25 Must-Know Content Marketing Statistics for Marketers

The content marketing industry is always in motion. New trends and behaviors pop up all the time, and marketers must constantly adapt and fine-tune content marketing strategies to maximize growth.

It’s easy to get lost in the confusing eddies and currents of the marketing world. Luckily, there are some key content marketing statistics to help you cut through the noise and get straight to business.

Not sure where to get started? We’ve gathered some of the most important content marketing statistics out there—all the information you need to make smart, data-driven decisions for your next campaign.

Content Marketing Growth Statistics

1. Over 615 million devices have ad-block software.

Traditional marketing strategies won’t work on today’s consumers. Online visitors are savvy and often ignore pitches and skip commercials. In fact, according to a 2017 report, 615 million devices have ad-block software. When ads can’t reach hundreds of millions of devices, content marketing is your best bet.

2. Over 4 million blog posts are published every day.

It’s no secret that content marketing is a saturated field:

• In March 2019, more than 4.4 million blog posts were published every day.
• As of 2020, 70 million new blog posts are published each month on WordPress alone.

In this marketing climate, you have to make your content stand out. Plan out your strategy by integrating search engine optimization (SEO) best practices with impeccable pieces of content, a detailed content calendar, and in-depth research on your target audience to ensure your message resonates with the people that want it most.

3. Once you've published 24-51 blog posts, traffic to your site increases by up to 30%.

Content marketing is both quality and quantity. Once you reach 24-51 posts on your blog, your site:

• is more likely to be indexed by Google
• will see more backlinks

In other words, if you publish enough, your website will be more visible in consumer searches.

4. Content marketing costs are 62% lower than traditional marketing costs.

Content marketing is more cost-effective than traditional marketing. Most traditional marketing strategies involve print advertisements, direct mail, or broadcast—mediums that devour budgets and resources. Web content takes far fewer resources, is much easier to distribute widely, and turns leads into customers more reliably.

5. 59% of the most effective B2C marketers have a content strategy.

Content marketing works, and B2C marketers know it. In fact, statistics show:

• 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing in their campaigns.
• 81% of B2C content marketers use content to build brand loyalty.
• 59% of the most successful B2C content marketers use a content strategy.

Why is content marketing so effective? Because 78% of consumers trust a brand more if it offers customized content. Customized content conveys knowledge and expertise. It builds your company as an authoritative source in your field or industry.

SEO Statistics

6. Between 2016-2018, purchasing searches that contained the phrase “near me” increased by 500%.

When trying to create online content, be sure to stay tapped into SEO trends and best practices. Local SEO is on the rise, with many mobile consumers searching variants of the phrase “near me” to find the products and services they need. The trend has grown dramatically in recent years—today, 82% of mobile device shoppers conduct “near me” searches.

If you feel out of the loop, there are plenty of SEO experts who offer advice on boosting your website’s optimization.

7. Headlines consisting of 6-13 words bring the most traffic.

SEO is an entire field unto itself and involves technical details ranging from optimizing on-page text to behind-the-scenes metadata. But even after boosting your search engine rankings, you need a way to get viewers to click on your content. There’s a lot to learn, but a few simple tricks will bring more traffic your way:

• Organically include headlines and posts with high-quality keywords.
• Keep your headlines between 6-13 words to bring the most traffic.
• Avoid keyword stuffing and other black hat SEO practices.
• Use SEO writing tools or keyword research tools to research keywords or phrases for your website.

Pay particular attention to your headlines:

• Headlines help you make a first impression and largely determine whether readers click on your website.
• Search engines place more priority on titles and headings than on body text when crawling your webpages.
• At least 43% of blog readers tend to skim posts—meaning they will primarily see your headings.

Video Content Statistics

8. A video thumbnail in search results doubles your search traffic.

By 2022, online video is projected to make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic. 85% of content marketers have caught on and started using video content to promote their brands. If you join the fray, learn the right tricks.

Writing catchy headlines will bring viewers to your blog posts, but for video content, be sure to also include a thumbnail. People are twice as likely to click on a search result with a video thumbnail.

