30 Content Marketing Statistics That Will Get You Typing

We've all heard it... content is king.

But if you don't know where the industry is going, what trends are on the horizon and why, you won't be able to adjust your content strategy to take advantage and grow your business.

That's why these content marketing statistics are important. By looking at the numbers, you can determine what areas you'll need to focus on in the coming year to achieve your goals. The marketing landscape is constantly evolving.

These 35 content marketing statistics will help you to identify the trends and patterns that will get you typing and growing your business!

Blogging Statistics

Blogging is still one of the most effective ways to drive traffic, establish your brand, and increase conversions and sales. Check out these content marketing stats about blogging:

1. Long-form blog posts generate 9x more leads than short-form posts. (SWEOR)

   Long-form content tends to be more informational and in-depth, increasing its value. Increased value builds trust.

2. 55% of bloggers update older posts. Of these, 74% are likely to get strong results. (Orbit Media)

   When you can, go back, add to existing content, and upgrade information. A simple update can increase organic traffic by as much as 402% month over month.

3. Nearly 80% of small business owners and marketers report writing content themselves. 17% hire in-house writers, and 14% work with freelancers. (SEMRush)

   By creating unique content daily, you'll improve your relevance and page rank, driving more traffic.

4. The top three content marketing tactics are blogging (65%), social media (64%), and case studies (64%). (LinkedIn Technology Marketing Community)

   These three content opportunities all drive traffic and can help you build your brand identity.

5. 76% of B2B marketers blog and 73% publish case studies. (Content Marketing Institute)

   Blogging builds links and gives you a platform to promote your product or service. Case studies tell the stories that can take buyers toward the end of their buying cycle. Combining these tactics can hyperdrive sales.

6. The average blog post is now 1142 words – up 41% since 2014. (Orbit Media)

   Just a few years ago, 500 words was enough to get you ranked for a keyword. Today, Google is wildly competitive, and word count is now looked at as an indicator of depth, relevance, and quality.

7. The average reader spends 52 seconds reading an article or blog post. (OptinMonster)

   As attention spans get shorter, you need to get to the point quickly and format material so it's easy to grasp key points.

8. 36% of B2B marketers say blogging is the most important type of content, whereas only 22% of B2B marketers find it's most important. (Social Media Examiner)

Content Promotion Statistics

While these content marketing statistics paint a strong picture for the effectiveness of blogging, the best content in the world is useless if you don't promote it to your readers. These content marketing stats tell the story.

9. The top three paid advertising methods used by B2B marketers to promote content are Search Engine Marketing (66%), print or offline promotion (57%), and traditional banner ads (55%). (Content Marketing Institute) 
   
   Content marketing is a great way to drive organic traffic, but sometimes that's not enough. Two-thirds of marketers use PPC ads to get eyes on their pages. While traditional banner ads and offline are popular, they are only effective 27% and 24% of the time. PPC can increase effectiveness to 54%.
   

10. 43% of small business owners spend 6 hours per week on social media. (Vertical Response) 
    
    Social media promotion is an easy and cost-effective way to extend the reach and share-ability of content.

11. Infographics are liked and shared 3x more on social media than any other type of content. (CommCreative)

Infographics are an excellent addition to your content marketing strategy.

Content ROI Statistics

Not only is content marketing more effective than traditional methods in today's digital world, it can be much more cost-effective. Here are some content marketing stats that explain content marketing ROI.

12. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional channels and generates 3x as many leads. (DemandMetric)
    
    Traditional methods like print, radio, and broadcast media are expensive to start. Content is much more cost-effective and can be better targeted than traditional methods.

13. 74% of companies indicate that content marketing is increasing the quality and quantity of leads. (Forbes)

    If the goal of your marketing is to generate sales-ready leads, nothing beats high-quality content and an informed strategy.

14. 67% of a typical B2B buyer journey is now done online. (Cognism) 
    
    Today's B2B customer's buying process is digital, and quality content plays a large part in that journey.

15. 65% of B2B marketers find it difficult to define what content is effective. (Content Marketing Institute)

Knowing what isn't working is as important as knowing what is. Use Google Analytics User Flow report to determine effectiveness.

Interactive Content Statistics

As we all strive to improve user experience, the use of interactive content is growing. Here are some content marketing stats to give you an idea of its effectiveness.

16. 53% of content marketers use interactive content. (Content Marketing Institute) 
    
    Interactive content gives your visitors a chance to make choices and effect outcomes.

17. Interactive content generates 2X more conversions (Kapost)

18. 88% of marketers say interactive content makes them stand out from competitors. (Business 2 Community) 
    
    Getting your brand known for interactive content can put you steps ahead of the competition.

19. 93% say interactive content is very effective at educating buyers as opposed to 70% for static content. (Inc) 
    
    Engaged learners remember more of what they learn. That's the beauty of interactive content!

20. 91% of B2B buyers prefer interactive and visual content. (DemandGen)

Buyers prefer images, videos, polls, and other interactive forms of content over static articles and PDFs.

Budget Statistics

Content, once created, becomes an asset for your business. It deserves your attention and your investment. Make sure to track both the goals of your content creation and the ROI.

21. 92% of marketers view content as a business asset. (Content Marketing Institute)

22. 51% of B2B Marketers will increase spending on content marketing in the coming 12 months. (Content Marketing Institute/Marketing Profs)

23. The most effective B2B marketers spend 42% of their budget on content. (Content Marketing Institute)

    The more you spend on content, the better the return.

24. 28% of marketers have reduced their traditional advertising budgets to fund more digital marketing. (Gartner)

Traditional marketing budgets are shrinking as more advertisers turn to digital.

Miscellaneous Content Marketing Statistics

The following are just some additional stats, just in case you're still not convinced!

25. 60% of the most effective B2B marketers have a documented content strategy. (Content Marketing Institute)

    A documented strategy helps you produce consistent engaging content.

26. B2B Marketers use an average of 13 content marketing channels or tactics. (TopRankBlog)

    To be truly effective means incorporating several strategies as part of a comprehensive approach. These include SEM, blogging, social media, visual content, interactive content, etc.

27. 70% of B2B marketers rate in-person events as effective. (TopRankBlog).

28. 73% of organizations have someone in place to oversee their content strategy. (Content Marketing Institute)

    Having a dedicated content marketing person is the most effective way to ensure the proper effort is placed on digital.

29. Almost 60% of marketers reuse content two to five times. (IZEA)

    Constantly creating new unique content is difficult. Reusing content can increase traffic and save time.

30. The most common content marketing delivery system is social media, use by 87% of marketers. (CMI)

    Social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest have changed the way we communicate with consumers.

The bottom line, if you don't have a content marketing strategy, you should. More businesses are seeing better results including more qualified leads, higher conversion rates and increased sales thanks to content marketing. Implementing a content marketing strategy is a smart, cost effective way to grow your business.