Planning Hype - Engineering hype before a product launchJulian Cole
For more strategy resources sign up to Planning Dirty at https://www.planningdirty.com/newsletter
The following is a guide for how to create excitement around a product before it has launched.
This is critical for how to market music, movies and games where the first-week window is critical.
The presentation was created by Julian Cole and Melissa Pepers.
Planning and managing a digital strategy. This paper gives an overview of the steps, processes and thought required to plan, create, actualise and evaluate a digital strategy.
Planning Hype - Engineering hype before a product launchJulian Cole
For more strategy resources sign up to Planning Dirty at https://www.planningdirty.com/newsletter
The following is a guide for how to create excitement around a product before it has launched.
This is critical for how to market music, movies and games where the first-week window is critical.
The presentation was created by Julian Cole and Melissa Pepers.
Planning and managing a digital strategy. This paper gives an overview of the steps, processes and thought required to plan, create, actualise and evaluate a digital strategy.
50 planners to watch in 2014 - The Planning SalonJulian Cole
Twitter list of the 50 Planners - https://twitter.com/emma_hines/top-50-planners/members
thanks @emma_hines and @E_for_M
50 planners to watch in 2014 was picked by The Planning Salon.The list is a mix of the top planning talent from across the globe as well as the next generation of planners. The list has diverse mix of planners from big markets like London and New York to emerging markets like Athens and Cape Town.
The Planning Salon is a platform for all planners around the world to meet and learn from our industry's greatest minds. It was started in 2013 to showcase some of the biggest stars of the industry, guests such as Gareth Kay, Rob Campbell and Heather LeFevre. Check out the interviews here; http://theplanningsalon.com/
Digital Strategy 101 is an overview of the current state of digital strategy and an exploration of core concepts, deliverables, and thought-leaders relevant to young practitioners.
Digital Strategy presentation for any business worldwide. Importance of Social Media Marketing, Content Creation, Brand Awards and Optimization of Social Media Profiles. Short presentation about me, my works and my experience on Social Media Engagement. Enjoy it. Thank you
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing 2019—Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report presents the results from the B2C marketers who took our ninth annual content marketing survey.
Our research has consistently shown that creating brand awareness is a top goal for B2C content marketing. However, many of this year’s survey respondents also reported strong concern for using content to solidify existing relationships (see page 13).
Content that can be effective at building loyalty takes many shapes and forms today, for example:
- Videos and social media stories that entertain
- In-person events that create a sense of community and belonging
- Podcasts that inspire
- Live or virtual experiences that evoke emotion
- Articles, guides, newsletters, etc., that provide information
Obviously, the list goes on. The point is, that while driving people to content is critical, giving them reasons to keep coming back will grow long-term success!
Marketing program planning can be tough! That is why we created a handy customizable PowerPoint deck with numerous planning templates to help you organize and streamline your projects and programs. So next time you go to present your quarterly or yearly plans you will be prepared.
Welcome to our ninth annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We surveyed content marketers worldwide about a range of content marketing topics including strategy, audience development, technology proficiency, and content types. This report presents the data from the B2B content marketers in North America.
Although issues such as changes in SEO and social media algorithms are top-of-mind for B2B content marketers, they are accustomed to rapid changes in technology that often enable them to do their jobs faster, with better results. When the process-related components of the content marketer’s job are efficient, time is freed up to better serve the audience, discovering and developing the types of content they truly want and need.
We hope you find this research helpful as you plan for 2019!
The 12th edition of WARC’s annual Marketer’s Toolkit includes a series of reports aimed at helping marketers identify and focus on key areas of industry disruption, determine the most effective strategies, and benefit from arising opportunities.
You can now download the presentation directly from Slideshare.
Here are 17 of the best free online tools for Digital Strategists to help cultivate killer insights on consumers, competitors and the industry. In this toolbox we you will find how to use each tool with an example insight drawn for the client, as well as each of their benefits and limitations.
The tools helps to conduct Consumer Research, Category Research, Discourse Analysis and Environmental analysis.
Your Go-To-Market is Killing Your Business, and You Don't Even Know ItHubSpot
Modern customers expect that it will be easy to learn about your product and buy it, but most of our go-to-markets do the opposite. We ask people to fill out long forms, we build complex qualification rules, we make it tough for prospects to talk to someone right now. In short, we put up barriers that solve for our companies instead of solving for our customers.
At HubSpot, we’re mid-way through transforming our go-to-market to be customer centric. Learn what’s worked for us, what hasn’t, and what we’re building.
---
Jon is VP of Marketing at HubSpot, helping to transform how companies market and sell. Prior to this, Jon led Marketing at Trunk Club, the personalized shopping service for men and women, and was the Head of Marketing for Klout, the social media influence measurement company. Jon has a background in improvised comedy and earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
This is Jon Dick's #INBOUND18 presentation.
Storytelling and Integrated Marketing CommunicationsmStoner, Inc.
Storytelling is imperative if you want to build an enduring brand for your college or university.
The truth is, we could all be better at articulating who we are, what we’ve experienced, and why it matters. In order to tell better stories, institutions must first develop a true understanding of and empathy for target audiences, clarify brand messaging, and then develop staffing and skill sets to infuse storytelling into robust integrated marketing campaigns.
The digital space allows storytellers to immerse audiences even more fully in our stories with the opportunity to integrate and weave video, photography, user-generated content, and other rich media throughout the marketing campaign.
Are your readers at the heart of your institution’s story? Join mStoner and our branding partner BVK for the third webinar in our summer series. We’ll arm you with the knowledge you need — storytelling principles, concrete planning steps, and best-practice examples — to ensure storytelling is at the heart of your integrated marketing communication.
What You Will Learn:
How to develop an on-brand storytelling strategy
How to structure your stories
Traits of successful stories and how to measure impact
Ways to weave storytelling in your next integrated marketing campaign
Our annual content marketing research with new insights useful for 2019 budget planning and benchmarking. This new report focuses on business-to-business (B2B) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
Our annual content marketing research, providing new information and insights on the state of B2C content marketing in 2020. This report focuses on business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
50 planners to watch in 2014 - The Planning SalonJulian Cole
Twitter list of the 50 Planners - https://twitter.com/emma_hines/top-50-planners/members
thanks @emma_hines and @E_for_M
50 planners to watch in 2014 was picked by The Planning Salon.The list is a mix of the top planning talent from across the globe as well as the next generation of planners. The list has diverse mix of planners from big markets like London and New York to emerging markets like Athens and Cape Town.
The Planning Salon is a platform for all planners around the world to meet and learn from our industry's greatest minds. It was started in 2013 to showcase some of the biggest stars of the industry, guests such as Gareth Kay, Rob Campbell and Heather LeFevre. Check out the interviews here; http://theplanningsalon.com/
Digital Strategy 101 is an overview of the current state of digital strategy and an exploration of core concepts, deliverables, and thought-leaders relevant to young practitioners.
Digital Strategy presentation for any business worldwide. Importance of Social Media Marketing, Content Creation, Brand Awards and Optimization of Social Media Profiles. Short presentation about me, my works and my experience on Social Media Engagement. Enjoy it. Thank you
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing 2019—Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report presents the results from the B2C marketers who took our ninth annual content marketing survey.
