Discovering what people want or need and then creating it and presenting it to them is at the core of every business. However, you need to present your product in a way that feels natural and unforced, and what better way to do that than with content marketing?
Content marketing has become an indelible part of any marketing strategy because it helps to build brand awareness, attract leads, engage readers, increase conversion, and generate more business. In other words, it pays off big time.
But the world of content marketing is dynamic, and trends move fast, so for this article, we've curated various content marketing statistics to help you execute a flawless marketing strategy. Let's go!
Table of Contents
- Content Marketing Overview
- 2022 Content Marketing Statistics
- Our Top Picks: Key Content Marketing Statistics
- Content Marketing Strategy Statistics
- B2C Content Marketing Statistics
- B2B Content Marketing Statistics
- Blogging Marketing Statistics
- Social Media Marketing Statistics
- Email Marketing Statistics
- Video Marketing Statistics
- Podcasting Statistics
- Organic Search Statistics
- FAQs
- Over and Out
Content Marketing Overview
Content marketing is producing and distributing relevant and useful online material (such as blogs, social media posts, and videos) to generate interest in a brand's goods or services without directly promoting it.
The goal is to produce materials that resonate with what the consumers are interested in and provide value. This way, companies can build a lasting relationship with their customers, which will lead to increased traffic and engagement and, of course, more revenue.
Types of Content Marketing
There are many types of content marketing you can add to your arsenal. You just need to decide which ones will be most worth the investment and can help you achieve your goals.
Of course, you'll get the best results by employing several different tactics, but remember to choose the ones that represent your strengths the best.
Blogs
For most businesses, adding a blog to their websites is almost a given. Blogs offer you the best space to showcase your brand identity and build relationships with your customers while also providing interesting content.
The most important part of having a blog, though, is that it helps with SEO, which helps drive organic traffic to your site. We've previously written about the best Shopify blog examples, so you can check that out to see how brands express themselves through blogging. We also included a comprehensive guide on developing a content strategy, which you'll surely find useful as well.
Videos
Videos are the type of content that's immediately engaging, so you really can't go wrong with them.
Some companies opt to diversify their online presence and start a YouTube channel where they post educational and informational videos. Sometimes, they even embed them in their blog posts. But you can also make short videos to post on social media like Instagram or TikTok. It's really versatile.
No matter your niche, there's plenty of variety with video content, so if you get creative, you can produce some really great and attention-grabbing content that'll set you apart from the rest.
Email marketing is one of the most commonly used content marketing tactics because it's personalized and it's quite cost-effective. Plus, it's excellent for increasing leads when done right.
This entails sending engaging emails that will be of actual value to your potential customers. No one wants to waste time reading through yet another advertisement unless it provides something useful. For example, the more interesting and unique your newsletters are, the better the chances of long-term engagement, and you won't have to worry about losing subscriptions.
A good example is something like a birthday special email, where the subscriber receives a tailored deal on their birthday. Like this one from Sephora:
However, email marketing needs to be done in moderation as no one enjoys being advertised to multiple times a day.
Social Media Posts
Social media has become a powerful driving force in the world of marketing and, for some businesses, even the main platform for communication with their audience. And it's no wonder – most people use some form of social media, making it easier to reach them.
Of course, this entails the social media your target audience uses regularly and focusing most of your efforts on producing quality content there. However, it's recommended to be active on as many platforms as possible to reach many consumers. Exposure is always beneficial, and what better way than through social media?
Infographics
Infographics are a great way to share interesting and informational content. They're fun and visually pleasing, and you can pack large chunks of data presented in a concise way.
Infographics are rather versatile, as you can include them in many other promotional content types. For example, infographics are perfect for social media, which is the ideal place for sharing tidbits of information.
But other than that, you can create infographics to include in e-books and even in promotional emails, depending on the content. If we were to stretch it, you could also include them in animated educational videos. The possibilities are endless!
Podcasts
Podcasts are truly a reflection of today's trends, and we're not complaining. While they're not as easily digestible as other forms of content because of the nature of their format, podcasts can give a voice to your brand, literally.
Podcasts come in different forms. You can start a traditional audio podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts like BigCommerce and Shopify have, but you can also do something different and make a video podcast on YouTube – some brands do both. Then, subscribers can choose their preferred platform, and really, it's an ingenious way to disperse your presence while recycling content.
In a way, they provide some sort of reassurance about your relationship with your customers because you'll know that the listeners didn't just stumble upon it by accident.
E-books
E-books are a very good way of offering valuable information. You can think of them as a huge blog post that provides content your potential customers will find useful. It's like giving out a handout, only long-form and much more helpful.
