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.
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.
There is a huge opportunity for marketers to get more from the content they’re developing. That’s the conclusion the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) research team came to after
conducting its first-ever content management and strategy survey.
Our team surveyed 411 marketers from the CMI audience to learn how they manage content within their organizations. Read on to see the results.
While there’s a lot you could be doing, sometimes it’s hard to know which tracks to start, stop, or pause. To help you find the right mix to meet your marketing goals, we consolidated responses from the 2015 Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends research report section — “Which content marketing initiatives are you working on now, and in the next 12 months?” We broke out the results as follows:
• By priority
• By business type (B2B, B2C and nonprofit)
• By geography (North America, Australia, United Kingdom)
Part I covers two “playlists”:
Internal Processes and Content Marketing Strategy Tactics. From channels to platforms to audience segmentation, learn how you can best establish your content marketing strategy and structure your team internally for more efficient processes.
Part II: Playlist 3 (coming soon) is where you can mix things up a bit with different Execution Tactics. See how to create and deliver the best content to meet your business objectives. While some geographies and business types have similar priorities, others are finding their own unique beats — and the differences may surprise you. We hope you find the following findings insightful and inspirational as you make your plans for the year ahead.
Enjoy!
Joe Pulizzi
When it's time for that conversation to get buy-in on your content marketing ideas and initiatives, how do you proceed? Do you have all of the resources you need? The research and support to justify your programs? We're here to help. Download our "Mastering the Buy-In Conversation on Content Marketing: The Essential Starter Kit" now to help you. We've done the legwork so you can focus on your content marketing. Good luck, and let us know how else we can help.
Welcome to the sixth annual Content Marketing in Australia: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. One of the most striking findings was the increased percentage of Australian content marketers who have become more focused on building an audience (85%) compared with last year’s survey results (69%). This finding was not unique to Australia; the Content Marketing Institute team observed it among all groups of content marketers studied. Building a subscriber base is a key content marketing goal. However, what you do with that list is equally as important. The quality of content you create (does it speak to your audience’s wants and needs?) … how efficiently you produce it … whether it’s credible … how/when/where you distribute it – these are just a handful of factors that impact overall content marketing success. And let us not forget the
importance of a documented strategy and a strong commitment to the approach (see page 4 for a glimpse at commitment’s influence). We wish you success with using content marketing to provide meaningful, long-term value for your audience – and business results for your organisation. If you need educational resources, please let us know.
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!
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!
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.
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.
There is a huge opportunity for marketers to get more from the content they’re developing. That’s the conclusion the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) research team came to after
conducting its first-ever content management and strategy survey.
Our team surveyed 411 marketers from the CMI audience to learn how they manage content within their organizations. Read on to see the results.
While there’s a lot you could be doing, sometimes it’s hard to know which tracks to start, stop, or pause. To help you find the right mix to meet your marketing goals, we consolidated responses from the 2015 Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends research report section — “Which content marketing initiatives are you working on now, and in the next 12 months?” We broke out the results as follows:
• By priority
• By business type (B2B, B2C and nonprofit)
• By geography (North America, Australia, United Kingdom)
Part I covers two “playlists”:
Internal Processes and Content Marketing Strategy Tactics. From channels to platforms to audience segmentation, learn how you can best establish your content marketing strategy and structure your team internally for more efficient processes.
Part II: Playlist 3 (coming soon) is where you can mix things up a bit with different Execution Tactics. See how to create and deliver the best content to meet your business objectives. While some geographies and business types have similar priorities, others are finding their own unique beats — and the differences may surprise you. We hope you find the following findings insightful and inspirational as you make your plans for the year ahead.
Enjoy!
Joe Pulizzi
When it's time for that conversation to get buy-in on your content marketing ideas and initiatives, how do you proceed? Do you have all of the resources you need? The research and support to justify your programs? We're here to help. Download our "Mastering the Buy-In Conversation on Content Marketing: The Essential Starter Kit" now to help you. We've done the legwork so you can focus on your content marketing. Good luck, and let us know how else we can help.
Welcome to the sixth annual Content Marketing in Australia: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. One of the most striking findings was the increased percentage of Australian content marketers who have become more focused on building an audience (85%) compared with last year’s survey results (69%). This finding was not unique to Australia; the Content Marketing Institute team observed it among all groups of content marketers studied. Building a subscriber base is a key content marketing goal. However, what you do with that list is equally as important. The quality of content you create (does it speak to your audience’s wants and needs?) … how efficiently you produce it … whether it’s credible … how/when/where you distribute it – these are just a handful of factors that impact overall content marketing success. And let us not forget the
importance of a documented strategy and a strong commitment to the approach (see page 4 for a glimpse at commitment’s influence). We wish you success with using content marketing to provide meaningful, long-term value for your audience – and business results for your organisation. If you need educational resources, please let us know.
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!
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!
Research shows that marketers from large companies (1,000 employees) use more content marketing tactics and outsource content creation more frequently than their peers do. Learn more about how enterprise marketers approach content marketing.
