29 Stats to Make the Case for Content Marketing ROI in 2024

Content marketing has evolved significantly over the past few years, with new trends, consumer behaviors, and technologies shaping the landscape. Let’s explore 29 content marketing statistics that highlight the shifts in this dynamic field so we can uncover insights into how brands are adapting their strategies to engage with their audiences more effectively. 

1. Nearly three-quarters of B2B marketers have a content marketing strategy in place, though only 40% have documented that strategy.
   
2. B2B marketers’ top content priorities for 2024 include thought leadership and becoming a trusted resource in the industry.
3. The majority of B2B marketers say they expect their content marketing budget to increase by less than 10% (32%) or stay the same (42%).

4. The most popular content types among B2B marketers are short articles (94%), videos (84%), and case studies (78%).
5. Nearly 70% of B2B marketers think their organizations will increase their investment in video in 2024.
6. Companies that blog attract 55% more website visitors than those that don’t.

7. Nearly 90% of marketers say that video has helped them improve users’ understanding of their products or services. Perhaps that’s one reason why 68% of marketers who don’t use video say they plan to start in 2024.
8. Interactive content, such as polls, quizzes, and interactive infographics, generates nearly 53% more engagement than static content.
9. The most popular content is getting shorter. The average word count of the most-shared online articles is 551.8 — much lower than the previous year’s average word count of 792.

10. Content marketing generates three times more leads per dollar spent than traditional advertising, and it costs 62% less.
11. Organic traffic can grow by up to 106% after updating and republishing old posts.
12. Approximately 70% to 80% of internet users ignore paid ads in search results.

13. B2B marketers say that LinkedIn delivers the best value (84%), followed by Facebook (29%), YouTube (22%), and Instagram (21%).
14. Nearly three-quarters of B2B marketers decreased their X (formerly Twitter) use last year.
15. Nearly 20% of B2B marketers use TikTok, which is more than double last year’s percentage.

16. Seventy-four percent of marketers say that personalization increases engagement, and they see an increase of 20% in sales, on average, when providing personalized experiences.
17. Segmented email campaigns note as much as a 760% increase in revenue, demonstrating the power of targeted content.
18. Forty-four percent of B2B marketers say that email produces the best results, while 39% say that email newsletters specifically are the most effective.

19. 48% of B2B marketers say that one of the biggest challenges they face while scaling content production is not enough content repurposing.
20. The top five metrics B2B marketers use to assess content performance are conversions (73%), email engagement (71%), website traffic (71%), website engagement (69%), and social media analytics (65%).
21. B2B marketers report that content has helped them achieve their goals in the past 12 months, including brand awareness (84%), demand/lead generation (76%), subscriber/audience/lead nurture (63%), and sales/revenue generation (58%).
22. B2B marketers cite a lack of resources as their top situational challenge (the same was true last year).

23. Seventy-two percent of B2B marketers say they use generative AI, but 61% of them say their organization lacks formal guidelines for the use of AI.
24. Over half (51%) of B2B marketers use generative AI for brainstorming new topics. About 45% use it to research headlines and keywords, and the same percentage use it to write drafts. Only 23% say they use AI for outlining assignments, 20% use it for proofreading, 11% use it for graphics generation, and 5% use it for creating audio and video.

25. Mobile devices account for about half of all global website traffic, underscoring the importance of mobile-optimized content.
26. Ninety-eight percent of consumers look online to find information about local businesses.

27. Content authenticity is important to 90% of consumers when deciding which brands they like and support.
28. 70% of consumers prefer getting to know a company via blog posts than traditional ads.
29. Nearly 90% of marketers say case studies and customer testimonials are the most effective formats of content for influencing sales.

These statistics demonstrate the critical role content marketing plays in building brand awareness, engaging with customers, and driving sales. As consumer preferences and digital technologies continue to evolve, so, too, will the strategies marketers employ to connect with their audiences.