Courses
If your product is SaaS, then offering online courses can be a great way for you to attract leads. It's the perfect way to let them test your product before they decide to buy it.
Learning is an invaluable skill, and most leads will be immediately interested in your product if they know that they have a repository of information and some guidance, especially beginners. Plus, courses are interactive and fun, but they also offer an experience, which is beyond important.
Webinars
Similar to online courses, webinars are also very educational. They may not be mainstream content because each webinar deals with a very specific topic, but as with podcasts, you'll know that the attendees really want to be there and are interested in what the speaker has to say.
You can later save the videos of the webcast to be available for people who couldn't attend and maybe even attract a new audience along the way.
2022 Content Marketing Statistics
We prepared some of the most interesting and relevant content marketing statistics to inform your marketing strategy and help you get a better grasp of what's currently going on in the sphere of content marketing.
Our Top Picks: Key Content Marketing Statistics
Here are our picks of the most relevant statistics you need to see before we get into the specifics.
For 81% of marketers, producing content is an essential business strategy. (Content Marketing Institute)
32% of marketers have spent between 10-29% of their total marketing budget on content marketing, while only 3% have spent over 70% of their marketing budget. (Semrush)
To improve their content marketing strategy, most companies want to focus on investing in social media and community building, producing better-written content, and improving their content promotion and distribution. (Semrush)
51% of the businesses that actively invest in content marketing publish content every single day. (The Manifest)
Internet users are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content, like articles, blog posts, or social media posts. (Wyzowl)
The average time a reader spends on a newsletter is approximately 51 seconds. (Nielsen)
Content Marketing Strategy Statistics
Companies that are serious about their business know very well that having a good content marketing strategy can take you places. It gives your brand identity and ensures your product finds the right people at the right time.
Here are some content marketing strategy stats, also by Semrush:
The search entry “What is content marketing” has increased by 22% in 2022, whereas average monthly searches for “content marketing strategy” fell by 33%.
The top Google search queries related to content marketing are “content marketing example,” “content marketing strategy,” and “content marketing institute.”
55% of marketers have said that the best way to increase conversion rates and promote growth is through really understanding your target customers' personas.
Content marketing is part of the marketing strategy of an astounding 97% of marketers.
The three content marketing strategy tactics that are the most successful are: improving the content's quality (55%), SEO (46%), and creating more video and visual content (41%).
The three tactics that have helped marketers to rank in organic search results are: making better and more authentic content (61%), creating more content and posting more often (45%), and doing better keyword research (43%).
The biggest challenges for content marketers are attracting quality leads with the content they produce (41%) and generating enough traffic, as well as promoting their content (39%).
Measuring organic traffic (51%) is the main metric marketers use to determine the success of their marketing efforts. It's followed by search ranking (42%) and leads (40%).
B2C Content Marketing Statistics
B2C content marketing allows you to reach a wide audience, increase brand awareness, and of course, increase sales. B2C content marketing is imperative for businesses that are looking to stay stable in the constantly-changing currents of the world of commerce.
Here are the most notable B2C stats for 2022, courtesy of the Content Marketing Institute:
Most B2C marketers either have an established content marketing strategy or plan on developing one within the coming year; only 6% don't have a strategy nor plan on employing one.
The top three goals B2C businesses report achieving in the last year by employing content marketing are creating brand awareness (81%), building credibility and trust (76%), and educating audiences (71%).
The most common outsourced activity for B2C businesses is content creation (75%), followed by content distribution (40%).
Blog posts/short articles (83%), email newsletters (74%), videos (62%), and infographics/charts/photos (62%) are the most commonly produced types of content for B2B marketers.
48% of B2C marketers have said that their organization has established an online community.
The top three content distribution channels for B2C marketers are social media platforms (82%), the organization's own website/blog (79%), and email (76%).
Facebook (97%) and Instagram (81%) are the two most commonly used platforms in B2C marketing, followed by YouTube (72%), Twitter (67%), and LinkedIn (65%).
The three most commonly used technologies by B2C businesses for an improved workflow are analytics tools (85%), social media publishing/analytics (73%), and email marketing software (71%).
B2B Content Marketing Statistics
Similar to B2C marketing, B2B also focuses on acquiring leads, generating more traffic, and increasing sales. Different companies have different approaches toward B2B marketing, depending on their target customers and what they're trying to achieve.
Let's see some stats.