Our research has consistently shown that creating brand awareness is a top goal for B2C content marketing. However, many of this year’s survey respondents also reported strong concern for using content to solidify existing relationships (see page 13).
Content that can be effective at building loyalty takes many shapes and forms today, for example:
- Videos and social media stories that entertain
- In-person events that create a sense of community and belonging
- Podcasts that inspire
- Live or virtual experiences that evoke emotion
- Articles, guides, newsletters, etc., that provide information
Obviously, the list goes on. The point is, that while driving people to content is critical, giving them reasons to keep coming back will grow long-term success!
Marketing program planning can be tough! That is why we created a handy customizable PowerPoint deck with numerous planning templates to help you organize and streamline your projects and programs. So next time you go to present your quarterly or yearly plans you will be prepared.
Welcome to our ninth annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We surveyed content marketers worldwide about a range of content marketing topics including strategy, audience development, technology proficiency, and content types. This report presents the data from the B2B content marketers in North America.
Although issues such as changes in SEO and social media algorithms are top-of-mind for B2B content marketers, they are accustomed to rapid changes in technology that often enable them to do their jobs faster, with better results. When the process-related components of the content marketer’s job are efficient, time is freed up to better serve the audience, discovering and developing the types of content they truly want and need.
We hope you find this research helpful as you plan for 2019!
The 12th edition of WARC’s annual Marketer’s Toolkit includes a series of reports aimed at helping marketers identify and focus on key areas of industry disruption, determine the most effective strategies, and benefit from arising opportunities.
You can now download the presentation directly from Slideshare.
Here are 17 of the best free online tools for Digital Strategists to help cultivate killer insights on consumers, competitors and the industry. In this toolbox we you will find how to use each tool with an example insight drawn for the client, as well as each of their benefits and limitations.
The tools helps to conduct Consumer Research, Category Research, Discourse Analysis and Environmental analysis.
Your Go-To-Market is Killing Your Business, and You Don't Even Know ItHubSpot
Modern customers expect that it will be easy to learn about your product and buy it, but most of our go-to-markets do the opposite. We ask people to fill out long forms, we build complex qualification rules, we make it tough for prospects to talk to someone right now. In short, we put up barriers that solve for our companies instead of solving for our customers.
At HubSpot, we’re mid-way through transforming our go-to-market to be customer centric. Learn what’s worked for us, what hasn’t, and what we’re building.
---
Jon is VP of Marketing at HubSpot, helping to transform how companies market and sell. Prior to this, Jon led Marketing at Trunk Club, the personalized shopping service for men and women, and was the Head of Marketing for Klout, the social media influence measurement company. Jon has a background in improvised comedy and earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
This is Jon Dick's #INBOUND18 presentation.
Storytelling and Integrated Marketing CommunicationsmStoner, Inc.
Storytelling is imperative if you want to build an enduring brand for your college or university.
The truth is, we could all be better at articulating who we are, what we’ve experienced, and why it matters. In order to tell better stories, institutions must first develop a true understanding of and empathy for target audiences, clarify brand messaging, and then develop staffing and skill sets to infuse storytelling into robust integrated marketing campaigns.
The digital space allows storytellers to immerse audiences even more fully in our stories with the opportunity to integrate and weave video, photography, user-generated content, and other rich media throughout the marketing campaign.
Are your readers at the heart of your institution’s story? Join mStoner and our branding partner BVK for the third webinar in our summer series. We’ll arm you with the knowledge you need — storytelling principles, concrete planning steps, and best-practice examples — to ensure storytelling is at the heart of your integrated marketing communication.
What You Will Learn:
How to develop an on-brand storytelling strategy
How to structure your stories
Traits of successful stories and how to measure impact
Ways to weave storytelling in your next integrated marketing campaign
Our annual content marketing research with new insights useful for 2019 budget planning and benchmarking. This new report focuses on business-to-business (B2B) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
Our annual content marketing research, providing new information and insights on the state of B2C content marketing in 2020. This report focuses on business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
B2B Content Marketing 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends - North America
Hello Content Marketers, Welcome to the fifth annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since we first surveyed marketers on how they use content as part of the marketing mix. Since then, the survey has grown to reach marketers all across the globe. This year, we heard from more than 5,000 marketers—in 25 industries in 109 countries—from for-profit and nonprofit organizations. In this report, you’ll learn how the B2B marketers from North America responded. As you’ll notice, we made some changes to this year’s survey to better reflect how the industry is growing. We added new questions, changed the way we asked some of the prior ones, and even removed a few. We also asked content marketers about the initiatives they’re working on—and the list is long, as you will see… We’re thrilled to be with you on this journey.
Yours in content,
Joe & Ann
Joe Pulizzi
Founder
Content Marketing Institute
Ann Handley
Chief Content Officer
MarketingProfs
Sponsored by Brightcove
2015 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends for North AmericaMarketingProfs
This is the fifth year that MarketingProfs and Content Marketing Institute have put together this report on how marketers use content in their marketing mix. With changes in the industry, the report may look a little different than you remember. Dive in, and enjoy!
MANUFACTURING CONTENT MARKETING 2019 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends Andrew Flynn
Welcome to our Manufacturing Content Marketing 2019—
Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. We surveyed content marketers worldwide about a range of content marketing topics including strategy, audience development, technology proficiency, and content types. This report presents the data from the marketers who work in manufacturing organizations.
B2B Content Marketing Research: Focus on Documenting Your StrategyMadalina Balaban
This reserach - B2B Content Marketing 2015: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends — North America, produced by Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs and sponsored by Brightcove, reflects the progress our industry is making in exciting new ways.
Greetings Marketers,
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America. This is the companion report to the B2B research we released in September 2017. The data presented in both reports was generated from our eighth annual content marketing survey. One of our key observations this year is that while B2C marketers reported slightly higher levels of overall content marketing success compared with last year, there was a decrease among those who agreed their organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve. A documented content marketing strategy can help, as it sets expectations for what teams should prioritize; yet, only 38% of B2C marketers reported having one.
Our annual research has consistently shown that those who document their content marketing strategy get better results than those who don’t. Another important key to success is an efficient workflow process (page 4 shows how top-performing B2C marketers rate their project management flow and other distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from their peers). We hope these research findings will be helpful as you consider which content marketing priorities to focus on in the year ahead.
B2C Content Marketing 2018 - Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends - North America MarketingProfs
Our annual content marketing research with new insights useful for 2018 budget planning and benchmarketing. This new report focuses on business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action
When Content Marketing Institute (CMI) first reported on manufacturing in 2014, we noted that manufacturers were later to adopt content marketing than other industries we studied. They’ve certainly come a long way since then.
As you’ll see in this report—based on the results of our 10th annual content marketing survey—manufacturing marketers have become more strategic with their content marketing and are feeling less challenged with communicating complex content. Many are reporting success with their overall approach to content marketing. The ability to craft content for different audiences across various stages of the buyer’s journey—and distribute that content with precision—will be important to continued success in 2020.
2019 B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - North America.MarketingProfs
Our annual content marketing research, providing new information and insights on the state of content marketing in 2019. This report focuses on business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
Welcome to our annual Enterprise Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. Here we present the findings from enterprise marketers (those who work in organizations with 1,000+ employees) who replied to our 11th Annual Content Marketing Survey.
