B2B marketing statistics and trends show the industry’s shift towards a more digital strategy. B2B marketers now heavily rely on content market tactics to bring in leads and grow the lead pool. Below are 15+ statistics that show how B2B companies are shifting and changing towards more digital, content-based campaigns.
1. 45% of B2B companies have a formal marketing plan in place (Statistica).
2. Only 28% of B2B marketers say they have a documented editorial mission statement (HubSpot).
3. Lack of resources, such as staff, funding, and time, remains the biggest obstacle to successful lead generation for 61% of B2B marketers (BrightTALK).
4. On average, B2B marketers allocate 28 percent of their total marketing budget to content marketing (Content Marketing Institute).
5. Only 37% of companies have a documented content marketing strategy (Content Marketing Institute).
B2B marketers typically lack a written marketing strategy, which most likely is due to time and resource constraints. However, a documented mission and tactics will help improve overall campaigns by keeping everyone on the same page, reaching towards the same goal. While time makes doing this difficult, in the end, having a clearly defined plan helps content marketing teams to execute quality content and make that content available to marketing and sales teams.
6. 53% of B2B marketers say email is the most effective lead generation tactic (Statistica).
7. 56% of B2B marketers say ‘compelling content for each stage in the buying process’ is the most effective B2B email lead generation tactic (Statistica).
Email remains a top tactic used by B2B marketers who want to reach potential clients and remain top-of-mind as that prospect moves along the sales funnel. The content in those emails is what really matters. Content aligned to the buyer journey is an effective tactic since that content is useful for the user. Businesses that can provide useful content along the buyer journey will remain much more competitive in the marketplace than those who cannot.
8. 91% of B2B marketers used content marketing in 2017 (Statistica).
9. B2B companies that blogged 11+ times per month had almost 3X more traffic than those blogging 0-1 times per month (HubSpot).
10. 49% of B2B marketers say articles are the most effective type of content for moving prospects through the sales funnel (Statistica).
11. 53% of B2B marketers say their content marketing strategy is successful (Content Marketing Institute)
12. 76% of B2B marketers prioritize content quality over quantity. (Content Marketing Institute)
13. 90% of B2B marketers say the leading attribute of content marketing effectiveness is “audience relevance” (Statistica).
14. 55% of B2B marketers say they are unclear on what content marketing success or effectiveness looks like (Content Marketing Institute).
Content marketing has become a hugely successful tactic for B2B marketers. Outbound marketing strategies are outdated and useless, so marketers have turned to inbound practices, with content marketing leading the way. From blog writing to social, from case studies to articles, B2B content marketing tactics bring in more leads and guide them through the sales funnel.
One challenge B2B marketers face is analyzing and measuring the effectiveness of the content strategy. While it’s clear that content marketing works, B2B marketers cannot measure which tactics specifically work better or worse than others. Using analytical tools, such as Google Analytics, B2B marketers can measure content pieces’ effectiveness to analyze campaigns better and make changes accordingly.
15. 31% of B2B marketers use marketing automation to increase revenue (Statistica).
16. Most B2B marketers use technology and marketing automation for email nurturing campaigns (Statistica).
17. B2B marketers say the number one benefit of marketing automation is the ability to generate more and better leads (Pepper Global).
Marketing technology has clear benefits, and B2B marketing teams are using this technology with email automation and lead scoring. Working with the sales team, B2B marketers can increase the quality and quantity of leads by using automation tools such as HubSpot. With the two teams working together, they can analyze which tactics brought in better quality leads and then replicate those tactics accordingly.
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