If content marketers were given the resources needed, most would create more content than they do now. But, when it comes to using the content they are creating, what are the marketing priorities? For a majority of marketers, the purpose of content marketing is to create brand awareness, per a report [download page] from Parse.ly. 

Creating brand awareness is the top purpose for content marketing among B2B firms, with 9 in 10 (91% of) content marketers for B2B organizations saying as such. Most B2B content marketers surveyed are also aiming to generate demand and leads (85%), build credibility and trust (81%) and educate their audience (79%) through content marketing. These efforts have not gone to waste: research from 2020 shows that a majority of B2B content marketers had successfully achieved these same goals using content marketing

B2C organizations have similar priorities for their content marketing, however, how those priorities’ importance differs. While creating brand awareness was also the most cited priority for B2C content marketers (84%), educating the audience is considered more of a priority for B2C marketers than generating demand or leads. Also, B2C marketers are more likely than those representing B2Bs to prioritize building loyalty with existing customers. 

Top Distribution Channels

As for the most used content distribution channels, organic social media is second only to a company’s blog and website across all the marketers surveyed. A good portion of respondents are also using paid social media ads. 

A closer examination of which social media platforms B2B and B2C marketers prefer finds LinkedIn coming out on top for B2B content marketers. Some 8 in 10 use the platform for their organic marketing, while more than three-quarters (77%) use it for their paid social efforts. In fact, eMarketer data shows that about one-third of B2B display ad spending goes toward display ads on LinkedIn.

On the B2C side, Facebook remains the dominant content distribution for both organic (87%) and paid (55%) efforts. Instagram is also a popular channel, with 8 in 10 using it for their organic social media content distribution.

Measuring Content Performance

Despite general bullishness on the future of content marketing, only about half (51%) of respondents say they track metrics and understand how their content is performing. The remaining share report either tracking metrics but not knowing how content is performing (32%), not tracking metrics at all (9%) or not knowing if metrics are tracked (8%). For those who are tracking metrics, the most frequently used metrics appear to be page views (62%), email engagement (58%), social media engagement (57%) and website engagement (57%). 

The report also reveals that for more than half (53%) of respondents, their organizations’ revenue goals are not tied to content. For the more than one-quarter (27%) who do have revenue goals tied to content, advertising placements are not only the most frequently used, but also considered the most effective revenue drivers. 

The full report can be found here.

About the Data: Findings are based on a survey of more than 800 content marketers at B2B (41%), B2B and B2C (23%), B2C (10%) and other companies, including media companies and Non-Profits.

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