CMI-2020年B2B内容营销报告（英文）43页_4mb

B2B Content Marketing Summary (2020 North America)

Core Content Marketing Overview

This report provides insights into the current state of B2B content marketing in North America, highlighting trends, benchmarks, budgets, and key performance indicators (KPIs) across various organizations. It includes data from content marketers who have been engaged in content marketing for at least one year.

Main Findings

Content Marketing Success

• Top Performers (Most Successful): 87% of organizations consider their content marketing approach sophisticated/mature.
• KPIs & ROI Measurement:
  • 83% of top performers have KPIs to measure content initiatives, compared to 65% of all respondents.
  • 67% of all respondents measure content marketing ROI, with 59% rating their ability to demonstrate ROI as excellent or very good, and this jumps to 84% for top performers.
• Success Levels:
  • 42% of organizations are in the sophisticated/mature phase.
  • 8% are in the least successful phase.
  • The majority (50%) are in the moderate success category.

Content Marketing Strategy

• Documented Strategy:
  • 69% of top performers have a documented content marketing strategy.
  • 41% of all respondents have a documented strategy.
• Strategy Development:
  • The percentage of content marketers who document their strategy has been slowly increasing over the years.

Team Structure & Outsourcing

• Team Size:
  • 52% of organizations have a small (or one-person) marketing/content marketing team.
  • 25% have a centralized content marketing group.
  • 35% have 2 to 5 full-time team members dedicated to content marketing.
  • 32% have no full-time person.
• Outsourcing:
  • Half of B2B marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity.
  • Content Creation is the most commonly outsourced activity (84%).
  • Content Distribution is the second most commonly outsourced (31%).

Content Creation & Distribution

• Top Content Types:
  • Social Media Content (95%), Blog Posts/Short Articles (89%), and Email Newsletters (81%) are the most used.
• Audience Focus:
  • The average number of audiences B2B marketers create content for is 4.
  • Large companies create content for 5 audiences, while small companies create for 3.
• Customer Journey Stages:
  • 50% of B2B marketers create content for audiences in the early stages of the customer journey.
• Performance by Content Type:
  • In-person events are the highest performing for securing and converting leads.
  • Blog Posts/Short Articles are best for building brand awareness.
  • Email Newsletters are most effective for nurturing leads.
  • In-person events and Case Studies are tied for lead conversion.
  • Webinars/Online Events are also effective for lead conversion.

Content Distribution Channels

• Organic Channels:
  • Social Media (91%), Website/Blog (89%), and Email (87%) are the top organic distribution channels.
  • LinkedIn is the top choice for both organic and paid social media.
• Paid Channels:
  • 84% of B2B marketers use paid distribution channels.
  • 72% of those use paid social media.
  • LinkedIn is the most preferred paid social platform.

Metrics & Goals

• Metrics Usage:
  • 80% of B2B marketers use metrics to measure content performance.
  • 65% have established KPIs.
  • 43% measure content marketing ROI.
• Top Metrics:
  • Email Engagement (90%), Website Traffic (88%), Website Engagement (86%), Social Media Analytics (83%), and Conversions (78%) are the most commonly tracked metrics.
• ROI Tracking:
  • 59% of marketers who measure ROI rate their ability to demonstrate ROI as excellent or very good.
  • 84% of top performers rate their ability to demonstrate ROI as excellent or very good.
• Goals:
  • Most B2B marketers focus on top-of-funnel goals such as brand awareness (86%) and audience education (79%).
  • There has been an increase in those using content marketing to nurture leads (68%), build loyalty (63%), and generate sales/revenue (53%) compared to the previous year.

Budgets & Spending

• 2019 Budgets:
  • 36% of B2B marketers reported a 2019 annual content marketing budget of less than $100,000.
  • The average reported annual budget (all respondents) was $185,000.
• Budget Expectations for 2020:
  • Nearly half (49%) of B2B marketers expect their content marketing budget to increase in 2020.
• Paid Advertising:
  • 49% of organizations with budgets over $100,000 use traditional paid advertising in addition to content marketing.
  • 28% of organizations with budgets under $100,000 use traditional paid advertising.

Technology Usage

• Top Technologies:
  • Analytics Tools (86%) and Email Marketing Software (85%) are the most commonly used.
• Other Technologies:
  • Content Distribution Platform (33%), Content Optimization (24%), Content Performance/Recommendation Analytics (22%), Digital Asset Management (DAM) System (20%), and Integrated Content Marketing Platform (10%) are also used.

Conclusion

The report underscores that while B2B content marketing is becoming more sophisticated, many organizations still struggle with integration, measurement, and strategy development. There is a growing trend toward using content marketing for relationship-building and lead generation, supported by a variety of content types and distribution channels. Budgets are increasing, and technology plays a crucial role in enhancing performance and ROI. The insights provided can help organizations evaluate their current content marketing practices and identify areas for improvement.