CONTENT MARKETINGBenchmarks,Budgets, andTrendsIN THEUK 2018SPONSORED BYWelcomeDifferences Between UK Marketers by Organisations Commitment to Content MarketingUsage & Team OrganisationCommitment & Overall SuccessContent Marketing Strategy & TechnologiesContent Creation & DistributionGoals & MetricsBudgets & SpendingMethodology/DemographicsAboutTABLE OF CONTENTS345101619343738292SPONSORED BYWELCOME3Greetings Marketers,Its a pleasure to be reporting on the practices of UK content marketers for the sixth year. Content marketing has changed quite a bit since 2013, so our annual survey has evolved as well.In 2018, UK marketers will need to ensure that theyve set appropriate goals for content marketing (based on their organisations unique objectives)and that theyve aligned those goals with the right metrics. As you will see on page 30, 40% of those surveyed said theyre doing a fair or poor job in this area.One of the most interesting observations was how big of a difference a slight increase in an organisations commitment to content marketing can make. When marketers move from the neutral position of being “somewhat” committedto the stronger positions of “very” or “extremely” committedtheres a good chance theyll improve their overall content marketing success (see the chart on page 4).Special thanks to our report sponsor, Tomorrow People, an award-winning UK B2B content agency that helps us disseminate these research findings. We hope you find the information valuable as you plan your content marketing activities for 2018 and beyond!Yours in content,LisaMurton Beets Research Director Content Marketing InstituteSPONSORED BYSPONSORED BY4COMPARISON CHARTMostCommittedAllRespondentsSomewhat CommittedOrganisations overall content marketing approach is extremely/very successful 38% 23% 5%Has a documented content marketing strategy 58% 38% 19%Organisation does an excellent, very good, or good job of aligning metrics with content marketing goals50% 43% 32%Percentage of total marketing budget spent on content marketing (average) 40% 30% 19%Rates project management flow during content-creation process as excellent/very good 47% 35% 21%Agrees that organisation has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve83% 59% 40%Always/frequently delivers content consistently (e.g., on a defined, regularly scheduled basis)78% 56% 34%Agrees that organisation values creativity and craft in content creation and production 96% 75% 57%Agrees that leadership team gives ample time to produce content marketing results 73% 58% 43%Differences Between UK Marketers by Organisations Commitment* to Content MarketingContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.*Chart term definitions: The “most committed” respondents are those who describe their organisations commitment level to content marketing as extremely or very committed. The “somewhat committed” describe it as somewhat committed.Base: UK content marketers. 5ATRALIAN CONTENT MARKETINGUSAGE & TEAM ORGANISATIONThe larger the organisation, the more likely it is to have a centralised content marketing group that works with multiple brands/product lines throughout the organisation.39% of this years UK respondents said their organisations are in the sophisticated/mature phase of content marketing maturity; 26% are in the adolescent phase; and 34% are in the young/first steps phase.More than half of respondents (53%) outsource at least one content marketing activity. Content creation is the activity they outsource most often (42%).UK CONTENT MARKETINGSPONSORED BYSPONSORED BY6USAGE & TEAM ORGANISATIONContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.Does your organisation 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 UK respondents.YesNoPercentage of UK RespondentsWho Use Content Marketing86%14%SPONSORED BY7USAGE & TEAM ORGANISATIONContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.How would you describe your organisations content marketing maturity level?How UK Marketers Assess Their Organisations Content Marketing Maturity LevelSOPHISTICATED MATURE ADOLESCENT YOUNG FIRST STEPS7% 32% 26% 27% 7%Providing accurate measurement to the business, scaling across the organisationFinding success, yet challenged with integration across the organisationHave 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: UK content marketers; aided list.SPONSORED BY8USAGE & TEAM ORGANISATIONContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.How is content marketing structured within your organisation?UK Content Marketing Organisational StructureCentralised content marketing group that works with multiple brands/product lines throughout the organisationEach brand (product line/property) has its own content marketing teamBoth: A centralised group as well as individual teams throughout the organisationSmall (or one-person) marketing/content marketing teamserves the entire organisationOther21%7%10%57%5%Base: UK content marketers; aided list.SPONSORED BY9USAGE & TEAM ORGANISATIONContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.What content marketing activities does your organisation outsource?Content Marketing Activities UK Marketers Outsource42%14%11%10%Content Creation(e.g., writers, designers,video production)Do not outsource anycontent marketing activitiesContent Promotion/DistributionContent Marketing MeasurementContent Marketing StrategyOther47%5%Note: More than half (53%) of respondents outsource at least one of the content marketing activities listed.Base: UK content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.10COMMITMENT &OVERALL SUCCESSUK CONTENT MARKETING50% of respondents described their organisations commitment level to content marketing as extremely or very committed; 43% described it as somewhat committed; and 8% described it as not very or not at all committed.75% characterised their organisations overall content marketing approach as extremely, very, or moderately successful.68% reported that their organisations overall content marketing success has increased (much more/somewhat more) compared with one year ago.SPONSORED BYSPONSORED