At the time of the survey, content marketers had just made it through the first half of 2020. Most reported that their organization made quick changes when the pandemic hit, most notably by changing their targeting/messaging strategy, adjusting their editorial calendar, and changing their content distribution/promotion strategy. The majority (57%) expected to spend about the same on content marketing during the second half of 2020 as they spent in the first half (17% expected a decrease).
Team size hadn’t changed drastically compared with the previous year (48% said it stayed the same); yet, another 35% reported an increase.
Overall, one-third of the enterprise respondents reported high levels of content marketing success. These top performers said the top two factors contributing to that success in the last 12 months were “the value our content provides” (79%) and “website changes” (62%).
Looking forward, 74% of respondents felt the pandemic would have a major or moderate long- term impact on their organization’s overall content marketing success. It will be interesting to see how enterprise marketers rise to the challenges in 2021.
2017 B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and TrendsMarketingProfs
Our fifth annual B2C content marketing report is here. Sponsored by Hightail, this report shows where B2C marketers will spend their budget, how much budget businesses are allocating to content marketing efforts, and what kind of strategies we will see in 2017.
Similar to 2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends - North America (20)
[Research] The State of B2B Marketing TrainingMarketingProfs
Only 19% of B2B marketers feel very prepared for their future in marketing.
Yikes.
And only 31% feel their team is very effective in their roles. A quarter don’t think everyone on their team has a basic understanding of marketing.
A third feel burned out. And two-thirds are seeking new job opportunities.
Double, triple, quadruple (!) yikes.
These are among the key findings of the inaugural MarketingProfs State of B2B Marketing Training Report.
So what’s going on? And more importantly, how can marketing reverse these trends in 2022? (And beyond.)
Our data (and experience) shows that marketing teams are participating in training. But it’s not helping them be as effective in their roles as it should, and it’s not helping them feel confident about their future.
In other words: Offering team access to training is a good thing. But access alone just isn’t enough.
Our data shows that how marketing organizations train their teams directly impacts how prepared marketers feel. And there are many specific, actionable things marketing leaders can do to move teams from where they are… to where they need to be.
Read on to learn what the “state of the state” is in B2B marketing training.
But more importantly, learn from the marketers who are doing things a bit differently and feeling more prepared. The end of the report outlines the specific steps Marketing leaders can take right now to future-proof their own teams.
B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends: Insights for 2021MarketingProfs
The 11th Annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report from MarketingProfs and Content Marketing Institute. In a pandemic world, marketers report that content is more important than ever.
B2B Content Marketing 2018 - Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends - North America MarketingProfs
Our annual content marketing research with new insights useful for 2018 budget planning and benchmarketing. This new report focuses on business-to-business (B2B) marketers and their content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends.
2017 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and TrendsMarketingProfs
The seventh annual B2B content marketing report is here. Sponsored by Brightcove, this report shows where B2B marketers will spend their budget, how much budget businesses are allocating to content marketing efforts, and what kind of strategies will see in 2017.
How to Build Your B2B Marketing Empire From the Ground UpMarketingProfs
As we celebrate and reflect on our 10th anniversary at the MarketingProfs B2B Marketing Forum, let's look to the future with hope and excitement. Let's learn from what has worked, and abandon what hasn't. Let's challenge one another to achieve epic results. Let's build to last.
2016 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends ReportMarketingProfs
For six years, MarketingProfs and Content Marketing Institute have put together this report on how marketers use content and how they develop content strategies (if at all). Dive in to learn more about the state of content marketing in B2B organizations!
The theme of B2B Marketing Forum is Make Marketing Magic, with an emphasis on the MAKE. We decided to ask our speakers what kinds of things they make, marketing magic aside. Here are their responses.
MarketingProfs B2B Forum - What Comes NextMarketingProfs
We asked some of the smartest marketers in the industry what comes next in the world of B2B marketing. And boy did they answer! We've collected some of their responses and put them together to let you know what you should have on your radar for the upcoming year.
Adventures of Flat Handley at B2B Marketing ForumMarketingProfs
We asked B2B Marketing Forum attendees, speakers, and sponsors to have fun taking photos with Flat Handley, and boy did they deliver. Check out this storybook collection of Flat Handley's travels from all over the country and the world, and the shenanigans she instigated along the way.
The theme of the 2014 MarketingProfs' B2B Marketing Forum is "Marketing For What Comes Next." Lee Odden of TopRank decided to ask some of the brightest minds in marketing to make predictions about where marketing is heading. What he got ranged from realistic to ridiculous, but all were packed with insight.
Marketers, be our valentine! So this Valentine's Day, MarketingProfs would like to shower our community with what you deserve: A whole lot of love. Enjoy these valentines especially for marketers... and pass them around!
Eight Traits of a Loved Company [Visual Sketchnotes]MarketingProfs
What inspires great love for a company? According to author Brian Sheehan, the following eight traits have the power to draw your customers into a deeper relationship with your company. Here are the highlights from a Marketing Smarts podcast interview with him by Kerry Gorgone. You can find out more about creating content that customers love at our upcoming virtual conference: http://www.marketingprofs.com/cmp/19/vcs0214
B2C Content Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North AmericaMarketingProfs
Business-to-consumer content marketing is on the rise, with 60% of North American B2C marketers planning to increase content marketing spend over the next 12 months, according to the second annual B2C content marketing study. Get more details about the state of B2C content marketing, such as benchmarks, budgets, and trends in this downloadable PDF.
19 Reasons Your LinkedIn Photo Is an Epic Fail MarketingProfs
Do you hate how you look in photos? Especially in your headshot on LinkedIn, where you'd love to make a great first impression? Fear not! Just check out these headshot no-no's (and reasons for avoiding them).
Networking Tips for Introverts (and Shy Folks): Visual SketchnotesMarketingProfs
Feel too overwhelmed by networking? Are you an introvert in need of networking tips? On a Marketing Smarts podcast, we talk to Jill Foster, founder and blogger for LiveYourTalk, coaches executives, entrepreneurs, and others in public speaking and storytelling. She's also one of four fantastic keynote speakers who will present at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum in October. Jill provides simple, easy to remember tips for establishing genuine relationships at industry events. We covered how long to wait before reconnecting after an event, what to do when you hit one of those awkward pauses, and much more.
World-class? Awesome? Killer? Yuck. Are you using those words in your copy? Thanks to folks who left illustration-worthy comments on our first buzzwords slide show (15 Marketing Buzzwords to Stop using), we created this sequel of buzzwords to stop using right away.
How to Deal With Online Trolls, Jerks, and BulliesMarketingProfs
Recently, MarketingProfs interviewed Andrea Weckerle, author of the recently published book Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Haters, Trolls, Bullies and Other Jerks, for the Marketing Smarts podcast. She discussed tips for handling online bullies, jerks, and trolls. We took visual sketchnotes of highlights from the podcast.
What to Write About When There's Nothing to Say (the Mediabistro Edition)MarketingProfs
Stuck on what to write about for your company blog or website? Check out these content-creating tips from Ann Handley of MarketingProfs. The visual story of a frustrated writer aided by her faithful pets (and talking office supplies) will help you conquer your writer's block and get creative!
