Over 200 Stats That Prove Content Marketing Is Here to Stay

4 minute read

Upland Admin

Content marketing isn’t a tactic. It’s not a channel. It’s a strategic operation that delivers:

  • Increased revenue
  • More qualified leads
  • Better cost-per-lead ratios
  • Strengthened brand loyalty.

But don’t trust us…trust the industry analysts, research, and data. (We’ve gathered over 200 stats here, and below, are some we love.)

  • 27,000,000 pieces of content are shared each day. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 78% of CMOs think custom content is the future of marketing. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 200%—percent increase in email open rates for companies integrating a content marketing operation. (stat) (tweet this)
  • $44.25—the average return on investment for every $1 spent on email marketing. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 6X—the revenue lift companies report after implementing a content marketing operation. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 1,200—the number of new leads generated per month for brands that create 15 blog posts per month. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 75%—percent increase in marketing qualified leads companies with a content marketing operation. (stat) (tweet this)

In fact, content marketing is the new focus of many enterprise-level marketing strategies, with CMOs investing heavily in the area including additional staff, technology, and infrastructure.

  • 2017—the year Gartner predicts the CMO will spend more on IT than the CIO. (stat) (tweet this)
  • $8.2 billion—Annual spend marketers are forecasted to spend on mobile marketing by 2016. (stat) (tweet this)
  • $27.6 billion—Annual spend marketers are forecasted to spend  on display advertising by 2016. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 1 in 3 marketing dollars are spent on content marketing. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 86% of brands will increase their video ad spend in the next year alone. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 44.9% of B2B companies plan to hire for content marketing in the next year. (stat) (tweet this)

But if content marketing is so important, why do only 32% of marketers say they are effectively executing enough content, and only 4% of people doing content are considered “experts?” What’s the reason for the failure? Isn’t posting a bunch of blogs enough?

  • 42% of marketers cite lack of human resources as a key barrier to content marketing. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 35% say lack of budget is a key barrier to content marketing. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 2X and 25%—marketers rank the effectiveness of interactive content twice as powerful as passive content (70% vs. 36%).  But, only 25% of marketers rated their content as slightly or very interactive. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 1 in 3 marketers say they can’t accurately attribute online conversions to the correct marketing channels. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 17% of marketers in a Demand Metric study said they have NO content effectiveness measurements in place, and 49% are using only basic metrics such as clicks or downloads. (stat) (tweet this)

Businesses and organizations better figure their systems out—and quick. Content marketing is likely to replace much of the human relationships and conversations that were once the responsibility of sales team. (Don’t tell your sales team, but…)

  • By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationships without talking to a human. (stat) (tweet this)

How Do You Do It?

Step 1: Hire a writer to get your content party started.

  • 94.5% of companies say writing and editing skills are the most important qualities in a content marketer. (stat) (tweet this)

Step 2: Create a strategy and write it down in an editorial calendar.

  • Only 44% of B2B marketers have a documented content strategy. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 6X—The simple act of writing down a content strategy makes marketers 6X more likely to consider themselves “effective.” (stat) (tweet this)

Step 3: Use interactive content including visually compelling .gifs, infographics, and landing pages. Say interesting, data-based things. And don’t forget video!

  • 3X—the power of video. Blogs with video attract 3x as many inbound links as blogs without video. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 78% of marketers use LinkedIn to “keep up with industry news.” (stat) (tweet this)

Step 4: Publish, distribute, and promote your content where your buyers will find it.

  • Every 1 second, 2 new members join Linkedin. (stat) (tweet this)
  • 97% of major brands tweeted in 2013, up from 90% in 2012. (stat) (tweet this)

Step 5: And finally, the most important step is to track your progress. Your boss might be skeptical that blogs and videos can produce millions in MRR (monthly recurring revenue). But your boss won’t deny numbers.

  • 6 in 10 professionals from around the world agree that there is pressure from senior management for their organization to become more data-driven and analytical. (stat) (tweet this)

Now…

Stay on top of the most pertinent stats to your industry. We already have more than 235 (up-to-date) stats—and counting.

Also, do you have stats, research, or data to share? I’d love to include new, relevant data. Please email me new stats or research at Jean@Kapost.com or tweet at me @Jeanwrites. I’ll review your data, and include your hard work on our page. Of course, I’ll link to your site, too. Thanks!

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