Blogs are the most commonly produced content type by both B2B and B2C marketers, with 8 in 10 respondents from each group reporting their production, according to recent studies from Conductor. Videos are the next-most popular content type for both segments; both blogs and videos are among the most effective content types, per recent research.
The use of video content has become more important in recent years for B2B marketers, who now see video as the second-most indispensable content type, behind blogs. Nielsen research also indicates that (more for the B2C side), branded video content is more effective than pre-roll ads across several KPIs, including lift in purchase intent.
While B2B and B2C marketers share the same top content formats, there’s a wide gulf between them after that. B2B marketers, for example, are almost 4 times more likely than B2C marketers to produce white papers (57% vs. 16%) and webinars (47% vs. 13%), and more than twice as likely to produce presentations (54% vs. 26%) and ebooks (43% vs. 21%). Those aren’t necessarily surprising results, as those content types are typically associated more with B2B than B2C marketing.
(An alternate – and more expansive – breakdown of B2B vs. B2C content marketing is available here.)
In other results from the Conductor surveys:
- B2B and B2C marketers were fairly similar in their self-assessments regarding technical SEO measures, with B2B marketers giving themselves slightly higher ratings;
- B2B marketers (28%) are more likely than their B2C counterparts (21%) to segment and target their audiences with both personas and buyer journeys; and
- B2B marketers rated themselves “excellent” or “good” in website speed at a greater rate than B2C marketers (64% and 55%, respectively), and similarly were more likely to give themselves a high rating for mobile optimization (65% and 53%, respectively).
For a broad and detailed analysis of B2B content marketing trends and digital marketing trends in general, see MarketingCharts’ B2B Digital Marketing Insights Report.
About the Data: The B2C data is based on a survey of 290 B2C marketers primarily within the retail, financial resources and education industries. Half of the respondents come from a marketing team with at least 4 members.
The B2B data is derived from a survey of 431 B2B marketers primarily from the technology, consulting and manufacturing industries. Half of the respondents come from a marketing team with at least 4 members.
