Those statistics come from a new report surveying 501 digital marketers at enterprises across the United States. Also revealed in the survey are some clues about where businesses are focusing their content marketing efforts and where they plan to take their content marketing in the future.
Video Ranks First
In the early days of content marketing, written content such as blogs and white papers were the primary format marketers produced.
And while blog posts remain a key tactic, with 69 percent of marketers publishing them, video content (72 percent) has overtaken it as the most popular content type, largely thanks to its ability to engage and entertain viewers.
“Video content is a fast and engaging way of communicating any kind of concept or topic, no matter how complex it is,” said Victor Blasco, owner and CEO of video content company Yum Yum Videos. “With a good script and the right audiovisual tools, you can get across anything and engage your audience.”
Sixty percent of marketers also produce research and data, which help build thought leadership, and infographics remain a popular way of visualizing that data, with 56 percent of marketers using them.
It’s also clear from the results that while marketers may be playing favorites a bit with video, most are using multiple forms of content in their marketing mix. That’s an important tactic for reaching a broader audience, since different people prefer to consume content in a variety of different ways.
Half of Businesses Publish Every Day
Of the businesses that invest in content marketing, more than half (51 percent) publish content daily, and almost a third (31 percent) publish weekly. While experts agree that more frequent is better, quality over quantity remains the golden rule.
Said Aylin Cook, head of content marketing at digital marketing agency Single Grain: “It’s all about putting out really good, thoroughly researched content … If companies can publish that content every day, great. If not, rather than frequency, it’s about quality and depth.”
So, while daily content is a good goal if you have the resources for it, publishing as often as you can is the next best thing.
Where Do Marketers Want to Go From Here?
Going forward, content marketers are focused on more — more original content and more visual content tied as the top improvements marketers want to make, with 22 percent prioritizing each. Optimizing content for all devices came in third with 18 percent.
Given the success many are seeing in engaging customers with video content, it makes sense that marketers would want to add even more visual components, including video, images, and infographics to the content mix.
The Bottom Line
As content marketing has matured from trendy buzzword to tried-and-true tactic, more companies are investing in it to raise awareness and grow their business. Those that aren’t prioritizing it may want to reconsider if they hope to engage their customers and ultimately drive revenue.
Companies hoping to improve their content marketing may want to double down on their efforts by focusing on producing more content, publishing more frequently, and adding more visual elements to keep users engaged and entertained. These tactics can help keep their content relevant and raise brand awareness in the increasingly noisy online world.
Kristen is a content writer and marketer at The Manifest, business news and how-to website in the heart of Washington, D.C. Connect with her on LinkedIn, or reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