Is AI-Generated Content the Future of Content Creation?Cut-the-SaaS
Discover the transformative power of AI in content creation with our presentation, "Is AI-Generated Content the Future of Content Creation?" by Puran Parsani, CEO & Editor of Cut-The-SaaS. Learn how AI-generated content is revolutionizing marketing, publishing, education, healthcare, and finance by offering unprecedented efficiency, creativity, and scalability.
Understanding
AI-Generated Content:
AI-generated content includes text, images, videos, and audio produced by AI without direct human involvement. This technology leverages large datasets to create contextually relevant and coherent material, streamlining content production.
Key Benefits:
Content Creation: Rapidly generate high-quality content for blogs, articles, and social media.
Brainstorming: AI simulates conversations to inspire creative ideas.
Research Assistance: Efficiently summarize and research information.
Market Insights:
The content marketing industry is projected to grow to $17.6 billion by 2032, with AI-generated content expected to dominate over 55% of the market.
Case Study: CNET’s AI Content Controversy:
CNET’s use of AI for news articles led to public scrutiny due to factual inaccuracies, highlighting the need for transparency and human oversight.
Benefits Across Industries:
Marketing: Personalize content at scale and optimize engagement with predictive analytics.
Publishing: Automate content creation for faster publication cycles.
Education: Efficiently generate educational materials.
Healthcare: Create accurate content for patients and professionals.
Finance: Produce timely financial content for decision-making.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations:
Transparency: Disclose AI use to maintain trust.
Bias: Address potential AI biases with diverse datasets.
SEO: Ensure AI content meets SEO standards.
Quality: Maintain high standards to prevent misinformation.
Conclusion:
AI-generated content offers significant benefits in efficiency, personalization, and scalability. However, ethical considerations and quality assurance are crucial for responsible use. Explore the future of content creation with us and see how AI is transforming various industries.
Connect with Us:
Follow Cut-The-SaaS on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Medium. Visit cut-the-saas.com for more insights and resources.
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
5 big bets to drive growth in 2024 without one additional marketing dollar AND how to adapt to the biggest shifting eCommerce trend- AI.
1) Romance Your Customers - Retention
2) ‘Alternative’ Lead Gen - Advocacy
3) The Beautiful Basics - Conversion Rate Optimization
4) Land that Bottom Line - Profitability
5) Roll the Dice - New Business Models
AI-Powered Personalization: Principles, Use Cases, and Its Impact on CROVWO
In today’s era of AI, personalization is more than just a trend—it’s a fundamental strategy that unlocks numerous opportunities.
When done effectively, personalization builds trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your users—key factors for business success. However, relying solely on AI capabilities isn’t enough. You need to anchor your approach in solid principles, understand your users’ context, and master the art of persuasion.
Join us as Sarjak Patel and Naitry Saggu from 3rd Eye Consulting unveil a transformative framework. This approach seamlessly integrates your unique context, consumer insights, and conversion goals, paving the way for unparalleled success in personalization.
Short video marketing has sweeped the nation and is the fastest way to build an online brand on social media in 2024. In this session you will learn:- What is short video marketing- Which platforms work best for your business- Content strategies that are on brand for your business- How to sell organically without paying for ads.
The Forgotten Secret Weapon of Digital Marketing: Email
Digital marketing is a rapidly changing, ever evolving industry--Influencers, Threads, X, AI, etc. But one of the most effective digital marketing tools is also one of the oldest: Email. Find out from two Houston-based digital experts how to maximize your results from email.
Key Takeaways:
Email has the best ROI of any digital tactic
It can be used at any stage of the customer journey
It is increasingly important as the cookie-less future gets closer and closer
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.\
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
Mastering Multi-Touchpoint Content Strategy: Navigate Fragmented User JourneysSearch Engine Journal
Digital platforms are constantly multiplying, and with that, user engagement is becoming more intricate and fragmented.
So how do you effectively navigate distributing and tailoring your content across these various touchpoints?
Watch this webinar as we dive into the evolving landscape of content strategy tailored for today's fragmented user journeys. Understanding how to deliver your content to your users is more crucial than ever, and we’ll provide actionable tips for navigating these intricate challenges.
You’ll learn:
- How today’s users engage with content across various channels and devices.
- The latest methodologies for identifying and addressing content gaps to keep your content strategy proactive and relevant.
- What digital shelf space is and how your content strategy needs to pivot.
With Wayne Cichanski, we’ll explore innovative strategies to map out and meet the diverse needs of your audience, ensuring every piece of content resonates and connects, regardless of where or how it is consumed.
The What, Why & How of 3D and AR in Digital CommercePushON Ltd
Vladimir Mulhem has over 20 years of experience in commercialising cutting edge creative technology across construction, marketing and retail.
Previously the founder and Tech and Innovation Director of Creative Content Works working with the likes of Next, John Lewis and JD Sport, he now helps retailers, brands and agencies solve challenges of applying the emerging technologies 3D, AR, VR and Gen AI to real-world problems.
In this webinar, Vladimir will be covering the following topics:
Applications of 3D and AR in Digital Commerce,
Benefits of 3D and AR,
Tools to create, manage and publish 3D and AR in Digital Commerce.
Come learn how YOU can Animate and Illuminate the World with Generative AI's Explosive Power. Come sit in the driver's seat and learn to harness this great technology.
Digital marketing is the art and science of promoting products or services using digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. It encompasses a wide range of online tactics and strategies aimed at increasing brand visibility, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately, converting those leads into customers.
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The session includes a brief history of the evolution of search before diving into the roles technology, content, and links play in developing a powerful SEO strategy in a world of Generative AI and social search. Discover how to optimize for TikTok searches, Google's Gemini, and Search Generative Experience while developing a powerful arsenal of tools and templates to help maximize the effectiveness of your SEO initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Understand how search engines work
Be able to find out where your users search
Know what is required for each discipline of SEO
Feel confident creating an SEO Plan
Confidently measure SEO performance
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
2. 2
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m WELCOME.......................................................................................................... 3
m B2B CONTENT MARKETING TOP PERFORMERS AT-A-GLANCE........................... 4
m KEY FINDINGS.................................................................................................... 6
m SUCCESS & MATURITY....................................................................................... 8
m STRATEGY, OPINIONS & TECHNOLOGY............................................................ 11
m TEAM STRUCTURE & OUTSOURCING............................................................... 15
m CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION............................................................ 20
m METRICS & GOALS........................................................................................... 29
m BUDGETS & SPENDING.................................................................................... 34
m CONTENT MARKETING PRIORITIES................................................................. 39
m METHODOLOGY............................................................................................... 41
m ABOUT............................................................................................................. 42
SURVEY TERM DEFINITIONS
Content Marketing: A strategic marketing approach focused
on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent
content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and,
ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
Success: Achieving your organization’s desired/targeted results.
CHART TERM DEFINITIONS
All Respondents: B2B North America content marketers, all of
whom indicated their organization has used content marketing
for at least one year (see Methodology for more details).
Most and Least Successful: The “most successful” (aka “top
performers”) are those who characterize their organization’s overall
content marketing approach as extremely or very successful (Top 2).
The “least successful” characterize their organization’s approach as
minimally or not at all successful (Bottom 2). See page 9.