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.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Trends and BudgetsTheia Marketing
Here are the top content marketing trends in the B2B space for 2020. We look at organic vs. paid distribution and content marketing budgets vs. ROI on content.
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.
Welcome to Technology Content Marketing 2020: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report is based on the findings from our 10th annual content marketing survey. Technology marketers continue to make progress with content marketing. Approximately one-third rate their organization’s overall content marketing as extremely or very successful, and 76% report they are much more or somewhat more successful compared with one year ago. What makes them successful? When we look at the top performers, we see they treat content marketing as a strategic business function, craft content thoughtfully, experiment with distribution, and measure their results. They use content marketing not only to create brand awareness and generate leads, but also to build loyalty and subscribed audiences.
Many organizations struggle with content—the surprising volume needed, the lack of a central strategy, the huge investment in time and resources, inconsistent quality or voice, cross-silo logistics, new channel paralysis, or the seeming lack of attributable ROI. When harnessed correctly, however, and successfully connecting content to business and brand goals, content can be a valuable working asset build relevancy and grow your business.
For three years we’ve looked at B2B content marketing trends, and this year, we are excited to bring you these compelling B2C findings.
According to our research, both B2B and B2C marketers are still struggling with the effectiveness of their content marketing. So while we are happy that more marketers are engaging in content marketing to attract and retain customers, we also realize we have a ways to go.
14 insights on B2B Marketing for 2015 and beyond from @MarketingProfs B2B Forum speakers. Contributors include:
Ann Handley of MarketingProfs, Jeannine Rossignol of Xerox, Joel Book of Salesforce, Seth Lieberman of SnapApp, Tom Webster of Edison Research, Susan Emerick of Brands Rising, Steve Garfield, Jennifer Sable Lopez of Moz, Kerry O’Shea Gorgone of MarketingProfs, Jason Miller of LinkedIn, Jim Greenway of T.D. Williamson, Lee Odden of TopRank Online Marketing, Jon Miller of Marketo and Brian Massey of Conversion Sciences.
This is a Visual eBook produced by @TopRank Online Marketing.
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.
Welcome to the 12th Annual Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. What a year it has been.
This edition of our report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022. Throughout, you will see quotes from the many rich, qualitative responses we received to the question, “What did the pandemic change most about your organization’s content marketing strategy/approach?” In all, 75% of respondents took the time to answer this question and we are ever so grateful. What amazing insights it yielded!
The key theme that emerged was this: The pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
The research also confirmed what many of us already knew: Content marketers are some of the fiercest business pros around. In the most difficult of times, they get the job done – and many come through more creative and stronger than before.
Congratulations, content marketers, for a job well done in the most difficult of times. Our entire team salutes you!
Interactive content enables you to deliver engaging, educational,differentiated content experiences. Discover what other marketersare learning and start your climb.
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!
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.
This overview is informed greatly by the discussion at our Executive Forum in March 2015, but it also is
the culmination of our observations from Content Marketing World 2014 and our advisory client work in
the past year.
Our objective is to report on the key challenges faced by marketers, the vital insights being realized, and
the general health of content marketing as a strategic business approach. As was the case last year, this overview ultimately asks more questions than it answers; our goal is not to settle debates or provide trite answers to complex business challenges, but to update and inform.
At the two-day Executive Forum, CMI leaders and senior marketing executives from more than 30 enterprise brands came together to collaborate and to discuss and report on their own organizations’ efforts in integrating content marketing as a strategic approach.
The extraordinary insights and the identification of challenges could not have been possible without the
generous contributions of this forum class, as well as last year’s forum participants. Their input doesn’t represent their tacit endorsement of the ideas, but as a collective group they are responsible for the value contained in this report.
It's back! The annual Content Marketing Institute/Content Marketing research returns again to dissect content marketing benchmarks, budgets and trends for B2B marketers in North America.
Our annual content marketing research, with this report focusing on B2C marketers and their content marketing budgets and trends. New questions, an interesting twist to our research, and valuable budgets and trends as we head into 2017 planning season.
Greetings Technology Marketers,
Welcome to our annual Technology Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report.
I’m pleased to announce the percentage of technology marketers that reported high levels of overall content marketing
success increased from 24% last year to 31% this year—another 50% reported moderate success. Like last year, nearly 70%
said their organization is much/somewhat more successful with content marketing compared with one year ago.
For a glimpse into how the top-performing content marketers operate, see the chart on page 4. You’ll note that these
marketers report high levels of commitment; document their content marketing strategy; are focused on building audiences;
and are given ample time to produce content marketing results, among other distinguishing factors.
Technology is rapidly changing the processes around content marketing. We look forward to watching how things progress
and reporting back to you again next year.
Unpredictable algorithm shifts. Falling reach and lower engagement rates. Growing consumer mistrust from fake news and data breaches.
Despite woes like these, people still use social media platforms – and marketers are still drawn to their relationship-building powers. In fact, in 2019 research from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 61% of B2B marketers and 69% of B2C marketers say they’ve increased their use of social media for content marketing compared with one year ago.
However, navigating the social media landscape is like entering a dark forest without a map. If you aren’t familiar with the terrain and don’t have a solid plan, you can’t expect to reach your destination, let alone make it out of the woods unscathed.