Most B2B marketers either have an already documented content marketing strategy or plan to develop one within a year, while only 4% don't have any plans of employing a strategy. (Content Marketing Institute)
In response to the pandemic, most B2B marketers made adjustments to their content marketing strategy. The top three include changes in the messaging/targeting strategy (70%), adjusting the editorial calendar (64%), and changing content distribution/promotion strategy (53%). (Content Marketing Institute)
An impressive 83% of B2B marketers attribute their success over the last 12 months to the value that their content provides. (Content Marketing Institute)
87% of B2B marketers place a higher priority on the informational requirements of the audience than on the company's sales or promotional messages. (Content Marketing Institute)
The majority of B2B marketers who use content marketing outsource at least one content marketing activity. (Content Marketing Institute)
32% of B2B companies allocate just 5% of their budget to marketing, while only 13% allocate 15% or more. (Statista)
46% of B2B companies decided to increase the budget for content marketing. (Statista)
The average size of a B2B content team has increased by 31% compared to the past year. (Content Marketing Institute)
96% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn. (Content Marketing Institute)
For 78% of B2B marketers, doing keyword research is the main part of their SEO strategy. (Content Marketing Institute)
Blogging Marketing Statistics
In recent years, blogging has become nearly synonymous with having a content marketing strategy – period, and for a good reason. Blogging is imperative for driving traffic to your site, increasing conversion, building rapport with your audience, and giving a voice to your brand.
Of course, it can even help you make more money – check out our rundown of the highest-paid bloggers.
By posting relevant content that's also optimized for search engines, your chances of carving out a way for your business in the web jungle become bigger with every step. And to do this, you need a faithful sidekick to help you achieve your goals.
Meet DropInBlog, the friendliest and most agile blogging tool you'll ever use. DropInBlog has advanced SEO features to help you with ranking high on SERPs, and it just makes your blogging experience a whole lot better. The best part is that it fits right into the design of your theme. Check it out if you want – there's a free trial.
Now, since blogging is truly essential, let's see some blogging stats.
As of 2021, there are over 600 million blogs residing on the internet and 1.9 billion websites. (Backlinko)
Over 3 million blog posts are published each year. (Growth Badger)
77% of online users read blogs, but 70% of people who read blogs only skim through the content rather than read it word for word because they're interested in learning the information relevant to their immediate needs. (Social Media Today, Nielsen)
Internet users prefer to read content that takes less than seven minutes to read, anything longer than that, and the engagement with the post starts to drop. (Medium).
73% of blog readers tend to skim through articles, while 27% like to read thoroughly. (HubSpot)
75% of blog readers prefer blog posts that are no more than 1,000 words, while only 5% prefer longer articles, over 2,000 words. (Contently)
The most popular types of blog posts are how-to articles (77%), and right behind it, news and trends (49%) and guides and e-books (47%). (Statista)
An impressive 76% of marketers use blogs as one of their primary ways to distribute information. (Content Marketing Institute)
By the end of 2026, the global content marketing industry is expected to grow by $487.24 billion. (ReportLinker)
30% of bloggers don't earn any money, but those that do, earn money primarily through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, ads, their own products, and online courses. (TechJury, RankIQ) We've previously written about how much beauty bloggers make, so you can check it out.
The most lucrative blogging niche is blogging about food, as research shows that food bloggers have the highest income on average compared to other niches. (RankIQ)
In line with this, see our article on the highest-paid food bloggers for some more interesting information.The most common niches for starting a blog are lifestyle (25%), travel (18%), and food (13%). (RankIQ)
Four blogging niches that get the highest traffic (food, lifestyle, travel, arts & crafts) make up 74% of all high-traffic blogs. (RankIQ)
It takes around four hours to write a typical blog post. (Orbit Media)
Bloggers who collaborate with influencers in any way tend to get better results. (Orbit Media)
A staggering 97% of all bloggers primarily use social media to get their content out in the world, while 66% use email marketing. (Statista)
Generally, it costs $77.80 on average to publish a paid guest post. (Ahrefs)
Social Media Marketing Statistics
If there's anything that has transformed the content marketing game forever, it's social media, hands down.
When the first social media networks emerged, no one could've predicted how important they'll become later on. Indeed, today, having a social media strategy is an indelible part of any business's marketing strategy. Having said that, social media trends move faster than lightning, so it takes a lot of grit to keep up with it.
Let's see some social media marketing stats for 2022 to know where we stand.
Over 50% of marketers are turning towards Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for marketing. (HubSpot)
Of all social media platforms that are currently popular, Facebook still remains at the top by being used by 62% of social media marketers. Facebook is followed by YouTube (54%), TikTok (52%), Instagram (49%), and finally, Twitter (45%) and LinkedIn (35%). (HubSpot)
25% of marketers think that Faceboo
