2018 Benchmarks, Budgets, and TrendsNorth AmericaCONTENTMARKETINGWelcomeThis Years B2C Content Marketing Top Performers At-A-GlanceUsage & Team OrganizationCommitment & Overall SuccessContent Marketing Strategy & TechnologiesContent Creation & DistributionGoals & MetricsBudgets & SpendingMethodology & DemographicsAbout345101619343738292TABLE OF CONTENTSWELCOMEGreetings Marketers,Welcome to B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and TrendsNorth America. This is the companion report to the B2B research we released in September 2017. The data presented in both reports was generated from our eighth annual content marketing survey. One of our key observations this year is that while B2C marketers reported slightly higher levels of overall content marketing success compared with last year, there was a decrease among those who agreed their organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve.A documented content marketing strategy can help, as it sets expectations for what teams should prioritize; yet, only 38% of B2C marketers reported having one.Our annual research has consistently shown that those who document their content marketing strategy get better results than those who dont. Another important key to success is an efficient workflow process (page 4 shows how top-performing B2C marketers rate their project management flow and other distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from their peers).We hope these research findings will be helpful as you consider which content marketing priorities to focus on in the year ahead.Yours in content,LisaMurton Beets Research Director Content Marketing Institute3AnnHandley Chief Content OfficerMarketingProfs4COMPARISON CHARTMost Successful All Respondents Least SuccessfulOrganization is extremely/very committed to content marketing 93% 60% 23%Organizations content marketing is sophisticated/mature 72% 36% 8%Has a documented content marketing strategy 59% 38% 18%Percentage of total marketing budget spent on content marketing (average) 26% 22% 18%Expects organization to increase content marketing budget in the next 12 months 35% 37% 45%Rates project management flow during content-creation process as excellent/very good 56% 36% 11%Always/frequently delivers content consistently 82% 60% 16%Agrees that organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve82% 55% 40%Agrees that leadership team gives ample time to produce content marketing results 80% 56% 36%Always/frequently focuses on creating content for audience versus brand 84% 68% 43%Always/frequently prioritizes delivering content quality over content quantity 87% 70% 46%This Years B2C Content Marketing Top Performers At-A-Glance 2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsChart term definitions: A top performer (aka “most successful”) is one who characterizes his or her organizations overall content marketing approach as extremely or very successful. The “least successful” characterize their organizations approach as minimally or not at all successful. Base: B2C content marketers.5USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATIONB2C CONTENT MARKETINGWhen compared with all respondents, enterprise marketers (1,000+ employees) were more likely to report their organization has a centralized content marketing group (40% vs. 23%).Thirty-six percent of respondents said their organizations are in the sophisticated/mature phase of content marketing; 28% are in the adolescent phase; and 36% are in the young/first steps phase.Approximately half (49%) of B2C marketers surveyed outsource content creation activities (e.g., writing, design, video production).6USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATION2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsDoes your organization use content marketing?Content marketing is defined as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” Base = All B2C respondents.YesNoPercentage of B2C RespondentsWho Use Content Marketing86%14%7USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATION2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsHow would you describe your organizations content marketing maturity level?How B2C Marketers Assess Their Organizations Content Marketing Maturity LevelSOPHISTICATED MATURE ADOLESCENT YOUNG FIRST STEPS7% 29% 28% 26% 10%Providing accurate measurement to the business, scaling across the organizationFinding success, yet challenged with integration across the organizationHave developed a business case, seeing early success, becoming more sophisticated with measurement and scalingGrowing pains, challenged with creating a cohesive strategy and a measurement planDoing some aspects of content, but have not yet begun to make content marketing a processBase: B2C content marketers; aided list.8USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATION2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsHow is content marketing structured within your organization?Base: B2C content marketers; aided list.B2C Content Marketing Organizational Structure23%10%11%55%Centralized content marketing groupthat works with multiple brands/productlines throughout the organizationEach brand/product/department hasits own content marketing teamBoth: a centralized group aswell as individual teamsthroughout the organization Small (or one-person)marketing/content marketing teamserves the entire organization9USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATION2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsWhat content marketing activities does your organization outsource?Content Marketing Activities B2C Marketers Outsource49%26%17%10%4%Content Creation(e.g., writers, designers,video production)Do not outsource anycontent marketing activitiesContent Promotion/DistributionContent Marketing MeasurementContent Marketing StrategyOther38%Note: More than three out of five (62%) of respondents outsource at least one of the content marketing activities listed.Base: B2C content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.SPONSORED BY10COMMITMENT &OVERALL SUCCESSB2C CONTENT MARKETINGLike last year, 60% of B2C marketers said their organizations are extremely/very committed to content marketing.When compared with last year, a higher percentage of B2C marketers reported their organizations overall content marketing approach is extremely/very successful (28% vs. 25%) or moderately successful (50% vs. 45%). The percentage reporting minimal success decreased (19% vs. 27% last year).The percentage of B2C marketers that agreed their organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve decreased from 69% last year to 55% this year.11COMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESS2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsHow would you describe your organizations commitment level to content marketing?Base: B2C content marketers; aided list.42%8%1%31%18%B2C Organizations Commitment to Content MarketingExtremelyCommittedVery CommittedSomewhat CommittedNot Very CommittedNot At All Committed122018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsCOMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow would you characterize the success of your organizations current overall content