This guide is full of tools that will help you find the best path to success, from planning your social media explorations, to growing legions of brand fans, to engaging them in meaningful ways.
We’ll cover the top content marketing opportunities in the social sphere, including:
- Landmark locations like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Video viewing-centric channels like YouTube and Twitch
- Streaming media sites like Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories
- Emerging social platforms like Vero True Social and WeGather Online
Let customer insight guide your bank's content marketing strategySounds About Write
While many banks and financial institutions continue to turn to content marketing to engage their prospective buyers and customers, the reality is the overwhelming majority are struggling to achieve success.
A research report of 400 marketers' perspectives, priorities and plans for content distribution and content marketing success. Brought to you by 614 Group and OneSpot
Research shows that marketers from large companies (1,000 employees) use more content marketing tactics and outsource content creation more frequently than their peers do. Learn more about how enterprise marketers approach content marketing.
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.
2020 B2B Content Marketing Trends and BudgetsTheia Marketing
Here are the top content marketing trends in the B2B space for 2020. We look at organic vs. paid distribution and content marketing budgets vs. ROI on content.
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.
Welcome to Technology Content Marketing 2020: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report is based on the findings from our 10th annual content marketing survey. Technology marketers continue to make progress with content marketing. Approximately one-third rate their organization’s overall content marketing as extremely or very successful, and 76% report they are much more or somewhat more successful compared with one year ago. What makes them successful? When we look at the top performers, we see they treat content marketing as a strategic business function, craft content thoughtfully, experiment with distribution, and measure their results. They use content marketing not only to create brand awareness and generate leads, but also to build loyalty and subscribed audiences.
Many organizations struggle with content—the surprising volume needed, the lack of a central strategy, the huge investment in time and resources, inconsistent quality or voice, cross-silo logistics, new channel paralysis, or the seeming lack of attributable ROI. When harnessed correctly, however, and successfully connecting content to business and brand goals, content can be a valuable working asset build relevancy and grow your business.
For three years we’ve looked at B2B content marketing trends, and this year, we are excited to bring you these compelling B2C findings.
According to our research, both B2B and B2C marketers are still struggling with the effectiveness of their content marketing. So while we are happy that more marketers are engaging in content marketing to attract and retain customers, we also realize we have a ways to go.
14 insights on B2B Marketing for 2015 and beyond from @MarketingProfs B2B Forum speakers. Contributors include:
Ann Handley of MarketingProfs, Jeannine Rossignol of Xerox, Joel Book of Salesforce, Seth Lieberman of SnapApp, Tom Webster of Edison Research, Susan Emerick of Brands Rising, Steve Garfield, Jennifer Sable Lopez of Moz, Kerry O’Shea Gorgone of MarketingProfs, Jason Miller of LinkedIn, Jim Greenway of T.D. Williamson, Lee Odden of TopRank Online Marketing, Jon Miller of Marketo and Brian Massey of Conversion Sciences.
This is a Visual eBook produced by @TopRank Online Marketing.
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.
Welcome to the 12th Annual Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. What a year it has been.
This edition of our report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022. Throughout, you will see quotes from the many rich, qualitative responses we received to the question, “What did the pandemic change most about your organization’s content marketing strategy/approach?” In all, 75% of respondents took the time to answer this question and we are ever so grateful. What amazing insights it yielded!
The key theme that emerged was this: The pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
The research also confirmed what many of us already knew: Content marketers are some of the fiercest business pros around. In the most difficult of times, they get the job done – and many come through more creative and stronger than before.
Congratulations, content marketers, for a job well done in the most difficult of times. Our entire team salutes you!
Interactive content enables you to deliver engaging, educational,differentiated content experiences. Discover what other marketersare learning and start your climb.
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!
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.
This overview is informed greatly by the discussion at our Executive Forum in March 2015, but it also is
the culmination of our observations from Content Marketing World 2014 and our advisory client work in
the past year.
Our objective is to report on the key challenges faced by marketers, the vital insights being realized, and
the general health of content marketing as a strategic business approach. As was the case last year, this overview ultimately asks more questions than it answers; our goal is not to settle debates or provide trite answers to complex business challenges, but to update and inform.
At the two-day Executive Forum, CMI leaders and senior marketing executives from more than 30 enterprise brands came together to collaborate and to discuss and report on their own organizations’ efforts in integrating content marketing as a strategic approach.
The extraordinary insights and the identification of challenges could not have been possible without the
generous contributions of this forum class, as well as last year’s forum participants. Their input doesn’t represent their tacit endorsement of the ideas, but as a collective group they are responsible for the value contained in this report.
It's back! The annual Content Marketing Institute/Content Marketing research returns again to dissect content marketing benchmarks, budgets and trends for B2B marketers in North America.
Our annual content marketing research, with this report focusing on B2C marketers and their content marketing budgets and trends. New questions, an interesting twist to our research, and valuable budgets and trends as we head into 2017 planning season.
Greetings Technology Marketers,
Welcome to our annual Technology Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report.
