Hi , 👋 You all know I’m a sucker for a great stat – or two, or three.
And, that content marketing is my jam.
The MarketingProfs /
Content Marketing World / ON24’s 12th annual B2B Content Marketing report combines the two!
Jumping in, here are the report’s key take-aways: 1.Readers demand better content. We’ve never consumed this much content in our lives — and yet we can’t possibly consume it all! For your stuff to get read, it’s got to be good.As many as 74% of marketers said the value their content provides is the main factor in its success.
The take-away: How do you create valuable content? By personalizing it. Do this by persona, vertical market, brand pillars, value drivers — or any other way your business aligns. Give away your best practices, tips and tricks. Do it all in the name of earning brand trust. That’s a 2 for 1.
2.In 2022, marketing budgets will increase. To create more valuable content, 66% of marketing budgets will increase next year — 20% of them by more than 9%!
The take-away:As many as 67% of marketing teams were asked to do more this year with the same resources, so teams outsourced to survive. Fully 50% of all marketing teams currently outsource at least some of their content marketing. Of course, larger companies with 1,000+ employees outsource more — to the tune of 75%.
3.The challenges of creating fit-for-purpose content are great. The top one? Hiring the right contractors.
Marketers that outsource struggle to find partners who:
Have the
right topical expertise = 65%
Understand the audience = 41%
Provide adequate strategic advice = 26%
Consistently
deliver on time = 19%
The take-away:More and more writers and content strategists will continue to niche down and specialize in topics marketers seek. I get it. This has been my #1 competitive advantage for the last 17 years.
4.It takes a village of content assets to get your message across. Marketers are using a combination of assets to reach their audiences. From short articles (consistently
created by 90% of marketers!) to videos, webinars and online events, case studies, infographics, eBooks/white papers — and more.
The take-away:Customers want to read, listen, watch, skim numbers and then, read some more. 2022 will be about combining assets in a customer journey and repurposing content into multiple forms, rather than publishing a one
and done blog. (This is by far the most informative page of the study.) 👇
