Content marketing statisctics and trends

Content marketing statisctics and trends

 

Your content marketing efforts must align with what the audience wants and needs. Keeping that in mind makes it easier to make content marketing creation plans that have a high likelihood of paying off.

 

Here are eight B2B content marketing statistics worth knowing.

1. 11.42% of C-Suite Executives Open Content at 10 a.m
2. As it turns out, 10 o’clock a.m. is the sweet spot for timing if your goal is to get in touch with C-Suite executives.
3. More specifically, researchers found that 11.42% of people in that segment opened the material at 10 a.m.
4. The percentage is small, but that also means you have the flexibility to send the content out at a different time if that works better. For example, noon was the next best time, with 11.12% of people reading the content then — possibly while starting their lunch breaks.
5. Remember that your target audience could behave differently from the norm, so the best way forward may not be to stick to the timing mentioned here.
6. Consider offering the material at a set time for a defined period, then track open-rate metrics over that period to see what kind of response you get.
7. 11.42% of C-Suite executives open content at 10 a.m 
8. C-Level content consumption by hour.

Executives and Leaders in Most Job Categories Took 8% Longer to Open Requested Content Than Others

The consumption gap represents the time between someone requesting the content from a company and their opening it. The main takeaway is that people don’t typically ask for content at the precise moment when they’re ready to read it.

Outside of people in contracting and consulting roles, most people in executive and leadership positions took 8% longer than individuals in other categories to start looking at their B2B content after asking for it. The report’s creators recommend that you don’t solely focus on people in the C-suite.

They may be the ones who ultimately give the go-ahead for purchasing your products. Still, other people in lower-level positions may open your content faster, thereby starting their educational journey before their superiors do. There’s no harm in tailoring some content to the C-suite, but don’t make them your only targeted group. People in other positions appreciate high-quality content too, and they may influence those higher up the company.

B2B Content Consumers Access Material From Desktop Devices 68.1% of the Time

Statistics gathered for reasons not related to this report show that people are more likely to access the internet from their mobile phones than from desktop computers. The B2B audiences studied here don’t follow that trend, however.

The breakdown showed that 68.1% of people look at B2B content on computers. Then, 28.7% of the total used their phones to engage with it, and 3.2% of the pool accessed the material from tablets.  The report did say, though, that the percentage of people on mobile phones grew by 10% between 2018 and 2019.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the report’s authors believe the percentage of people viewing B2B content on mobile devices will go up as more Generation Z members enter the workforce. They’re more likely to have more capable, ultra-modern smartphones to keep pace with the increasingly mobile world. Marketers should still accommodate the smaller screen sizes and make smart decisions to keep the content mobile-friendly.

Consumption of B2B content by device

27% of the Active Audience for B2B Content Came From Organizations With Fewer Than 25 Employees

The data showed that 27% of the people who actively consumed B2B content worked at organizations with 1-24 employees. That statistic remained flat compared to last year’s report.

It may also come as a surprise that companies with 1-4 workers accounted for 15.62% of the 27%, segment making them the largest individual group in that percentage. If smaller companies are one of your targets, these findings strongly suggest that you should keep smaller companies in mind while creating your content. Think about the needs they likely have and how your brand could meet them.

E-Books, White Papers and Guides Comprise Roughly 56% of Inventory in the Market

If you’re wondering what kind of content to create as part of your B2B marketing plans, e-books, white papers and guides are good options to go with first. Statistics show that approximately 56% of all the inventory in the market is one of these kinds.

Concerning the kind of content requested, people wanted e-books most often, followed by white papers and guides. NetLine’s analysts point out that e-books are exceptionally versatile. You could use them to feature case studies, show thought leadership or call attention to any other factors that could drive sales.

Notice, too, the educational nature of those top three content types. Your B2B audience is ready to learn, and you can help them do that with high-quality material that caters to their needs. In any case, ensure that your content marketing strategy serves a defined purpose and is goal-driven.

More Than 30% of Demand for B2B Content Comes From the Information Technology Sector

More than 30% of the overall content demand comes from audiences in that sector. That change represents a 3% rise from 2018 numbers.

IT professionals took the top spot for audience demand, but other sectors wanted content, too. For example, audiences in the accounting and finance industries collectively gained half a percentage point in the desire for relevant material, showing the biggest growth across all job areas.

Effective ways also exist to capitalize on the B2B marketing statistics here if IT is not your main focus. For example, if your company sells a product geared towards several industries — information technology among them — consider creating a newsletter or online content hub for tech professionals.

The High-Tech IT Industry Has the Most Active Audience

You learned earlier that IT professionals make up nearly one-third of the total content demand. A related fact is that the high-tech IT industry showed the most active audience. This means people in that group were the most likely to request and engage with the material.

The report’s authors noted that people working at high-tech IT companies must stay educated on the latest developments. New content could make it easier for them to do that.

Most active industries for content consumption

Consider how you might create or adapt content to make it maximally appealing to people working with advanced tech. You might gather expert perspectives about the future of a broad but relevant topic, such as cloud computing or automation, to help readers learn what’s on the horizon.