I’m pleased to announce the percentage of technology marketers that reported high levels of overall content marketing
success increased from 24% last year to 31% this year—another 50% reported moderate success. Like last year, nearly 70%
said their organization is much/somewhat more successful with content marketing compared with one year ago.
For a glimpse into how the top-performing content marketers operate, see the chart on page 4. You’ll note that these
marketers report high levels of commitment; document their content marketing strategy; are focused on building audiences;
and are given ample time to produce content marketing results, among other distinguishing factors.
Technology is rapidly changing the processes around content marketing. We look forward to watching how things progress
and reporting back to you again next year.
Unpredictable algorithm shifts. Falling reach and lower engagement rates. Growing consumer mistrust from fake news and data breaches.
Despite woes like these, people still use social media platforms – and marketers are still drawn to their relationship-building powers. In fact, in 2019 research from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 61% of B2B marketers and 69% of B2C marketers say they’ve increased their use of social media for content marketing compared with one year ago.
However, navigating the social media landscape is like entering a dark forest without a map. If you aren’t familiar with the terrain and don’t have a solid plan, you can’t expect to reach your destination, let alone make it out of the woods unscathed.
This guide is full of tools that will help you find the best path to success, from planning your social media explorations, to growing legions of brand fans, to engaging them in meaningful ways.
We’ll cover the top content marketing opportunities in the social sphere, including:
- Landmark locations like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Video viewing-centric channels like YouTube and Twitch
- Streaming media sites like Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories
- Emerging social platforms like Vero True Social and WeGather Online
Let customer insight guide your bank's content marketing strategySounds About Write
While many banks and financial institutions continue to turn to content marketing to engage their prospective buyers and customers, the reality is the overwhelming majority are struggling to achieve success.
A research report of 400 marketers' perspectives, priorities and plans for content distribution and content marketing success. Brought to you by 614 Group and OneSpot
There’s one question on every marketer’s mind: “How do I connect?”
We’ve all been seeking connection since the pandemic struck. Stuck at home, working from kitchen tables and converted closets, marketers have been fighting to create and maintain connections with their audiences.
Despite all the upheaval, content remains a tried-and-true way to generate demand. After all, it’s content-driven experiences that build those precious connections, no matter what’s going on in the world outside.
Connection is more important than ever. And as you’ll find out in this report, successful marketers are beginning to make it easier for prospects to purchase at any stage of the buyer’s journey — messages are shifting from why to buy to how to buy.
This has been another tough year. One negative headline after another has drained audiences’ emotional reserves. They need an escape. Marketing content can offer that empathetic, emotionally stirring olive branch they’re searching for.
As you read on, you’ll discover that blogs, podcasts, and videos are the content types that are most effective at the early stages of the buyer’s journey, where brands are fighting to establish customer awareness and audience interest.
The reason is simple: These content types foster connection. They tell a story, they evoke emotion, and they present a face that the audience can relate to. And the strength of the connections that these content types create helps carry buyers through the rest of their journey on a wave of engagement and investment.
In conclusion: Connection lies in content. The last Content Marketing for Demand Generation survey report (2020) talked about creating desire and holding attention. This year, we talk about making it easier for customers to purchase across all stages of the buyer’s journey.
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Insight into the mind of your peers: Discover the benefits that marketers have reaped, challenges they've faced and the future goals that they're now aspiring to.
You'll find top tips on numerous topics including segmenting data, personalising programs and marketing automation. This report will fuel your future plans and help you to design and implement successful lead nurturing campaigns.
Recently, HubSpot launched our first edition of the State of Inbound UK report: Inbound Insights UK – 2014. We surveyed marketing professionals across the UK, both leaders and practitioners, to find out what the current trends in marketing are.
This extensive research aims to specifically help marketers in the UK set realistic benchmarks as well as focus on issues where they may be lagging behind on. For example, the relationship between sales and marketing is ever-increasing and the data indicates strongly that businesses that align these two departments outperform those that don’t by a significant margin.
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How the Right Content and Delivery Strategies Double Demand Generation ROITechTarget
Exactly what happens when you integrate your brand investment with demand gen activities?
We analyzed over 400 campaigns and 185,000 in-market prospects to understand:
• What, if any, is the quantifiable impact of branding on consideration?
• Can branding cause changes in consideration over time?
• Does consideration have any effect on the standard KPIs that matter to demand gen marketers, specifically, on things like click through rate?
This E-Book from TechTarget, HG Data and Bedrock Data details the results of the research and helps you learn how to benchmark against the industry averages for conversion rates at different layers of the funnel.
Account based heralds the dawn of new breed marketers who take their marketing strategy very seriously.In lakeb2b we practice account based marketing for fruitful results.
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call us:(800) 710-5516
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Long gone are the days when the marketing landscape encompassed only traditional, interruptive methods for engaging
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opportunity for driving demand. This recent study shows that global organizations—regardless of size—are integrating
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Today, marketing is more than simply about doing some communications and throwing leads over the wall to sales. It is a discipline that touches every part of the sales cycle – attracting new customers, making them sales-ready, helping close the deal, converting new customers into advocates, delivering long-term repeat sales.