9. 58% of users stop watching a video in the first 90 seconds.

Bear this in mind when writing video scripts and filming. Videos need to hook the viewer within the first minute and a half to keep them engaged.

Alternatively, keep your message short. A shorter video has a higher chance of being viewed in its entirety and often times is sufficient for your marketing goals.

10. 97% of consumers report that video helps them understand a product.

97% of consumers and online marketers claim that videos help customers better understand a product or service. This medium is so helpful and engaging that 87% of consumers want to see more video content from brands. When done well, videos give you the best bang for your buck and engage your audiences with informative pieces and entertainment.

11. 45% of consumers say that authoritative content makes a brand video feel authentic.

You need to provide quality, curated content. Nearly half of all consumers will believe your video content is more authentic if it provides informative, reliable, and authoritative content.

12. 64% of viewers are likely to buy a product online after watching branded social videos.

Video conversion rates are staggering. This form of media is priceless in the world of content marketing—and the numbers show that, when executed well, it helps boost your sales exponentially.

Every avenue of the internet welcomes videos.

• Social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat are home to short clips.
• Streaming platforms like Twitch, Facebook Live Stream, and Instagram Live are all fun, interactive ways to engage with followers through video.
• You can use YouTube or your company website to post longer, more informative videos.

Videos are easy to share on social media, making them great for growing website traffic, raising brand awareness, and boosting brand authority.

13. 62% of viewers watch videos on mobile.

More than half of internet users watch video content via mobile devices. You should tailor your content accordingly; when viewers have a negative experience with a brand’s video on mobile:

• 39% never watch another video from that brand
• 31% choose to avoid that brand’s products or services
• 24% flat out unfollow the brand

Interactive Content Statistics

14. 96% of users who start a BuzzFeed quiz will finish it.

A great way to boost user engagement is to use interactive content. Interactive content makes the user take action: quizzes, polls, social media interactions, and even mundane tasks such as providing an email address guarantee users will pay more attention to what you have to say.

The numbers speak for themselves. BuzzFeed commonly uses interactive quizzes to engage with its audiences, outputting 7.8 quizzes per day on average, and 96% of viewers who start a BuzzFeed quiz will finish it. Those numbers are staggering compared to the 58% of video watchers who won’t watch past 90 seconds.

15. Visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared on social media.

81% of content marketers agree that interactive content grabs user attention, and they’re not wrong. With mediums such as animations, infographics, and videos, interactive content is often visually appealing and highly engaging:

• Visual content is 40 times more likely than other forms of content to be shared on social media.
• Infographics receive three times more likes and shares on social media than any other type of content.

Incorporating interactive content is an excellent way to grow organic traffic via shares on social media and increase user engagement with your business.

16. Configurators and calculators are effective interactive tools.

Businesses commonly use interactive content to influence the buyer’s final decision; when content marketers were surveyed in 2016:

• 75% used interactive content to educate their target audience
• 59% sought to increase user engagement with interactive content

But interactive content doesn’t just involve telling the consumer about your product or service. During the decision-making stage of a buyer’s process, the consumer considers their options and looks to make the most optimal decision. At this point, you can use an interactive online configurator or calculator—51% of content marketers agree that online calculators are effective during this stage of the buyer’s journey.

Social Media Statistics

17. 1.66 billion people log onto Facebook every day.

Marketers twenty years ago lived in a different world than the one we live in now, thanks in large part to social media. Social media has provided entirely new ways for people to connect and for brands to promote themselves. People often share or review offerings online, helping businesses to grow their traffic organically. Brands commonly pay enormous sums of money for influencers to market products or services.

Today’s marketers must keep up and create content for social media. After all, each day:

• 1.66 billion active users log onto Facebook.
• More than 500 million people use Instagram stories.

Shares on social media will not only help your business’s brand awareness and organic traffic, but also build your social proof, brand authority, and customer trust.

18. 86% of consumers prefer an authentic and honest brand personality.