Some charts in this report compare Most Successful vs. All
Respondents vs. Least Successful. In many instances, charts reflect
the findings based on All Respondents. Some charts show notable
differences we observed based on things like company size or
annual content marketing budget.
Company Size: Small (1-99 employees), medium (100-999
employees), and large/enterprise (1,000+).
NOTE
Use caution if making comparisons with past years. The survey
methodology changed beginning with our 2019 version of this
report, when we began asking respondents to confirm their
content marketing role and whether their organization has used
content marketing for at least one year.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. 3
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Welcome to our annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks,
Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We’re excited to
present you with the findings from our latest content marketing survey.
Content marketing has changed a lot since we launched this research
nearly a decade ago. We marketers are still focused on content creation,
but our thinking about the audiences for whom we create that content
has evolved. So, too, have the ways we distribute, measure, and
improve upon our content marketing. Technology has played a big role,
along with the knowledge we’ve gained through our content marketing
experiences.
As you’ll see in this report, some organizations are more developed
than others with their content marketing. But you’ll also recognize
your own practices reflected in many of the findings. Where does your
company stand? What do you need to get to where you want to be? If
you need help, let us know!
WELCOME
Ann Handley
Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs
Stephanie Stahl
General Manager, CMI
Robert Rose
Chief Strategy Advisor, CMI
Kim Moutsos
VP Content, CMI
Cathy McPhillips
VP Marketing, CMI
Lisa Murton Beets
Research Director/Report Author, CMI
Joseph “JK” Kalinowski
Creative Director, CMI
Nancy Reese
Research Consultant
4. 4
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Most Successful All Respondents Least Successful
Organization’s content marketing is sophisticated/mature 87% 42% 8%
Has a documented content marketing strategy 69% 41% 16%
Has a centralized content marketing group working throughout the organization 44% 25% 14%
Uses metrics to measure content performance 95% 80% 62%
Has KPIs to measure content initiatives 83% 65% 30%
Measures content marketing ROI 67% 43% 23%
Rates ability to demonstrate ROI as excellent/very good 84% 59% 25%
Uses content marketing successfully to:
Build loyalty with customers 84% 63% 39%
Nurture subscribers/audiences/leads 83% 68% 51%
Generate sales/revenue 75% 53% 29%
Build a subscribed audience 68% 45% 30%
This Year’s B2B Content Marketing Top Performers At-A-Glance
TOP PERFORMERS
5. 5
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Most Successful All Respondents Least Successful
Always/frequently:
Prioritizes audience’s informational needs over organization’s
sales/promotional message
88% 66% 50%
Crafts content based on specific stages of the customer journey 74% 48% 26%
Strongly/somewhat agrees:
Organization prioritizes delivering relevant content when and where a person is
most likely to see it
93% 71% 37%
Organization provides customers with optimal experiences
across their engagement journey
83% 52% 23%
This Year’s B2B Content Marketing Top Performers At-A-Glance (continued)
*Chart term definitions: A top performer (aka “most successful”) is a respondent who characterizes their organization’s overall content marketing approach as extremely or very successful. The “least successful” characterize their organization’s
approach as minimally or not at all successful.
Base: B2B content marketers.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
TOP PERFORMERS
6. 6
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Goals for content
marketing are largely
focused on the top of
the funnel
Most B2B marketers
use content marketing
successfully to achieve
top-of-funnel goals.
Fewer report they use it
successfully on activities
that deepen relationships.
There have, however, been
notable year-over-year (YOY)
increases in those who use
it to nurture, build loyalty,
and generate sales/revenue.
See page 33.
It’s rare to find internal
teams of more than 5 full-
time employees dedicated
solely to content
marketing. Even large
companies are most likely
to have teams in the 2 to 5
range. See page 17.
84% of those who outsource
cite content creation, with
content distribution a
distant second (31%).
See pages 18 and 19.
Small teams are
the norm
Half outsource at least
one content marketing
activity, with content
creation being the
most likely
Blog posts/short articles are
the highest performing for
building brand awareness,
while email newsletters are
highest for nurturing leads.
See page 25.
Among the content
types used, in-person
events are the highest
performing for securing
and converting leads
KEY FINDINGS
7. 7
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KEY FINDINGS
Effectively targeted
content distribution
may be an issue for
about one-third of all
surveyed
71% agree their
organization prioritizes
delivering relevant content
when and where a person
is most likely to see it. The
remaining 29% neither
agree nor disagree (15%)—
or disagree (14%). Top
performers do a better job
in this area. See page 13.
Paid social is the top paid
channel B2B marketers
use for content marketing.
LinkedIn is both the top
organic and paid social
media platform they use,
and the one they say
generates the best content
marketing results for their
organization. See page 27.
Key performance indicators
(KPIs) are more common
among the top performers
than all respondents
(83% vs. 65%). Among all
respondents who measure
return on investment
(ROI), 59% say they do an
excellent or very good job
at it (that number jumps to
84% for the top performers).
See page 30.
83% of top performers agree
their organization provides
optimal experiences across
all phases of the customer
journey compared with
just half (52%) of all
respondents. See page 13.
84% use paid
distribution channels
for content marketing
purposes
Most use metrics to
measure content
performance, but fewer
have KPIs or measure
content marketing ROI
Top performers are
more likely than all
surveyed to provide
optimal experiences
across the customer
journey
9. 9
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Overall success with content marketing is similar to that reported for the last 3 years,
with the largest percentage saying their organization is moderately successful.
How B2B Marketers Rate Their Organization’s
Overall Level of Content Marketing Success
5%1%
58%
15%
21%
■ Extremely Successful
■ Very Successful
■ Moderately Successful
■ Minimally Successful
■ Not At All Successful
How B2B Marketers Rate Their Organization’s
Content Marketing Success Compared
With One Year Ago
2% 0%
51%
29%
18% ■ Much More Successful
■ Somewhat More Successful
■ About the Same
■ Somewhat Less Successful
■ Much Less Successful
Base: B2B content marketers; aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Note: The survey defined success as achieving your organization’s desired/targeted results. This report defines the Top 2 respondents (extremely/very) as “most successful” or “top performers,” and the Bottom 2
(minimally/not at all) as “least successful.”
Base: B2B content marketers; aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
SUCCESS & MATURITY
10. 10
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42% of B2B marketers say their organization is in the sophisticated/mature phase of
content marketing maturity. The percentages shown here are similar to last year.
SOPHISTICATED
Providing accurate measurement to the business, scaling
across the organization
MATURE
Finding success, yet challenged with integration across
the organization
ADOLESCENT
Have developed a business case, seeing early success,
becoming more sophisticated with measurement and
scaling
YOUNG
Growing pains, challenged with creating a cohesive
strategy and a measurement plan
FIRST STEPS
Doing some aspects of content, but have not yet begun to
make content marketing a process
Base: B2B content marketers; aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
How B2B Marketers Rate Their Organization’s
Content Marketing Maturity Level
9%
1%
4%
31%
22%
33%
■ Sophisticated
■ Mature
■ Adolescent
■ Young
■ First Steps
■ Unsure
SUCCESS & MATURITY
12. 12
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The percentage of content marketers who document their content marketing strategy has
inched up slowly year over year. Our annual research consistently shows that a documented
strategy is often a key indicator of content marketing success.
