year, as 61 percent of companies that report high marketing success conduct more than two content audits a year.
Auditing your business’s content allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your existing content, identify gaps within your strategy, and make data-driven decisions to improve your performance. Yet, despite marketers noting a 53 percent improvement in engagement rates and a 49 percent improvement in traffic and rankings, 37 percent of content marketers admit to having never performed a content audit for their company.
B2B Content Marketing
40% of B2B buyers said they engaged with at least 3 pieces of content before they contacted a sales rep.
74% of B2B buyers report sharing blog posts often.
46% of B2B companies plan to increase their content marketing spend within the next 12 months.
On average it takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to write a blog post.
24% of bloggers publish weekly and an equal amount publish several times per month.5
67% of content marketing teams say that top-of-funnel content is the content they create the most.
56% of content marketers outsource their content marketing efforts.
B2B content marketing continues to be a strategic and successful tool for businesses looking to engage with potential leads and sales. Content is frequently shared amongst colleagues, and a majority of B2B buyers engage with a minimum of three pieces of content before ever contacting a sales rep. This makes sense when considering that 67 percent of content marketing teams focus their efforts on top-of-funnel content that develops awareness of the brand and offerings.
It's no surprise that B2B companies are planning to increase their content marketing spend within the next 12 months. With the ever-increasing importance of digital marketing, companies need to invest in their content marketing efforts to stay competitive.
However, creating quality content takes time and effort. On average, it takes over four hours to write a single blog post. Despite this, many bloggers still publish regularly, with 24 percent publishing weekly and another 24 percent publishing several times per month. This is perhaps why over half of content marketers end up outsourcing content marketing creation.
B2C marketers dedicate an average of 26 percent of their marketing budget to content marketing, yet those who report the most success allocate 40 percent of their budget to content marketing, thus demonstrating the importance of investing in content marketing efforts to achieve long-term success.
Additionally, while backlinks have repeatedly been proven to increase SERP ranking and domain authority, only 36 percent of B2C marketers execute a link-building strategy in their content marketing efforts. Savvy marketers can target link-building as a way to increase the reach and effectiveness of their content marketing campaigns.
And finally, as we've seen with B2B content marketing, half of content marketers are outsourcing their content marketing efforts. Producing quality content is time-consuming and costly, but when the proper budget is allocated, businesses can generate a strong online presence and build credibility within their target audience.
Artificial Intelligence and Content Marketing
Content marketers trust AI the most to create targeted content at 47% while only 21% of marketers trust AI to create written copy.
43% of marketers agree that AI speeds up content creation.
33% of marketers use AI for content generation.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly important tool in content marketing. While only 33 percent of marketers currently use AI for content generation, the potential benefits of incorporating AI into content creation are clear. Forty-seven percent of marketers trust AI to create targeted ads and 43 percent agree that AI aids in the speed at which content is created.
Yet, AI is not a replacement for human creativity and copywriting expertise. And as the world of AI continues to expand, ethical and creative quandaries will continue to spring forth. A more successful approach to content creation would be a joint effort between content marketers and AI to create more effective and engaging content that resonates with their target audience in a timely manner.
Email Marketing
There are 4.14 billion email users online.
Segmented email campaigns achieve 14.31% higher open rates than non-segmented campaigns.
Marketers achieve an average return on investment (ROI) of $42 for every $1 spent on email marketing.
61% of consumers prefer contact by brands via email.
With over 4 billion email users in the world, email marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways at generating a robust ROI, averaging $42 earned for every $1 spent. This can be partially attributed to the consumer preference for email communication and the fact that it’s a medium that gives marketers and business owners the ability to build rapport with their prospects and customers.
Segmented email campaigns (special email sequences for various groups within an email list) can also yield high open rates. Content marketers that segment mailing lists, provide personalization, and include relevant and useful content have the opportunity to drive engagement and sales, while forming sustainable relationships with their consumers.
SEO
The top five organic SERP results receive 67.6% of all clicks.
The top three sources of all website traffic are direct (22%), organic search (17%), and social media (16%).
61% of B2B marketers state that SEO and organic traffic generate more leads than any other initiative.
SEO continues to be a major contributor to lead growth, as 61 percent of B2B marketers state that SEO and the resulting organic traffic generate more leads than any other initiative. This is supported by the fact that the top five organic SERP results receive 67.6 percent of all clicks, highlighting the importance of ranking highly in search engine results. Furthermore, the top three sources of all website traffic are direct (22 percent), organic search (17 percent), and social media (16 percent), with organic search being the second most important source of website traffic. By optimizing their website for search engines, businesses can attract more potential customers and generate more leads, helping to grow their business and achieve long-term success.
ROI
Businesses that blog generate 92% more lead growth than businesses that don’t.
Companies with successful content marketing strategies report improving content quality as their primary focus at 55%, followed by optimizing for SEO (46%), and including video or other visual mediums (41%).
54% of businesses that spend over $2,000 on a piece of content report their content marketing strategy to be very successful.
Content marketing is a crucial tool for businesses looking to drive lead growth, develop an impressive ROI, and achieve success in the digital age. In fact, businesses that blog generate 92 percent more lead growth than businesses that don't. Primarily, the companies that see the most content marketing success prioritize improving content quality, optimizing SEO, and including video or other visual mediums. Investing in high-quality content creation is also vital, as 54 percent of businesses who spend over $2,000 on a piece of content report their content marketing strategy to be very successful.
Drive Growth with BitterRoot Content’s Content and SEO Strategy Services
Ready to tap into the power of content marketing? BitterRoot Content can help. We are a boutique content market agency that specializes in developing and implementing proven content marketing strategies for B2B small to mid-level businesses that are looking to turbocharge their growth with fresh, SEO content.
Request a proposal today to see how BitterRoot can help you tomorrow.