How should you depict yourself on social media? 86% of consumers prefer an authentic and honest brand personality over one that’s sarcastic, political, or overly opinionated on social networks. Consumers don’t want to feel like they’re being sold to—remember those hundreds of millions of ad blockers? Helpful, friendly, and informative expert posts will help the most in building strong brand relationships with followers.

19. 80% of people will watch a video that appears on social media.

Visuals are often the big winners on social media. According to B2B content marketing statistics:

• 51% of B2B marketers consider creating visual media an important part of their content strategy.
• 80% of people would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog
• 20% of people will read text content on social media.

If you don't have video content for a planned post, a visual will still help you grab attention. Create an infographic or use a relevant GIF as a creative way to highlight your point.

Mobile Marketing Statistics

20. There are more than 5 billion mobile users worldwide.

Instead of computers and laptops, more and more people are on the go using tablets and smartphones to stay informed and entertained:

• 96% of Americans own a mobile device of some kind.
• 57% of people use mobile devices to open emails, compared to just 26.9% who prefer desktop applications.
• US adults spend an average of 3 hours, 43 minutes on mobile devices every day.
• 50% of searches begin on mobile devices.

This trend is only going to continue; by 2022, mobile networks are projected to support more than 8 billion mobile devices. Content marketers can’t ignore this trend.

57% of users say they wouldn’t recommend businesses whose websites are poorly designed for mobile devices. Optimizing for mobile devices is a must for your business, so whatever online medium you use—blog posts, email newsletters, videos, or others—be sure your content loads as seamlessly on mobile as it does on desktop.

21. 9 in 10 smartphone users aren’t seeking a specific brand when they perform an online search.

How often do you find yourself mindlessly pulling out your phone to run a quick Google search? Smartphones allow users to search for anything on a whim before they give a purchase real consideration:

• About 9 out of 10 smartphone users aren’t certain of what brand they want to buy from when searching for product information online.
• 60% of smartphone users directly contact a business using search results.
• 59% of shoppers agree that being able to shop on mobile is important when deciding on a brand to buy from.
• 81% of smartphone users research offerings on their devices.

If a nonchalant search leads to your website and you provide quality content, you get to turn a quick search into a sale.

22. Mobile traffic has a 125% growth rate.

While desktop traffic has a 12% growth rate, mobile traffic is growing at a rate of 125%. Your content needs to be mobile-friendly. Make sure your site is responsive and can be accessed easily on any device your customers choose to use.

Content Marketing ROI Statistics

23. Adopters of content marketing see six times more conversion rates than non-adopters.

So how effective is content marketing really? According to Aberdeen, content marketing is six times more effective than conventional marketing tactics—while adopters of content marketing saw a 2.9% average website conversion rate, non-adopters only saw 0.4%. That’s a significant difference.

24. 82% of blogging marketers see positive ROI from their marketing.

Regular blogging offers users quality content on a consistent basis, helps your business maintain relationships with customers, and builds trust with new leads. 82% of blogging marketers see positive ROI from their content marketing. But you have to be consistent—a content calendar is an essential tool for managing routine blog posts.

25. Facebook is the #1 social media channel in terms of ROI.

Nowadays, social media helps you reach the most potential leads. Among them, Facebook is the #1 social media channel for marketing, reaching a broad audience of internet users and offering the highest ROI for businesses. Even if you prefer using other platforms to share your content, be sure to maintain a Facebook business page.

<div class="tip">Curious about email statistics specifically? Check out these important email marketing stats.</div>

Conclusion

As a content marketer, it’s incredibly difficult to stay up to speed with the newest gadgets, tools, and trends. But statistics help you make sense of the marketing world and point you in the right direction for future marketing efforts.

Nowadays, marketing is not about newspaper flyers or TV advertisements. Consumers are increasingly moving online and using mobile devices. Instead of reading long articles, they watch videos and want to interact with the visuals they see online. Businesses are following suit, providing trendy social media posts and engaging pieces of interactive content.

Your content marketing strategy should similarly match the trends of the time. By learning from these statistics and acting based on robust data, you’ll be making smart, informed decisions to take your business to new heights.

This article was written by Compose.ly writer Kristen Mulrooney.