*As reported in the 2019 and 2018 versions of this report.
Base: B2B content marketers; aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
STRATEGY, OPINIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Percentage of B2B Marketers
With a Documented Content Marketing Strategy
2020 2019* 2018*
■ Most Successful ■ All Respondents ■ Least Successful
69%
62%
65%
14%
16%
41%
37%
39%
16%
13. 13
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52% of B2B marketers agree their organization provides customers with optimal experiences
across the engagement journey.
B2B Marketers’ Opinions About Content Marketing in Their Organization
(Strongly/Somewhat Agree)
95%
86%
72%
71%
37%
23%
93%
83%
52%
65%
92%
78%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Our audience views our organization as
a credible and trusted resource
Our organization prioritizes delivering relevant content
when and where a person is most likely to see it
Our organization values creativity and craft in
content creation and production
Our organization provides customers with optimal
experiences across their engagement journey
■ Most Successful ■ All Respondents ■ Least Successful
Base: B2B content marketers who answered each statement.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
STRATEGY, OPINIONS & TECHNOLOGY
14. 14
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The top 2 technologies B2B organizations use to assist with content marketing are analytics tools
(86%) and email marketing software (85%).
Other technologies used:
Content Distribution
Platform (33%); Content
Optimization (24%);
Content Performance/
Recommendation Analytics
(22%); Digital Asset
Management (DAM) System
(20%); and Integrated
Content Marketing Platform
(10%). 2% said none of
the above.
Technologies B2B Organizations Use to Assist
With Content Marketing
(Top 7)
86%
85%
80%
48%
44%
65%
51%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Analytics Tools (e.g., web analytics, dashboards)
Social Media Publishing/Analytics
Marketing Automation System (MAS)
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
Content Management System (CMS)
Email Marketing Software
Content Creation/Collaboration/Workflow
STRATEGY, OPINIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Base: B2B content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
16. 16
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TEAM STRUCTURE & OUTSOURCING
All Respondents
Small
(1-99 Employees)
Medium
(100-999 Employees)
Large
(1,000+ Employees)
We have a centralized content marketing group that works with
multiple brands/products/departments throughout the organization
25% 19% 32% 28%
Eachbrand/product/departmenthasitsowncontentmarketingteam 6% 1% 4% 21%
Both—We have a centralized group and individual teams
throughout the organization
15% 8% 11% 36%
We have a small (or one-person) marketing/content marketing
team serving the entire organization
52% 70% 52% 12%
Other 2% 2% 1% 3%
52% of B2B marketers report their organization has a small (or one-person) marketing/
content marketing team serving the entire organization.
The second most common reported way of organizing is the centralized group structure, although this varies by company
size. In addition, the centralized structure is the most common reported method among the top performers (see page 4).
B2B Organizations’ Content Marketing Team Structure
Base: B2B content marketers; aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
17. 17
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TEAM STRUCTURE & OUTSOURCING
All Respondents
Small
(1-99 Employees)
Medium
(100-999 Employees)
Large
(1,000+ Employees)
11+ 4% 0% 3% 12%
6-10 5% 2% 4% 14%
2-5 35% 25% 40% 49%
1 24% 29% 27% 13%
0 (no one is full-time,
dedicated)
32% 44% 26% 12%
35% of B2B marketers say their organization has 2 to 5 internal team members who are full-
time/dedicated to content marketing; another 32% have no full-time person.
Teams grow with company size, but even large companies are most likely to have teams of 2 to 5 (49%).
B2B Organizations’ Content Marketing Team Size
(Full-Time/Dedicated to Content Marketing)
Base: B2B content marketers.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
18. 18
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TEAM STRUCTURE & OUTSOURCING
Half of B2B marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity.
Large companies are the most likely to outsource. Overall content marketing success has little bearing on whether a
company outsources.
Does Your B2B Organization Outsource Any Content Marketing Activities?
All Respondents
Small
(1-99 Employees)
Medium
(100-999 Employees)
Large
(1,000+ Employees)
Yes 50% 37% 56% 71%
No 50% 63% 44% 29%
Base: B2B content marketers.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
19. 19
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TEAM STRUCTURE & OUTSOURCING
Content creation is the activity B2B marketers are most likely to outsource, regardless of
company size, content marketing budget, or overall content marketing success.
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization outsources at least one content marketing activity. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Content Marketing Activities B2B Organizations Outsource
84%
31%
22%
13%
13%
12%
18%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Content Creation
Content Technology
Measurement
Editorial Planning
Other
Content Distribution
Content Strategy
21. 21
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These findings are similar to last year’s with one notable exception: There is a slight decrease in those
prioritizing their audience’s informational needs over their company’s sales/promotional message.
CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
Note: Slight decrease is defined here as a decrease of 2 to 7 percentage points.
Base: B2B content marketers who answered each concept.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Concepts B2B Marketers Always/Frequently Take Into Account While
Creating Content for Their Organization
95%
92%
81%
66%
50%
88%
26%
74%
48%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Fact check our content to ensure accuracy
Prioritize the audience’s informational needs
over our sales/promotional message
Craft content based on specific stages
of the customer journey
■ Most Successful ■ All Respondents ■ Least Successful
22. 22
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CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
The average number of audiences B2B marketers create content for is 4. The average is higher in
large companies (5) and lower in small companies (3).
Number of Different Audiences
B2B Marketers Create Content For
50%
22%
5%
23%
■ 6+
■ 4-5
■ 2-3
■ 1
Base: B2B content marketers; aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
23. 23
SPONSORED BY
CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
Regardless of their organization’s size, B2B marketers say half the content they produce is created
for audiences in the early stages of the customer journey.
Base: B2B content marketers who answered the question. Percentages were required to equal 100%.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Percentage of Total Content
B2B Marketers Created for Content Marketing
Purposes in Last 12 Months
14%
22%
3%
50%
11% ■ Top-of-the-funnel
(generating awareness/interest)
■ Mid-funnel (consideration/intent)
■ Late-stage (evaluation/purchase)
■ Post-sale (loyalty/brand advocacy)
■ Other areas
24. 24
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CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
The top 3 types of content B2B marketers use are social media content (95%), blog posts/short
articles (89%), and email newsletters (81%).
Other content types used in
last 12 months: Long-Form
Text (e.g., articles 3,000+ words)
(38%); Research Reports (34%);
Print Magazines (24%); Podcasts
(21%); Livestreaming Content
(10%); Print Books (9%); and
Other (12%).
Base: B2B content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Content Types B2B Marketers Used in Last 12 Months
(Top 10)
95%
89%
81%
73%
71%
69%
67%
57%
55%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Social Media Content (e.g., tweets, stories)
Email Newsletters
Videos (excluding livestreaming)
Webinars/Online Events
White Papers
51%Ebooks/Guides
Case Studies
Infographics/Charts/Photos/Data Viz
Blog Posts/Short Articles
In-Person Events
25. 25
SPONSORED BY
CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
We asked respondents which content types are the highest performing for their organization
for building brand awareness, securing leads, nurturing leads, and converting leads. Their top 3
responses in each category are shown here.
