Digital marketing is more important than ever, which implies that understanding current digital marketing trends is critical. More companies are entering the digital space, and that means more competition.
It also means it’s going to be that much harder for you to rise above the noise. In this post we’re going to share some important content marketing statistics for you to know, and what they mean for manufacturing marketers.
Who’s using content marketing? Pretty much everyone.
- 85% of manufacturing marketers use content marketing.
That means there’s more competition than ever before. Chances are good your competitors are using content marketing, and if you’re not you’re going to be at a disadvantage.
- Only 31% of manufacturing marketers report having a documented content marketing strategy.
This could be good news for you, assuming you’re one of the smart marketers that does have a documented content strategy. If your marketing strategy is documented, it means everyone in your company is on the same page, working towards the same goals.
Without that documentation, the marketing process becomes much more inefficient.
With only 31% reporting a documented strategy, odds are good your competition is letting it slide. With a clear documented plan in place, and your entire team on the same page, it’s a good bet your marketing efforts will outperform the competition.
How well is B2B content marketing performing?
- 77% of manufacturers surveyed rated their content marketing efforts as extremely/very effective.
When considering digital marketing trends, it’s widely agreed upon that content marketing works for the B2B manufacturing space. This takes some of the risk out of committing to a content marketing strategy.
And, statistics like this make it an easier sell to executives who may not be convinced of the value content marketing has for manufacturing companies.
- 82% of manufacturing marketers credit focusing on content creation for their increased success over the previous year.
It stands to reason that increased effort on content creation would lead to content marketing success. But it’s nice to have the numbers to back that assumption up.
Sharing and promoting posts does no good if the posts don’t speak to your audience. Engaging content is the foundation that successful content marketing strategies are built upon.
- Of those manufacturers who reported stagnant success during the past year, 67% said not spending enough time on content marketing was to blame.
Content marketing is an ongoing process, which makes it relevant within current digital marketing trends. You can’t simply run a campaign, sit back and wait for the leads to come in.
Also note-worthy:
- 98% of industrial marketers pay to promote their content.
Content marketing doesn’t replace advertising. Rather, advertising is one piece of the larger content marketing plan. Content marketing produces results, but there’s still some promotional costs involved. This probably isn’t surprising, but it’s still good to know.
Knowing that 98% of manufacturing marketers are paying to promote their content should give you more confidence that it’s a necessary expense.
- 92% of industrial marketers use email for content distribution.
Email is still important. And that makes sense. It’s easily tracked, tested, and measured. There are alternative avenues for content promotion (social media is one) but they complement email, they don’t replace it.
What does it all mean for B2B Manufacturers?
Digital marketing trends are even more important in 2024 than they have been in the past. The vast majority of manufacturers use content marketing in some way. For most of them, it’s producing solid results.
With so many companies using content marketing, the question is no longer “should we?” but rather “can we afford not to?”
Customers are researching online. If you’re not talking to them, it’s a good bet your competition is.
But possibly the most important takeaway is this:
Even though most everyone is doing digital marketing, many of your competitors still aren’t creating content as well as they – or you – could.
That’s an opportunity for you. With a well-planned and documented content strategy, you’ll be in a great position to beat out the competition.
We can help you with that.