Steven geffen digital marketing strategy quirk textbook 5Steven Geffen
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Welcome to the Technology Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
The research suggested that due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity to get and stay in front of audiences.
As in the previous year, nearly one in three technology marketers said their organization was extremely or very successful with content marketing. These marketers, our “top performers,” have certain characteristics that set them apart from their peers (see page 4). Some of the biggest things they do differently than their peers:
◾ Document their content marketing strategy
◾ Do an excellent/very good job demonstrating the ROI of their content marketing initiatives
◾ Prioritize their audience’s informational needs over their organization’s sales message
◾ Differentiate their content from the competition
◾ Nurture subscribers/audiences/leads
No matter how successful they are at content marketing, most respondents plan to invest in video in 2022: 72% of all technology respondents forecast investment in this area followed by investment in events (69%), paid media (65%), and owned-media assets (63%).
And, yes, challenges remain. The top challenges are:
◾ Creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience
◾ Accessing subject matter experts to create content
◾ Internal communication among teams/silos
These internal challenges point to a greater need for technology marketers to formalize content operations within their organizations.
Welcome to the Enterprise Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
The research suggested that, due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity to get and stay in front of audiences.
As in the previous year, nearly one in three enterprise marketers said their organization was extremely or very successful with content marketing. These marketers, our “top performers,” have certain characteristics that set them apart from their peers (see page 4). A few of the biggest things they do are to differentiate their content and use content collaboration/calendaring/workflow tools.
No matter how successful they are at content marketing, most respondents plan to invest in video in 2022: 72% of all enterprise respondents forecast investment in this area followed by investment in events (62%), paid media (59%), and owned-media assets (55%).
And, yes, challenges remain. The top challenge, which is the same as it was two years ago, is internal communication between teams/silos (57%). It indicates a pressing need to formalize content operations in enterprises that have not yet done so.
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Our research suggested that, due to work-from-home requirements, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity for businesses to get and stay in front of audiences. Some B2C marketers discovered new audiences altogether.
Short articles and videos were big over the last 12 months with the B2C marketers we surveyed. In addition, expect a lot of B2C investment in video in 2022: 72% forecast investment in this area. Paid media came in a distant second.
Although most B2C marketers reported success with content marketing in the last 12 months, there are still challenges. Respondents said their top two content marketing challenges were creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience (42%) and internal communication between teams/silos (41%).
If B2C marketers can overcome these challenges, they’ll improve their odds of achieving greater content marketing success in 2022.
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This year’s research suggested that the pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
Videos and virtual events/webinars were big over the last 12 months with the manufacturing marketers we surveyed. In addition, 85% expect continued investment in video in 2022, making it the top area of predicted investment.
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By day, you’re in the office, cooking up content. By night, you’re in the kitchen, preparing a satisfying meal. But what if we combined the two?
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The 2021 Content Management & Strategy survey gives a snapshot of how marketers use tech to help create, manage, deliver, and scale enterprise content and marketing.
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The study showed that technology marketers, in the throes of adjusting to business changes presented by a global pandemic, put more emphasis on using content marketing to generate demand and leads than they had the previous year. They also were looking more closely at conversion and marketing qualified lead (MQL) metrics to track the performance of their content.
These insights suggest that tech marketers were increasingly called upon to use content marketing for demand and lead generation. It makes sense, then, that their use of virtual events (83%) increased by nine percentage points over the previous year, as virtual relationship-building and selling took a front seat. In addition, livestreaming video finally took off (one-third of all tech respondents—and 53% of those working in large companies—reported using it).
It’s too soon to tell if these will be lasting shifts. Priorities are likely to change again as restrictions caused by the pandemic ease up. We look forward to exploring these topics in our next round of annual content marketing research.
Welcome to our annual B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. Here we present the results from B2C marketers who replied to our 11th Annual Content Marketing Survey. The events of 2020 have certainly reshaped how organizations conduct their marketing. At the time of this survey, content marketers were still reeling from the events that took place during the first half of 2020. As we usher in 2021, we are still facing constant change and uncertainty.
Many B2C marketers reported adjusting quickly when the pandemic hit; perhaps their companies were doubling down on digital, heavily engaging in virtual events, or trying to keep on top of rapidly changing analytics resulting from more people being at home and online. All these scenarios created the need for new content, formats, and strategies.
As we move into 2021 in a world where most gatherings are still limited, direct-to-consumer will continue to drive B2C. Successful B2C marketers will focus on creating content experiences and building relationships in the digital world.
What makes CMWorld special? The people. Our speakers, attendees, and sponsors are smart, witty, and fun to be around. Networking is something we all are wanting right now, and CMWorld Bingo gives you a way to have those conversations that make CMWorld great.
Welcome to the 11th Annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. You may notice this year’s report feels different than past years and that’s by design. A year like no other required an approach like no other.
As in past years, we fielded the survey during the summer. We asked many of the same questions as last year but added new ones to see how content marketers were faring several months into the pandemic.
Although the data did not reveal drastic reductions in content marketing resources, many respondents shared in the fill-in comments their challenges of having to do more with less. Others shared their concerns about trying to reach audiences in an overcrowded virtual world.