marketing approach?Base = B2C content marketers; aided list.Note: The survey defined success as achieving your organizations desired/targeted results. This report defines the Top 2 respondents (extremely/very) as “most successful” or “top performers,” and the Bottom 2 (minimally/not at all) as “least successful.”50%19%3%23%5%How B2C Marketers Rate the Success of Their Organizations Overall Content Marketing ApproachExtremelySuccessfulVery SuccessfulModeratelySuccessfulMinimallySuccessfulNot At All Successful132018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsCOMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow does the success of your organizations current overall content marketing approach compare with one year ago?Base: B2C content marketers; aided list.How B2C Marketers Rate Their OrganizationsContent Marketing Success ComparedWith One Year Ago23%43%25%5%0%5%Much More SuccessfulSomewhatMore SuccessfulAbout the Same asOne Year AgoSomewhatLessSuccessfulMuch LessSuccessfulDoes Not Apply(program less thanone year old)142018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsCOMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSTo what factors do you attribute your organizations increase in overall success with content marketing?Base: B2C content marketers who said their organizations overall content marketing approach is much more or somewhat more successful compared with one year ago.Other factors cited: Content Marketing Technologies/Tools (28%); More Budget for Content Marketing (25%); We Have Given Our Efforts Time to Bear Fruit and Are Now Getting Results (24%); Content Marketing Training/Education (21%); Changes in Our Target Audience(s) (12%); Assistance of Outside Expertise (10%); and Other (5%).Note: Due to the low number of B2C respondents who said their organizations content marketing success had decreased compared with one year ago, this report does not include a chart showing factors contributing to decreased success.Factors Contributing to B2C Marketers Increased Content Marketing Success Over the Last Year75%72%53%46%Content Creation (higherquality, more ef_f_icient)Strategy (developmentor adjustment)Content Distribution (bettertargeting, identif_icationof what works)Content Marketing HasBecome a Greater PrioritySpending More Time onContent MarketingManagement/HR (organizationalchanges, staf_f_ing, new contentmarketing roles)Content Measurement(growing in ability toshow results)47%39%39%15OPINIONS ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsIndicate your level of agreement with the following statements concerning content marketing in your organization.Base = Content marketers; aided list.Base: B2C content marketers; aided list.B2C Marketers Opinions About Content Marketing85% 9% 6%79% 13% 8%56% 25% 19%14%22%23%33%55%53%51% 27% 22%20% 32% 48%Our organization is focused on buildingaudiences (building one or more subscriber bases)Our organization values creativity and craftin content creation and productionOur leadership team gives us ample timeto produce content marketing resultsOur organization has realistic expectationsabout what content marketing can achieveWe are discontinuing specif_ic content marketingactivities that weve found to be inef_fective, sowe can concentrate on those that yield the best resultsOver the last year, it has become increasinglydif_f_icult to capture our audiences attentionWe are creating less content than one yearago, but that content is driving greater results Agree Neither Agree Nor Disagree Disagree 16B2C CONTENT MARKETINGThe percentage of respondents that reported theirorganization has a documented content marketingstrategy is nearly the same as last year (38% vs. 40%).Respondents said their organizations use an average of four digital technologies specifically for managing content marketing efforts.The two types of technology with the highest reported use are analytics tools (85%) and email-focused marketing technology (78%).CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIES17CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIES2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsDoes your organization have a content marketing strategy?Base: B2C content marketers; aided list.36%6%38%20%Percentage of B2C Marketers Who Have a Content Marketing StrategyYes, and it is documentedNo, with no plans to have one within 12 monthsYes, but it is not documentedNo, but plan to have one within 12 months182018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsWhich types of digital technologies does your organization use specifically for managing its content marketing efforts?Base: B2C content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.Other technologies used: Video Tools/Platforms (19%); Content Collaboration/Workflow Software (17%); Content Promotion/Distribution Software (17%); Webinar/Online Presentation Platforms (17%); Content Planning/Creation Software (13%); Digital Asset Management (DAM) System/File Storage (12%); Content Optimization Software (5%); and Other (7%).Technologies B2C Marketers Use to ManageContent Marketing Eorts(Top 4)85%Content Management System Email Marketing Technology (email-focused)Analytics Tools78%59%35%Marketing Automation Software(automation-focused)AVERAGE NUMBER USED:Most Successful . 4All Respondents . 4Least Successful . 3CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIES19CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONB2C CONTENT MARKETINGWhen asked how well content-creation projects flow within their organizations, 36% of respondents rated the flow as excellent/very good; 38% rated it as good; and 26% rated it as fair/poor.Among the content types, distribution formats, and social media platforms that respondents use, they rated social media posts, email, and Facebook as most effective in helping their organizations achieve specific objectives.86% of respondents said they use email for content marketing purposes; automated confirmation emails (e.g., a welcome email) is the type of email they use most often (58%).20CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTION2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsHow often do you take the following concepts into account while creating content for your organization?Base: B2C content marketers; aided list.How Often B2C Marketers Consider Various Concepts While Creating Content90%79%72%70%68%68%60%47% 36% 17%27% 13%26% 6%28% 4%26% 4%17%23% 5%4%10%Ensure that our content isfact-based and/or credibleConsider how our content impacts the overallexperience a person has with our organizationPrioritize delivering content qualityover content quantityFocus on creating content for ouraudience versus our brandDif_ferentiate our content fromour competitions contentPrioritize providing the right content tothe right person at the right timeDeliver content consistently(e.g., on a def_ined, regularly scheduled basis)Craft content based on specif_icpoints of the buyers journey Always/Frequently Sometimes Rarely/Never 21USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATION2018 B2C Content Marketing TrendsNorth America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfsCONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONHow would you rate