There’s no question content works.
That’s right – no question.
That means investing in content marketing isn’t a gamble. Not if you do it the right way.
Need proof? Look at the state of the industry: Its projected worth will reach nearly half a trillion dollars by 2021, according to forecasts from Technavio.
Why is investment reaching this all-time high?
Because the evidence that content works is right there for anyone to see.
Ready to see for yourself? Check out this mega list of content marketing statistics for 2019. These are the most powerful stats we could find that will prove content marketing to anyone.
(For even more proof, add our post on proving the ROI of content marketing to your reading list, too.)
17 Content Marketing Statistics That Matter: Table of Contents
Top Digital Marketing Statistics for 2018-2019: Why SEO is Super-Powered
Content Strategy Stats: Compelling Reasons to Start Planning
Content Creation Statistics: Why Invest in Content?
Stats on B2B Content Marketing Effectiveness
Let B2B Content Marketing Statistics from 2019 Inform Your Future
Top Digital Marketing Statistics for 2018-2019: Why SEO is Super-Powered
Search engine optimization powers much of content marketing in 2019, and it will continue to do so.
Let’s examine why.
1. The #1 driver of all traffic on the web? Google.
Google is not only where most web searches start – but also where most web browsing begins.
It’s not surprising. They own 76% of the total search engine market share, according to Net Market Share data.
Using SEO to rank in Google for keywords your audience is searching is, therefore, an incredible strategy. If you don’t want to grab some of that traffic for your site or your brand, well, why are you here?
2. Search drives more traffic than social media – 34.8% compared to 25.6%. (Shareaholic)
Search is even more powerful than social media for driving traffic. Search Engine Land reported that search beats social networks by nearly 10 percentage points in this arena.
Shareaholic conducted the study and found that the algorithm changes to the News Feed on Facebook had a big impact on the numbers. Along with that, more and more, search engines like Google are indexing and displaying results from social media channels.
For instance, search for any entity on Google (person, company, organization), and you’ll see results displayed from their Twitter feed:
Generally, posting on social media shouldn’t be your marketing end-all, be-all. Instead, social media marketing should complement your SEO and digital marketing efforts for best results.
3. The average conversion rate for organic traffic-to-leads across industries is 16%. (Marketing Sherpa)
Since a conversion generally refers to the instance when a buyer converts to a new role in your marketing lifecycle, conversion rates are a big deal. After all, most marketing aims to encourage buyers to convert in some shape or form.
When we talk about a traffic-to-leads conversion, we’re talking about the point when the traffic coming into your site from a Google search becomes intrigued, interested, and invested in your content. As a result, they’ll demonstrate that interest through action.
In their study, Marketing Sherpa asked marketers how they define a conversion. The results reveal how multiple actions show a buyer’s mindset and willingness to commit to a brand:
- Submitting a form with multiple fields (like a survey)
- Submitting a form with one field (like signing up for a newsletter with an email address)
- Making an online purchase
- Reading the content through to the end
The 16% conversion rate the study found is therefore super-important. This is for organic (non-paid) traffic clicking your content in search, liking what they see, and converting on it in one of the above ways.
4. Google’s #1 organic position brings in 33% of the search traffic for any given SERP. (Search Engine Watch)
When you’re #1 in Google, you’re pretty much Queen (or King) of the Mountain.
On average, 33% of search traffic will go to you, while only 17.6% will go to whoever graces position #2. (That’s a 15.4% drop.)
Even if you rank at #5 (which many brands would kill for!), you’re only getting 6.1% of all search traffic from that page.
Bottom line: The higher you rank organically, in SERPs, the more traffic you can expect to see! (And, as you know, more traffic = more lead potential.)
By the way, one of the keys to ranking higher is knowing which tools to use for SEO and keyword research. I put together a guide on Content Hacker on this exact topic to help.
5. The click-through rate (CTR) for organic position #1 is 30.97%. (Advanced Web Ranking)
Let’s keep going with the bonuses of ranking in organic position #1. If you sit in that top spot, you’ll also enjoy an average CTR of 30.97%, according to data from Advanced Web Ranking.
Why is that number such a big deal?
Well, as far as CTRs go, it’s incredible. To see what I mean, move on to the #6 statistic for marketing.
6. Meanwhile, for Google Ads on the search network, the average CTR is 3.17% across industries. (Wordstream)
Comparing Wordstream data about average CTRs on Google Ads across industries to the CTR for position #1 is a good way to see the whole picture.
The average CTR on search network ads is 3.17%. Meanwhile, organic position #1 enjoys a CTR over 10 times higher than that.
Plus, you won’t have to pay for that visibility. Content creation isn’t free, but it’s definitely cheaper than paying for search ads.
Why SEO matters in 2019? Google is still #1, search > social media, the avg. conversion rate for organic traffic-to-leads is 16%, and ranking first in Google gets 33% traffic + 30.97% CTR, 10x higher than search ads CTR. Click To TweetContent Strategy Stats: Compelling Reasons to Start Planning
Content strategy is necessary to pull together all the pieces of your content marketing plan. Without this map in your pocket, you’ll be lost. Here’s why:
7. 65% of the top-performing content marketers in 2018-2019 have a documented content strategy. (Content Marketing Institute)
Only 14% of the least successful content marketers have a documented strategy, in comparison. Those are some pretty persuasive facts from the Content Marketing Institute’s 2019 B2B research report. We can’t ignore the correlation between winners (65% with a documented strategy) and losers (the 86% without one).