Nevertheless, one thing stood out: Content marketers are resilient. Most have met the challenges of the pandemic head-on: They’re adapting quickly—and they believe in the value their content provides.
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Using Content Marketing to Generate Demand, Create New Audiences
1. USING CONTENT MARKETING
TO GENERATE DEMAND,
CREATE NEW AUDIENCES
Successful marketers use content marketing to generate
demand from new and unknown audiences—not just to
locate demand that already exists.
BY ROBERT ROSE
Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute
2018 CONTENT MARKETING FOR DEMAND GENERATION SURVEY
MARKET BRIEF
2. A message from our sponsor, ScribbleLive
TIME FOR A SHIFT
Whether building thought leadership pieces or drafting an email nurture, creating the right mix of content
to achieve company objectives is a long-time industry theme. But what if the content mix has hit the
ceiling of value? Have we recycled demand generation efforts to simply locate the leads instead of new
audiences? Are we at risk of exhausting our existing audiences? How do we shift our content marketing
efforts from differential to exponential?
For content marketers, this report highlights some of the good intentions we know we need to institute
to move beyond average; however, it also signals the broader but constant issue: our audiences are
demanding more, and that demand starts the moment they convert with a single piece of content.
The customer journey funnel has long been pulled apart and reconstructed, with feedback loops tossed in
and paths leading us outward. Despite these shifts, this report calls for content marketers to shift the focus
from a single acquisition to one that encompasses the audience’s potential beyond their classification as a
new lead, returning buyer, or existing customer.
Another overarching theme content marketers need to embrace is experimentation, in and around the
customer journey. It’s not a new approach to content marketing, but a subtle push to go beyond moderate
efforts, moderate targeting, moderate demand generation.
Marketers that report moderate success also have common challenges. As this report suggests, if these
challenges are common, why aren’t more marketers seeking to move the needle on success? Marketers
need to move beyond moderate efforts in locating the demand, toward generating the creativity to attract
the new—an idea coined “Making Markets.” It’s an interesting combination point covered within this brief.
A final, but important note: This report urges marketers to measure content performance as it exists within
a larger ecosystem, an important key to establishing the value of demand generation efforts. And as we
understand the value of the demand we create, it comes back full circle to the content we create, leading
to longer and more meaningful relationships with our audiences.
3. INTRODUCTION
Content—and how brands use it to interact with buyers at all stages of the engagement journey—has
fundamentally reshaped every business’ go-to-market strategy.
This shift has been particularly challenging for “top-of-the-funnel” demand generation marketers, most of
who are under tremendous pressure to produce results. One study found that 70% of marketers surveyed
expect their demand generation budgets to increase in 2018, with one-third expecting them to increase by
more than 20%.1
Of course, generating demand is the job of marketing writ large. Marketers make markets. They work to
create groups of viable buyers where none existed before. But their jobs are getting harder. It’s getting
increasingly difficult just to get a message in front of an audience, let alone generate demand. Costs per
lead continue to rise. Most organizations now spend $150 to $350 on every lead—with larger enterprises
paying the highest costs.2
In their endeavors to generate interest and convert
visitors into audiences, marketers are experimenting
with content formats, channels, and engagement
strategies. The need for content that engages,
enriches, and creates value for audiences before they
become interested buyers has never been clearer.
We know this, right? This is one of the reasons content marketing has become so important in the broader
practice of marketing and communications. Well maybe we do and maybe we don’t. While content
marketing is recognized as valuable, there is still little patience for the effort to generate demand among
new audiences. In other words, marketers are encouraged to go make markets—if they can be delivered in
less time than it takes to order a pizza.
DEMAND GENERATION, OR DEMAND IDENTIFICATION?
Reaching prospective customers these days feels overwhelming. Measuring our efforts to use content
marketing to generate demand seems tougher than ever. The growing complexity of the buyer’s journey,
coupled with the highly competitive and loud marketplace of ideas, makes it arduous to differentiate our
solutions, much less educate prospects on what we offer.
The need for content that
engages, enriches, and creates
value for audiences before they
become interested buyers has
never been clearer.
4. Demand generation is perhaps the most critical need for today’s modern business. Marketers must continue
to create more and more demand to support their companies’ growth strategies. Is it any wonder then that
many marketers are doubling down on finding people who are already asking for their products, services, or
solutions?
Most demand generation strategies are ultimately just demand identification programs. Marketing teams
exert tremendous effort to optimize content experiences for search terms and questions, and to be ever
more different, persuasive, and faster for anyone who raises their hand to say, “I’m interested.”
While this strategy is important, the results will inevitably flatten; within time, the total addressable market
(TAM) that is currently aware of the challenge will be exhausted. It would lead us to conclude that any
content marketing effort here would inevitably go from extraordinary, to average, to poor.
How do we go from average to extraordinary? How can we begin to view content marketing as something
that can differentiate our approach to demand generation and produce more demonstrable results for our
marketing efforts?
These questions inspired us to study demand generation specifically from the content marketer’s
perspective.