TO BUILD BRAND
AWARENESS
Blog Posts/Short Articles
(31%)
Social Media Content
(e.g., tweets, stories) (25%)
In-Person Events (8%)
TO NURTURE
LEADS
Email Newsletters (31%)
Blog Posts/Short Articles
(13%)
In-Person Events &
Case Studies (tied at 9%)
TO SECURE
LEADS
In-Person Events (19%)
Webinars/Online Events
(16%)
Ebooks/Guides (13%)
TO CONVERT
LEADS
In-Person Events (25%)
Case Studies (23%)
Webinars/Online Events
(11%)
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization used more than one content type for content marketing purposes in the last 12 months.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
26. 26
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CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
The top 3 organic (free) content distribution channels B2B marketers use are social media (91%),
their organization’s website/blog (89%), and email (87%). The top performers are more likely to take
advantage of additional opportunities such as speaking, guest articles, and media/influencer relations.
Organic Content Distribution Channels B2B Marketers
Used in Last 12 Months
91%
89%
87%
63%
48%
34%
15%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Social Media
Email
Guest Posts/Articles in
Third-Party Publications
Media/Influencer Relations
Other
Their Organization’s Website/Blog
Speaking/Events
Notable Differences Between Top Performers and All Respondents
(B2B Use of Organic Content Distribution Channels)
70%
63%
48%
63%
46%
34%
0 20 40 60 80
Speaking/Events
Guest Posts/Articles in Third-Party Publications
Media/Influencer Relations
■ Top Performers ■ All RespondentsBase: B2B content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
27. 27
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CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
84% of B2B marketers use paid distribution channels for content marketing purposes; of that group,
72% use paid social media/promoted posts.
Note: 16% of respondents indicated their organization did not use paid distribution channels in the last 12 months.
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization used at least one paid distribution channel in the last 12 months.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Paid Content Distribution Channels B2B Marketers
Used in Last 12 Months
72%
66%
61%
31%
14%
46%
32%
0 20 40 60 80
Social Media Advertising/Promoted Posts
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)/Pay-Per-Click
Other
Banner Ads Promoting Your Content (e.g., ebook, webinar)
Partner Emails Promoting Your Content (e.g., ebook, webinar)
Sponsorships (e.g., booths, workshops, branding)
Native Advertising/Sponsored Content
(not including social media platforms)
28. 28
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Nearly all B2B marketers use LinkedIn for organic content marketing. LinkedIn is also the top
choice among those who use paid social media platforms.
Respondents also selected LinkedIn as both the organic and paid social media platform that generates the best content
marketing results for their organization.
CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION
TOP RATED
LinkedIn
YouTube Instagram
Twitter Facebook
95%
53% 46%
86% 83%
LinkedIn
TOP RATED
Instagram YouTube
Facebook Twitter
76%
17% 11%
66% 29%
Organic Social Media Platforms
B2B Content Marketers Used in Last 12 Months
Paid Social Media Platforms
B2B Content Marketers Used in Last 12 Months
Other organic
social used in last
12 months: Medium
(11%); Pinterest
(10%); Quora
(5%); Reddit (5%);
Snapchat (3%); and
Other (7%).
Other paid social
used in last 12
months: Pinterest
(2%); Snapchat (2%);
Medium (2%); Reddit
(1%); Quora (1%);
and Other (5%).
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization used
organic social to distribute content in the last 12 months.
Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization used paid
social to distribute content in the last 12 months. Aided list;
multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
30. 30
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METRICS & GOALS
80% of B2B marketers use metrics to measure content performance, 65% have established
KPIs, and 43% measure content marketing ROI.
Does Your B2B Organization
Use Metrics to Measure
Content Performance?
14%
6%
80%
■ Yes
■ No
■ Unsure
Did Your B2B
Organization Establish KPIs
to Measure Content Marketing
Initiatives in the Last 12 Months?
27%
8%
65%
■ Yes
■ No
■ Unsure
Does Your B2B Organization
Measure Content Marketing ROI?
44%
13%
43%
■ Yes
■ No
■ Unsure
Base: B2B content marketers.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America:
Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization uses
metrics to measure content performance.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America:
Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization uses
metrics to measure content performance.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America:
Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
31. 31
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METRICS & GOALS
The top 5 metrics B2B marketers track to measure content performance are email engagement
(90%), website traffic (88%), website engagement (86%), social media analytics (83%), and
conversions (78%).
Metrics B2B Marketers Tracked to
Measure Content Performance in Last 12 Months
(Top 8)
90%
88%
86%
64%
51%
49%
83%
78%
0 20 40 60 80 100
Email Engagement
(e.g., opens, clicks, downloads)
Search Rankings
Marketing Qualified Lead Metrics
(e.g., MQLs, SQLs)
Social Media Analytics (e.g., shares,
followers, views, likes)
Conversions (e.g., traffic to
subscribers, leads to sales)
Website Traffic
(e.g., page views, backlinks)
Website Engagement (e.g., time spent,
bounce rate, form completions)
Email Subscriber Numbers
(e.g., growth, unsubscribes)
Other metrics tracked in last
12 months: Cost of a Lead,
Subscribers, and/or Customer/
Customer Acquisition Cost
(CAC) (41%); PR Mentions/
Media Coverage (39%); Mobile
Analytics (e.g., traffic, time
spent, conversions) (32%); Sales
Effectiveness (e.g., sales cycle
time, sales team performance)
(24%); Customer Retention
Rates (19%); Customer
Satisfaction Metrics (18%);
Lifetime Customer Value (12%);
and Other (2%).
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization uses metrics to measure content performance. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
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METRICS & GOALS
59% of the B2B marketers who measure content marketing ROI (43%) rate their ability to
demonstrate ROI as excellent or very good.
EXCELLENT
We have measurement data showing ROI on overall
content marketing approach
VERY GOOD
We have measurement data showing ROI on at least one
content marketing initiative with well-informed insights in
other areas
AVERAGE
We have well-informed insights, but lack measurement
data showing ROI
BELOW AVERAGE
We only have speculative insights at this point
POOR
We have little insight into what works and what doesn’t
B2B Marketers’ Ability to Demonstrate ROI
for Content Marketing Initiatives
36%
2%
0%
3%
14%
45%
■ Excellent
■ Very Good
■ Average
■ Below Average
■ Poor
■ Too Soon to Tell
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization uses metrics and whose team measured ROI of overall content marketing
initiatives in the last 12 months. Aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
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All Respondents
As Reported One
Year Ago*
Create brand awareness 86% 81%
Educate audience(s) 79% 73%
Build credibility/trust 75% 68%
Generate demand/leads 70% 68%
Nurture subscribers/audiences/leads 68% 58%
Build loyalty with existing clients/customers 63% 54%
Drive attendance to one or more in-person events 52% 49%
Generate sales/revenue 53% 45%
Build a subscribed audience 45% 43%
Support the launch of a new product 45% 40%
None of the above 0% 1%
Most respondents are focused on top-of-funnel goals; however, there are notable year-over-year differences
among those using content marketing successfully to nurture, build loyalty, and generate sales/revenue.
Goals B2B Marketers Have Achieved by Using Content Marketing Successfully in Last 12 Months
METRICS & GOALS
*See 2019 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends--North America
Base: B2B content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
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BUDGETS & SPENDING
36% of B2B marketers reported a 2019 annual content marketing budget of less than
$100,000. The average reported annual budget (all respondents) was $185,000.