8. 41% of all marketing budgets are spent on content. (Zazzle Media)
Content is exploding, and so is content marketing and strategy. There has to be a way to guide and hone your actions so the content you create DOES something every time you publish:
- Build trust with readers
- Demonstrate expertise and authority
- Convince visitors to connect with your brand further (thus becoming leads)
- Establish loyalty and a continuous relationship
More and more marketers are realizing this, thus content marketing budgets are continuing to increase – because the ROI is real, so the investment makes sense.
9. 89% of marketers now say their content marketing goals are linked to broader business goals. One year ago, only 45% said this was true. (Zazzle Media)
Again, the trend of content marketing’s upward climb is consistent, as we see from this 2018 content marketing statistic from Zazzle Media’s State of Content Report. Particularly, 45% to 89% is a huge uptick in people who are not only implementing but also understanding the basic strategy to make content work.
Linking your content goals to broader business goals is how you ensure your entire operations are on the same track. It’s super-smart, so this stat shows how marketers are getting savvier about content.
Why start a content strategy? 65% of the best content marketers have a documented content strategy, and 89% of marketers now link content marketing goals to broader business goals. Read more about the latest content marketing stats. Click To TweetContent Creation Statistics: Why Invest in Content?
At the bottom of a fantastic content strategy, you’ll find a meticulously planned and executed content creation workflow. Here are some marketing stats from 2019 that demonstrate why it works.
10. The content marketing area with the biggest spending increase from 2018 to 2019 was content creation (56%). (Content Marketing Institute)
Over and over, we are seeing content marketers get wise to what’s needed for successful content marketing through powerful content and blogging statistics like this one.
Marketers increased their budgets the most in the area of content creation in 2018 – 2019. To put it bluntly, amazing content gets readers AND rankings. Investment in its creation is being recognized (finally!) as important to achieving both of those things.
11. 77% of content marketers say they use educational content to nurture their audience. (Content Marketing Institute)
77% of marketers use educational content because it works. When you aim to teach or inform your readers, you’re offering them value – fresh knowledge, new insights, and guidance.
The majority of marketers know this and understand the worth of content that teaches.
12. 75% of content marketers report better overall ROI when they use visuals in their content. (Contently & Libris)
Consistently, GOOD content creation wins, as this marketing stat from Contently & Libris shows.
Using visuals in your content is a best-practice for a reason. Readers read differently on the internet, and adding visuals to written words helps keep them on the page and increases comprehension and memory.
13. Before doing any further shopping, 50% of internet users searched for videos on products or services that captured their interest. (Google)
In content creation, videos are still gaining steam.
And according to HubSpot’s State of Inbound report, more marketers are going to be hopping on the video content bandwagon in response. 48% of marketers plan to add a YouTube channel to their content marketing strategy next year.
That said, if you look at the above graph, you’ll see that video, in general, is on marketer’s minds. Facebook video and Instagram are the next top channels people will add to their marketing plans.
Another good insight: From the CMI report, 64% said they increased their use of audio/visual content over the past year.
Visual content marketing statistics from 2018 onward show that video is still a major content format with readers. The importance of visual content can’t be overstated – brands that invest in quality video will win with audiences.
14. 76% of B2B buyers said infographics are the most valuable content type for the early stages of the buying process. (Demand Gen)
Mark this as another win for visual content. According to a Demand Gen Content Preferences Survey, early-stage B2B buyers appreciate a good infographic that’s visually pleasing, scannable, and snackable. When they’re in the initial process of researching a brand, they have a lot of information to get through, and infographics make it easier.
Once again, infographic statistics for 2018 prove the importance of a visual content marketing strategy for any brand with an online presence. (And in 2019, that’s most brands.)
15. 71% of B2B buyers consumed blog content during their buying journeys. 3-5 content pieces are the norm. (Demand Gen)
A whopping 71% of B2B buyers read some type of content during the buying process. They didn’t just read one piece, either. Multiple content pieces played a role – 3-5 on average.
Content helps buyers make buying decisions for both online and offline purchases. When you provide the helpful content they need to feel confident in their choices, that’s a slam-dunk.
Stats on B2B Content Marketing Effectiveness
Finally, these content marketing stats from 2018 and 2019 show how content marketers rate the effectiveness of their campaigns, and what can happen when you prioritize content.
15. 79% of marketers say content marketing has been at least somewhat effective for their brand. (Zazzle Media)
For most brands, content marketing is effective to some degree. In fact, the Zazzle Media study found absolutely no one said content marketing is “not at all effective.”
It always works, but your level of success depends on how you plan, implement, and maintain your content marketing strategy. (I’d bet the 19% who said their content marketing is “extremely effective” have their strategy down pat.)
16. If you prioritize blogging, you’ll see 13x more positive ROI from your efforts. (HubSpot)
Another gem from HubSpot’s State of Inbound report: Those who put blogging at the top of their list will see 13x the ROI of those who don’t.
Remember: Content marketing ROI is generally measured in the following ways:
- Traffic increases to your site
- Improved SEO rankings
- An influx of new subscribers
- More sales
- Better brand visibility
- Higher-quality leads coming in
- Better conversion rates
Not to sound like a broken record, but, in 2019, prioritizing blogging to get those kinds of results means investing in your content strategy. THAT is what determines your blogging consistency and quality.
How effective content marketing is? 79% of marketers agree on its effectiveness! Also, according to Hubspot, prioritizing blogging brings 13x more positive ROI. Check out other awesome stats about #contentmarketing by @JuliaEMcCoy Click To TweetLet B2B Content Marketing Statistics from 2019 Inform Your Future
These B2B content marketing statistics look like just a bunch of numbers from a bird’s eye view, but when you zoom in and examine them, they’re a big deal.
These are the exact reasons why content marketing works so well in a world that’s burned-out on traditional advertising.
Are you ready to let it work for you?