5. METHODOLOGY
In April 2018, Content Marketing Institute (CMI) conducted a survey to learn how marketers are using
content marketing for demand generation purposes.
CMI sent email invitations to a random slice of its total opt-in subscriber list. A total of 192 global
responses (representing 25 countries) were qualified for analysis. Qualified respondents were those who
indicated their company uses content marketing to generate demand from buyers (create and/or nurture
leads or potential customers) at the top, middle, and/or bottom of the buying funnel.
Qualified respondents represented a full range of industries, functional areas, and company sizes. Most
were B2B marketers in the U.S.
■ B2B
■ B2C
■ Both B2B + B2C
70%
21%
9%
Nature of Organization
■ Technology/IT/
Software/Hardware
■ Agency (Advertising, Digital,
Content Marketing, PR)
■ Consulting
■ Financial Services
■ Manufacturing
■ Healthcare/Medical/
Pharmaceuticals
■ Other
24% 25%
22%
9%
8%
6%
6%
Industry
■ 1,000+
■ 100 to 999
■ 10 to 99
■ 1 to 9
20% 21%
25%34%
Company Size
(By Employees)
■ U.S.
■ U.K.
■ India
■ Other
6%
3%
77%
14%
Locations
6. FINDINGS
A MOVE TO GOOD, BUT NOT GREAT
Overall, the findings from our demand generation survey indicate that while marketers are seeing some
success, many lack an aligned strategy, measurement plan, and technology that could help them achieve
more expansive goals. (These findings mirror those from our annual content marketing research among a
broader B2B audience, the results of which are released in CMI’s annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks,
Budgets, and Trends—North America reports.)
Nearly all (90%) of the marketers we surveyed said they use content marketing to generate demand from
buyers (create and/or nurture leads or potential customers) at the top, middle, and/or bottom of the
buying funnel.
Their top reasons for using content marketing for demand generation purposes are to generate leads at the
top of the funnel (87%) and create brand awareness (82%). This confirmed our hypothesis that marketers
are placing more emphasis on using content marketing at the top of the funnel versus other areas of the
buyer’s journey. The remaining answers were spread out across other areas of the funnel, generally trending
lower as we got deeper into the funnel.
0 20 40 60 80 100
Generate leads/potential
customers at the top of the funnel
Generate brand awareness
Position organization as a thought leader
Nurture leads/potential customers
at the middle of the funnel
Persuade leads/potential customers at the
bottom of the funnel to evaluate your product/service
Entertain/inspire current and potential customers
Other
Reasons Organizations are Using Content Marketing
for Demand Generation in 2018
87%
82%
78%
73%
60%
52%
3%
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content marketing to generate demand from buyers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
7. Respondents also reported they get the most value from their demand generation-focused content marketing
at the uppermost parts of the funnel.
However, when we asked respondents to estimate where their 2018 content creation efforts are being
directed, the answers were not as aligned.
Forty-seven percent said they are creating content for the top of the funnel, yet another 50% reported they
are creating content for the middle and late stages as well (29% and 21%, respectively). This indicates that
marketers may be feeling pressure to locate more immediate value through deeper parts of the funnel.
Next, we asked respondents if they segment
their demand generation activities by personas.
Less than half (46%) said yes. However, 35% said
they plan to do so in 2018.
As we mentioned earlier, content marketers are
experimenting with diverse types of content
formats and channels. We asked respondents
where they believe each type is most effective
for demand generation across the buyer’s
journey.
■ Early Stage (generating
awareness/interest)
■ Middle Stage
(consideration/intent)
■ Late Stage
(evaluation/purchase)
■ Other
■ Unsure
12%
28%
51%
8%
1%
Stage in Buyer’s Journey Where
Organization Receives Most Value from
Content Marketing Used for
Demand Generation
■ Early Stage (generating
awareness/interest)
■ Middle Stage
(consideration/intent)
■ Late Stage
(evaluation/purchase)
■ Other Stages
21%
29%
47%
3%
Estimated Percentage of
Total 2018 Content that Organization
Will Create for Each Stage
of Buyer’s Journey
■ Yes
■ No, but plan to in 2018
■ No, with no plans in 2018
35%
19%
46%
Do You Segment Demand Generation
Activities by Personas?
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content
marketing to generate demand from buyers; aided list.
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content
marketing to generate demand from buyers; aided list.
Responses were required to equal 100%.
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content
marketing to generate demand from buyers.
8. Respondents said blog posts/articles are the most effective type of content used in the early stage, white
papers in the middle stage, and case studies in the late stage. In-person events are the only type rated equally
effective at all stages.
(Note: Keep in mind that some types of content get pigeonholed as being most effective in certain phases of
the customer journey. There is no reason why marketers can’t experiment here. For example, case studies can
be crafted to draw attention in the early stage, or videos can be used to secure buying decisions.)
In Which Stage of the Buyer’s Journey Is Each Content Type
Most Effective* When Used for Demand Generation Purposes?