2019 Annual Budget for
B2B Content Marketing (Average)
(All Respondents)
19%
18%
18%
4%
2%
3%
36%
■ Less than $100,000
■ $100,000 to under $500,000
■ $500,000 to under $750,000
■ $750,000 to under $1,000,000
■ $1,000,000 or more
■ Unsure
■ There is no content
marketing budget
2019 Annual Budget for B2B Content Marketing (Average)
(By Content Marketing Success Level)
3%
0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000
Most Successful
All Respondents
Least Successful
2019 Annual Budget for B2B Content Marketing (Average)
(By Company Size)
3%
0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000
Large
(1,000+ Employees)
Medium
(100-999 Employees)
Small
(1-99 Employees)
$272,000
$185,000
$405,000
$213,000
$81,500
$109,000
2019 Annual Budget for B2B Content Marketing (Average)
(By Content Marketing Success Level)
3%
0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000
Most Successful
All Respondents
Least Successful
2019 Annual Budget for B2B Content Marketing (Average)
(By Company Size)
3%
0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000
Large
(1,000+ Employees)
Medium
(100-999 Employees)
Small
(1-99 Employees)
$272,000
$185,000
$405,000
$213,000
$81,500
$109,000
Note: Marketers who reported their organization has no content marketing budget were not asked to specify
if the expenditures come from a general marketing or other fund. The survey did not specify whether to include
content marketing salaries, nor did it ask respondents to break out areas of content marketing spend.
Base: B2B content marketers. Aided list.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
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BUDGETS & SPENDING
Nearly half of B2B marketers expect their content marketing budget to increase in 2020.
These figures are similar among organizations of all sizes regardless of their overall content marketing success.
They’re also similar to the percentages reported last year.
B2B Marketers’ Expected Change in
2020 Content Marketing Budget
Compared With 2019
12%
15%
4%
35%
34%
■ Increase 1% to 9%
■ Increase More than 9%
■ Stay the Same
■ Decrease
■ Unsure
Base: B2B content marketers who reported having an annual budget for content marketing in 2019.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
37. 37
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BUDGETS & SPENDING
Organization size and available budget impact whether a company uses paid advertising
in addition to content marketing.
Does Your B2B Organization Use Traditional
Paid Advertising in Addition to Content Marketing?
(All Respondents)
65%
35% ■ Yes
■ No
Percentage of B2B Marketers Who Use Traditional
Paid Advertising in Addition to Content Marketing
(By Company Size)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Large
(1,000+ Employees)
Medium
(100-999 Employees)
Small
(1-99 Employees)
54%
41%
23%
Percentage of B2B Marketers Who Use Traditional
Paid Advertising in Addition to Content Marketing
(By Annual Content Marketing Budget)
Yes No
Over $100,000 49% 51%
Under$100,000 28% 72%
Base: B2B content marketers.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
38. 38
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BUDGETS & SPENDING
Of those who use paid advertising, 38% say they’ve shifted paid advertising dollars to content
marketing in the last 12 months. There were no notable differences by company size or
amount of the annual content marketing budget.
Did Your B2B Organization Shift Paid Advertising
Dollars to Content Marketing in the Last 12 Months?
40%
22%
38%
■ Yes
■ No
■ Unsure
Base: B2B content marketers whose organization uses traditional paid advertising in addition to content marketing.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
40. 40
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CONTENT MARKETING PRIORITIES
Nearly half of B2B marketers think their organization might prioritize improving the quality/
conversion of audiences in 2020.
Top 3 Content Marketing Activities B2B Marketers
Think Their Organization Might Prioritize in 2020
48%
46%
46%
32%
31%
4%
44%
34%
0 20 40 60
Improve quality/conversion of audience(s)
Improve on content distribution/promotion
Focus on content quality/quantity
Improve on content marketing measurement
Increase the size of our audience(s)
Know our audience(s) better
Segment/capture better data from audience(s)
None of the above
Note: The survey did not ask respondents to rate their organization’s current success with any of the activities shown on the aided list.
Therefore, use caution if making assumptions about current challenges organizations may be facing in any of the areas listed.
Base: B2B content marketers. Aided list; maximum of 3 responses permitted.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs
41. 41
SPONSORED BY
B2B Content Marketing 2020: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America was produced by Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs and
sponsored by Sitecore.
The CMI/MarketingProfs 10th annual content marketing survey, from which the results of this report were generated, was emailed to a sample of marketers using lists from
Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. Online survey hosting, data collection, and tabulation was provided by Readex Research.
A total of 1,798 recipients from around the globe—representing a full range of industries, functional areas, and company sizes—replied to the survey during June/
July 2019.
This report presents the findings from the 679 respondents who indicated:
Their organization is a for-profit company in North America, primarily selling products/services to businesses (B2B)
Their organization has used content marketing for at least one year
They are a content marketer, involved with the content marketing function, and/or someone to whom content marketing reports
Find our archive of past reports at contentmarketinginstitute.com/research.
B2B Industry
Classification
Size of B2B Company
(by Employees)
B2B Content Marketing
Job Title/Function
■ Small (10-99 Employees)
■ Micro(Fewerthan10Employees)
■ Medium (100-999 Employees)
■ Large (1,000+ Employees)
■ Marketing Management
■ Content Creation/Management
■ Corporate/Executive Management
■ Marketing Operations
■ Advertising/PR/Comm Management
■ Consulting
■ Other
14%
■ Technology/IT/Software/Hardware
■ Agency (Content Marketing,
Advertising, Digital, PR)
■ Manufacturing
■ Consulting
■ Professional Services
■ Healthcare/Medical/Pharma/Life Sciences
■ Financial Services
■ Publishing/Media
■ Other
27%
19%
31%28%
22%
19%
11%
8%
9%
4%
4%
4%
14%
34%
29%
14%
7%
6%
2% 8%
METHODOLOGY
42. 42
SPONSORED BY
Thanks to all the survey participants who made this research possible and to everyone who helps disseminate
these findings throughout the content marketing industry.
About Content Marketing Institute
Content Marketing Institute (CMI) is the leading global content marketing education and training organization, teaching enterprise
brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multichannel storytelling. CMI’s Content Marketing World event,
the largest content marketing-focused event, is held every fall in Cleveland, Ohio, and ContentTECH Summit event is held every
spring in San Diego, California. CMI publishes Chief Content Officer for executives and provides strategic consulting and content
marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. Content Marketing Institute is organized by Informa Tech. To
learn more: ContentMarketingInstitute.com.
About MarketingProfs
MarketingProfs is a training and education company dedicated to helping large organizations, small teams, and individuals execute
marketing campaigns that drive real results. MarketingProfs produces training programs, online events, conferences, including the
MarketingProfs B2B Forum. More than 600,000 marketers globally trust MarketingProfs as their top marketing resource.
About Sitecore
Sitecore is the global leader in experience management software that combines content management, commerce, and customer
insights. The Sitecore Experience Cloud™ empowers marketers to deliver personalized content in real time and at scale across
every channel—before, during, and after a sale. More than 5,200 brands—including American Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, Dow
Chemical, and L’Oréal—have trusted Sitecore to deliver the personalized interactions that delight audiences, build loyalty, and
drive revenue.
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