2018北美B2C内容营销报告（英文版）_36页_2mb

2018 B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America Summary

Core Content Marketing Insights

• Overall Success: B2C marketers reported a slight increase in content marketing success compared to 2017, with 28% rating their approach as extremely/very successful and 50% as moderately successful. The percentage reporting minimal success dropped from 27% to 19%.
• Expectations: There was a decline in the percentage of marketers who believe their organization has realistic expectations about content marketing’s capabilities, from 69% to 55%.
• Strategy Documentation: Only 38% of B2C marketers reported having a documented content marketing strategy, which is lower than the 40% from the previous year. However, those with documented strategies tend to achieve better results.
• Commitment: 60% of B2C marketers said their organization is extremely/very committed to content marketing, a consistent figure from the past year.

Key Performance Indicators and Metrics

• Content Creation Process: 36% of respondents rated their project management flow as excellent/very good, while 26% rated it as fair/poor. Efficient workflows are linked to higher success.
• Content Types: The most effective content types for achieving objectives include blogs, social media posts, and email. These are used by the majority of marketers.
• Content Distribution Formats: Social media posts, email, and webinars/webcasts are the most effective formats. Marketers also use content hubs, online presentations, and print/digital magazines.
• Social Media Platforms: Facebook, email, and YouTube are the top platforms for content marketing. These are used most frequently for achieving specific goals.
• Email Types: Automated confirmation emails are the most commonly used type, followed by newsletters and partnership emails.

Budget and Spending Trends

• Budget Allocation: On average, 22% of total marketing budgets are spent on content marketing. Top performers allocate 26%, while least successful allocate 18%.
• Budget Expectations: 37% of all respondents expect an increase in their content marketing budget in the next 12 months. The least successful are most likely to increase their budgets, with 45% indicating this.
• Content Outsourcing: Approximately 49% of B2C marketers outsource content creation activities, such as writing, design, and video production.

Organizational Structure and Maturity

• Content Marketing Maturity Levels:
  • Sophisticated: 36% of respondents
  • Mature: 29%
  • Adolescent: 28%
  • Young/First Steps: 26%
  • First Steps: 10%
• Centralized Teams: Enterprise marketers (1,000+ employees) are more likely to have centralized content marketing groups (40% vs. 23% for all respondents).
• Workflow Efficiency: Marketers who rate their project management flow as excellent/very good (36%) are more likely to achieve success, with 56% of top performers rating their process as such.

Technology and Tools

• Digital Technologies Used: On average, B2C marketers use four digital technologies for content marketing. The most commonly used are analytics tools (85%) and email-focused marketing technology (78%).
• Other Tools: Video tools (19%), content collaboration/workflow software (17%), content promotion/distribution software (17%), and webinar platforms (17%) are also frequently used.

Challenges and Opportunities

• ROI Measurement: 65% of B2C marketers measure content marketing ROI, with the remaining 35% citing “we need an easier way to do this” as the primary reason for not measuring.
• Content Quality vs. Quantity: 87% of B2C marketers prioritize content quality over quantity, indicating a strong focus on value and relevance.
• Audience Focus: 84% of marketers always/frequently focus on creating content for the audience rather than the brand, highlighting a shift towards audience-centric strategies.

Summary of Findings

Conclusion

The 2018 B2C content marketing report highlights a growing commitment and success in content marketing strategies, with a clear emphasis on audience focus, quality over quantity, and efficient workflows. Despite these positive trends, many organizations still lack a documented strategy and face challenges in measuring ROI. The data underscores the importance of strategic planning, efficient project management, and leveraging the right technologies and content types to drive marketing success.