In today’s digital age, content marketing has become a powerful strategy for businesses to connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive overall growth. Content is not just a passing trend. In fact, it has evolved into a critical component of successful digital marketing and it is something that consumers now expect from all brands. As a well-seasoned marketer, you may understand the power of content, however, convincing your board of directors to fully embrace content marketing can be a daunting task.
If you’ve already read our previous article on building a business case for content marketing, you’ll know just how important it is to communicate the value of content marketing to your board when getting sign-off on your content plans. Yet, we have another trick up our sleeves, which is statistics. After all, the numbers never lie! By presenting your board with compelling statistics and hard facts, you can enhance your case for investing in content marketing.
We will arm you with ten impactful statistics that will help you demonstrate the immense potential and tangible benefits of content marketing. This curated collection of data will highlight the effectiveness and ROI of content marketing to get your board’s ears perked up!
1. 91% of marketers achieved content marketing success.
A survey by Semrush reveals that 91% of marketers achieved success with their content marketing activities in 2021. This demonstrates the high success rate of content marketing and the potential for your brand to achieve similar results with effective execution. Success rates as high as this one make content marketing a no-brainer!
Content success will look different for every brand, however, it could be a boost in brand awareness, improved website traffic, higher conversion rates, or more leads. Content is extremely versatile and the possibilities are endless.
2. 81% of marketers view content as a core business strategy.
According to Content Marketing Institute, an incredible 81% of marketers believe that content marketing is a core business strategy and a key driver for success. In light of the previous content marketing statistic, this comes as no surprise! When implemented effectively, content can achieve outstanding results for your brand and business, from increased brand awareness and improved website performance to sales uplifts and more.
Don’t believe us? Discover how we used content marketing to increase our client’s monthly organic traffic by 599% over a three-year period, and increased online revenue by 79% in just three months.
3. 62% of B2B decision-makers rely on practical content to guide their buying decisions.
DemandGen studies reveal one of the most impactful B2B content marketing statistics, which is that 62% of B2B decision-makers rely on practical content to guide their buying decisions. Practical content refers to anything like case studies or webinars, which provide real value and practical utility to your target audience. This type of content aims to address the specific needs and challenges of your audience and help them find a solution, while also building vital trust points. So, if your brand isn’t creating the relevant content your B2B audience craves, you could be falling behind competitors and losing out on this 62% of customers – or even more!
4. 67% of marketers report lead generation from content marketing.
The Content Marketing Institute reports that 67% of marketers experienced an increase in demand and leads off the back of their content marketing efforts, which presents a 7% rise from the previous year. There are a number of ways you can leverage content to build demand for your brand and contribute to an increase in leads. Examples include creating compelling blog content that provides solutions to customer pain points, nurturing prospects with personalised emails, or offering gated content or ‘lead magnets’ that requires customer information for access. Any lead has the potential to turn into a paying customer since they’ve already shown interest in your brand or services, which is why lead gen using content should be a top priority!
5. 64% of the most successful B2B marketers have a documented content strategy.
You may already be creating content for your brand, but do you have a documented content marketing strategy? If the answer is no, then you could be sabotaging your content efforts. According to Content Marketing Institute, only 40% of B2B marketers actually have a documented content marketing strategy, yet 64% of the most successful B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy.
A content strategy provides the blueprint for your content marketing activities, ensuring that each and every output is created with purpose and supports your overarching brand and business goals. It provides a robust roadmap for planning, creating and distributing content, encompassing everything from your target persona, best-performing content formats, most effective distribution channels and more.
6. A page ranking in first place will also rank in the top 10 for 1,000 other relevant keywords.
Ahrefs research reveals that the average page ranking in the first position in the SERP will also be likely to rank for almost 1,000 other relevant keywords. Although this may be an oversimplification and will not be the case for all pages, what is true is that the quality of your on-page content is the single most important ranking factor for Google. As such, using keyword research and creating quality content that ranks highly in Google will have a knock-on effect on your entire site and help you build authority for semantic searches. Essentially, you can build out your niche expertise with cluster content and with effective internal linking, you can boost the performance of other relevant keywords.