Blog posts/articles 73% 21% 6%
Case studies 18% 42% 40%
Ebooks 56% 39% 6%
In-person events 35% 33% 32%
Interactive content 46% 46% 8%
Podcasts 57% 35% 7%
Videos 54% 40% 6%
Webinars 36% 47% 17%
White papers 34% 53% 14%
Other types of content 36% 37% 27%
Early Stage
(Awareness/Interest)
Middle Stage
(Consideration/Intent)
Late Stage
(Evaluation/Purchase)
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content marketing to generate demand from buyers; aided list.
*Effective was defined as succeeding at moving leads/potential customers to the next stage (e.g., generating an initial inquiry, nurturing a lead through
the buying process, or convincing/persuading someone to make a purchase) based on your organization’s specific objectives.
9. MEANINGFUL MEASUREMENT CAN BE TRYING
Perhaps not surprisingly, the top three metrics marketers use to measure the impact their content
marketing has on demand generation are vanity metrics associated with upper levels of the funnel (website
traffic, audience engagement, and quantity of leads at 67%, 58%, and 57%, respectively). It’s worth noting,
however, that quality of leads came in a close fourth (56%). It was encouraging to see that only 5% reported
“no measurements in place.”
0 20 40 60 80
Metrics Organizations Use to Measure the Impact
of Content Marketing on Demand Generation
67%
58%
57%
56%
39%
38%
37%
16%
4%
5%
Website traffic
Audience engagement
Quantity of leads
Quality of leads
Cost per lead
Revenue growth
Pipeline growth
Other metrics
Unsure
No measurements in place
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content marketing to generate demand from buyers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
10. FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY STACK IS THERE FOR MOST
When we asked respondents about the technologies they use to assist with content marketing for demand
generation, their answers were similar to those we’ve seen in other CMI research studies. However, this was
the first time we asked about social media content tools; their frequent reported use here probably reflects
the use of social media content promotion at higher levels of the funnel.
MODERATE SUCCESS COUPLED
WITH COMMON CHALLENGES
The majority (58%) reported moderate success
with using content marketing for demand
generation purposes. That mirrors the findings
of CMI’s 2018 annual content marketing study,
where 52% of B2B marketers reported moderate
success.3
0 20 40 60 80 100
Analytics systems (web analytics, dashboards)
Social media content tools
(publishing and measurement suites)
Email-focused marketing technology
Content management system (CMS)
Customer relationship management (CRM) software
Content optimization software
(personalization, content targeting)
Marketing automation platform
Content promotion/distribution software
Technologies Organizations Use to Aid Content Marketing Efforts
to Create Leads and Nurture Potential Customers
82%
68%
65%
60%
57%
48%
22%
16%
Additional technologies used: Chatbots (8%), Customer data platform (6%), Artificial intelligence (4%), Other (7%), and None of
the above (4%).
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content marketing to generate demand from buyers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.
■ Extremely Successful
■ Very Successful
■ Moderately Successful
■ Minimally Successful
■ Not At All Successful
6%
3%
18%
58%
15%
Success of Organization’s
Current Overall Content Marketing
Approach for Demand Generation
Base: All for-profit respondents whose organizations use content
marketing to generate demand from buyers; aided list.
13. The second example is a company that is targeting commercial farmers making more than $100,000 per
year. The company estimates that approximately 400,000 farms meet those criteria in their TAM. They
currently have a subscription across both their print and digital publications of 418,000.
Assuming the level of quality in each audience is the same, these examples present stark differences. In the
first example, there is plenty of room to generate demand. In fact, one could argue that the company hasn’t
even located the demand that is already there.
In the second example, the company has not only created but has located its entire market. The only
question that remains is will it shrink or expand from there?
CREATE AUDIENCES, NOT LEADS
Marketers looking to improve their success with using content marketing for demand generation should
make audience acquisition a core focus for creating value for the business. This approach requires
marketers to look beyond vanity metrics such as website visits, engagement, and even quantity of leads,
and be willing to experiment with different types of content and how they use it.
If marketers believe content marketing is valuable for
the business, it stands to reason that loyal audiences
that coalesce around a topic and become more
passionate about the topic over time are an asset to be
monetized in different ways.
For example, if you were to look at content marketing for demand generation through the classic lens of
“lead scoring” or “direct marketing” you might say:
“We had a target audience we wanted to reach called ‘buyers.’ But after the campaign, we only persuaded a
few of them to ‘take the next step.’ A few others perhaps showed interest.”
Marketers looking to improve their
success with using content marketing
for demand generation should make
audience acquisition a core focus for
creating value for the business.
15. END NOTES
1) 2018 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey Report. Tapping Multichannel Marketing & Data as Key
Engines for Growth. DemandGen Report.
https://bit.ly/2tTOvA3
2) Demand Generation Marketing Survey, 2017 Report. HubSpot.
https://bit.ly/2KBdDGd
3) B2B Content Marketing 2018: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America. Content Marketing
Institute/MarketingProfs.
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2017/09/research-habits-content-marketers/
ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE
Content Marketing Institute 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 September in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and ContentTECH Summit event is held every spring. CMI
publishes the quarterly magazine Chief Content Officer, and provides strategic consulting and content
marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. Watch this video to learn more about
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