CMI-2018内容营销白皮书（英文）-2018-39页-5mb

B2B Content Marketing 2018: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends — North America

Core Content Marketing Overview

Content marketing has matured significantly in the B2B sector, with organizations increasingly recognizing its value in building audiences and driving engagement. Marketers are now more focused on measuring results and refining their strategies rather than simply experimenting with the concept.

Main Findings

Content Marketing Adoption

• 89% of B2B organizations are extremely or very committed to content marketing.
• 56% of respondents outsource at least one content marketing activity, while 44% do not.
• 54% of non-users plan to launch content marketing efforts within 12 months.

Content Marketing Maturity

• Respondents are divided into five maturity levels:
  • Sophisticated/Mature (9%): Highly successful, with accurate measurement and scaling.
  • Mature (25%): Experiencing success but facing challenges with integration.
  • Adolescent (31%): Early success, improving measurement and scaling.
  • Young (25%): In the growth phase, with challenges in creating a cohesive strategy.
  • First Steps (9%): Just beginning to implement content marketing as a process.

Content Marketing Strategy

• 62% of respondents have a documented content marketing strategy.
• 75% of those without a strategy plan to develop one within 12 months.
• Qualitative feedback from those without strategy plans includes “no buy-in from executives” and “lack of cohesion and coordination among departments.”

Content Creation & Project Management

• 36% rate the flow of content-creation projects as excellent or very good.
• EBooks/white papers, email, and LinkedIn are considered the most effective content types.
• 94% of respondents ensure their content is fact-based or credible.
• 70% of respondents believe they can demonstrate how content marketing increases audience engagement and leads.

Content Distribution Formats

• EBooks/white papers, email, and LinkedIn are the top three most effective formats.
• Other commonly used formats include digital magazines, online presentations, and print magazines.

Social Media Usage

• LinkedIn, email, and Twitter are the most effective social media platforms for content marketing.
• Social media is widely used for content distribution, with LinkedIn being a top platform for engagement and lead generation.

ROI Measurement

• 55% of organizations measure content marketing ROI.
• 47% of non-measurers cited “no formal justification required” and “we need an easier way to do this” as reasons.
• 70% of marketers can show how content marketing increases audience engagement and leads, but only 51% can demonstrate its impact on sales and 25% on customer acquisition cost.

Budgets & Spending

• The average percentage of total marketing budget allocated to content marketing is 26%.
• Most successful organizations spend 40% on content marketing.
• Least successful organizations spend 14%.
• 38% of all respondents expect an increase in content marketing budgets over the next 12 months.

Methodology & Demographics

• The survey was conducted by Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs.
• It was sponsored by Brightcove.
• The survey reached 2,190 respondents globally, primarily from North American for-profit B2B organizations.
• Respondents represented a wide range of industries, company sizes, and job titles.

Key Takeaways

• Content marketing is now a strategic marketing approach with clear goals and measurable outcomes.
• Organizations with a documented strategy and higher maturity levels report greater success.
• Email, LinkedIn, and eBooks/white papers are the most effective content types and distribution formats.
• Budget allocation and ROI measurement are on the rise, with a growing emphasis on the effectiveness of content marketing.
• There is a noticeable shift towards more structured and mature content marketing practices across the industry.