“Keywords are important to SEO since they provide insights into user search queries, helping inform your content so that you can best fulfil their needs. While each piece of content should have its intended target keywords, the truth is that the content can potentially rank for many more keywords, including semantic variances.
Indeed, according to research conducted by Ahrefs, pages that rank first in the SERPs are also expected to rank for nearly 1,000 other pertinent keywords. Therefore, producing high-quality content that ranks highly can have a domino effect on your entire website, enabling you to establish authority for semantic searches. In short, by developing comprehensive cluster content and implementing effective internal linking strategies, you can enhance the performance of other relevant keywords and expand your niche expertise.”
7. Content marketing generates 3x the number of leads than outbound marketing and costs 62% less.
The key consideration for decision-makers is typically ROI. So, you must demonstrate that content marketing is worth their while and will generate the highest ROI possible. While the ROI of content is not always linear, Content Marketing Institute reports that content marketing has the potential to generate three times as many leads as traditional, outbound marketing, such as paid advertising or cold calling. Content marketing costs approximately 62% less than these methods, too.
Although these are incredible stats, be sure to emphasise that content marketing offers so much more than leads. Content is a key driver for all the activities leading up to generating leads, such as brand awareness, website traffic, email opens, and much more!
8. 71% of B2B consumers start their research with a generic search.
Google data shows that 71% of B2B searches begin with a generic search, as opposed to a branded search. And more generally, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
Targeting non-brand keywords in your content enables you to expand your reach and visibility, beyond those who are already familiar with your brand. Non-brand keywords typically represent generic or industry-related searches that potential customers use when in the early stages of their research or exploring their options.
For example, if a business is looking for digital marketing services, they are likely to type ‘digital marketing services’ into Google, rather than ‘Semetrical digital marketing services’, unless they were already aware of our brand.
By targeting non-brand keywords, businesses can provide valuable content that addresses the needs, questions, and pain points of these users in the research phase. This positions the business as a helpful resource, establishes credibility, and increases the chances of engaging potential customers early in their decision-making process. It is also an effective way to diversify your traffic sources and provide a steady stream of quality traffic, enhancing the stability of your online visibility.
“Unlocking the true potential of your marketing efforts requires you to venture beyond the confines of your brand and embrace the power of non-brand and informational keywords. It’s through these non-brand and informational keywords that we establish ourselves as trusted thought leaders and illuminate the path to knowledge, earning the attention, trust, and the business of those seeking answers.”
Mellisa Hutchins, Content Manager at Semetrical
9. 70% of people would rather get information from a blog.
Demand Metrics reveals that the majority of people (70%) would rather read blog articles to get information than do so through advertisements. Blogging helps build loyalty and trust with your audience by providing them with valuable information that they can use to identify a problem and find the best solution. Providing valuable blog content can help consumers make informed decisions and nurture potential customers to conversion. For example, readers can sign up for your email newsletter or click through to a product page from a CTA on your blog.
Not to mention, blogging is also valuable for your SEO efforts. It is essential for satisfying Google’s E-A–A-T and boosting search visibility!
10. 72% of marketers are upping their content game.
Content Marketing Institute reports that 72% of marketers are producing significantly more content than they did a year ago, which means the competition is rising! If you want to stay ahead of the market, earn your share of voice, and stay visible online, you need to up your content marketing game.
Brands that fail to create consistent, quality content risk disappearing amongst the noise. A consumer is much more likely to choose a brand with a strong presence that has built credibility in their niche, over a brand they’ve never heard of that they cannot trust.
The longer you leave it, the larger the gap will become between you and your competitors. Now’s the time to start creating content that delivers an impact and gets your brand under the nose of your customers!