BY11COMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.How would you describe your organisations commitment level to content marketing?Base: UK content marketers; aided list.43%1%30%20%UK Organisations Commitment to Content MarketingExtremelyCommittedVery CommittedSomewhat CommittedNot Very CommittedNot At All Committed7%SPONSORED BY12Content Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing InstituteMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow would you characterise the success of your organisations current overall content marketing approach?Base: UK content marketers; aided list.52%22%3%20%3%How UK Marketers Rate the Success of TheirOrganisations Overall Content Marketing ApproachExtremelySuccessfulVery SuccessfulModeratelySuccessfulMinimallySuccessfulNot At All SuccessfulSPONSORED BY13Content Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing InstituteMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow does the success of your organisations current overall content marketing approach compare with one year ago?How UK Marketers Rate Their Organisations Content Marketing Approach Compared With One Year Ago14%54%25%2%0%5%Much More SuccessfulSomewhatMore SuccessfulAbout the Same asOne Year AgoSomewhatLessSuccessfulMuch LessSuccessfulDoes Not Apply(program is less thanone year old)Base: UK content marketers; aided list.SPONSORED BY14Content Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing InstituteMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSTo what factors do you attribute your organisations increase in overall success with content marketing?Other factors cited: We Have Given Our Efforts Time to Bear Fruit and Are Now Getting Results (24%); Content Marketing Technologies/Tools (22%); More Budget for Content Marketing (22%); Content Marketing Training/Education (13%); Changes in Our Target Audience(s) (10%); Assistance of Outside Expertise (7%); and Other (3%).Base: UK content marketers who said their organisations overall content marketing approach is much more or somewhat more successful compared with one year ago.Factors Contributing to UK Marketers Increased Success Over the Last Year83%68%41%38%Content Creation (higherquality, more ef_f_icient)Strategy (developmentor adjustment)Content Marketing HasBecome a Greater PriorityContent Distribution (bettertargeting, identif_icationof what works)Management/HR (organisationalchanges, staf_f_ing, new contentmarketing roles)39%38%Spending More Time onContent Marketing28%Content Measurement(growing in ability to show results)SPONSORED BY15OPINIONS ABOUT CONTENT MARKETINGContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.Indicate your level of agreement with the following statements concerning content marketing in your organisation.Base: Content marketers; aided list.UK Marketers Opinions About Content Marketing80% 11% 9%75% 16% 9%59% 20% 20%58% 23% 19%55% 23% 22%34% 41% 25%22% 33% 45%Our organisation is focused on building audiences(building one or more subscriber bases)We are discontinuing specif_ic content marketingactivities that weve found to be inef_fective, so wecan concentrate on those that yield the best resultsOur organisation values creativity and craftin content creation and productionOver the last year, it has become increasinglydif_f_icult to capture our audiences attentionOur organisation has realistic expectationsabout what content marketing can achieveOur leadership team gives us ampletime to produce content marketing resultsWe are creating less content than one year ago,but that content is driving greater results Agree Neither Agree Nor Disagree Disagree Base: UK content marketers; aided list.16UK CONTENT MARKETING78% of respondents said their organisation has acontent marketing strategy (38% said it is documented and 40% said it is verbal only).Respondents reported their organisations use an averageof three digital technologies specifically for managing contentmarketing efforts.The two types of technology with the highest reported use are analytics tools (81%) and email marketing-focused technology (78%).CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIESSPONSORED BYSPONSORED BY17CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIESContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.Does your organisation have a content marketing strategy?40%19%38%4%Percentage of UK 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 monthsBase: UK content marketers; aided list.18SPONSORED BYContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.Which type(s) of digital technologies does your organisation use specifically for managing its content marketing efforts?Base: UK content marketers. Aided list; multiple responses permitted.Other technologies used: Webinar/Online Presentation Platforms (20%); Video Tools/Platforms (17%); Content Planning/Creation Software (9%); Content Collaboration/Workflow Software (8%); Content Promotion/Distribution Software (8%); Content Optimization Software (6%); Digital Asset Management (DAM) System/File Storage (5%); and Other (1%).Technologies UK Marketers Use toManage Content Marketing Eorts(Top 4)81%Content Management System Email Marketing Technology (email-focused)Analytics Tools78%59%46%Marketing Automation Software (automation-focused)AVERAGE NUMBER USED:3CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIES19CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONUK CONTENT MARKETINGWhen asked how well content-creation projects flow withintheir organisation, 35% of respondents rated the flow asexcellent or very good; 34% rated it as good; and 31% rated it as fair or poor.Among the content types, distribution formats, and social media platforms that respondents use, they rated case studies, email, and LinkedIn as most effective in helping their organisation achieve specific objectives.44% of respondents send a monthly newsletter via email.SPONSORED BY20SPONSORED BYCONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.How often do you take the following concepts into account while creating content for your organisation?Base: UK content marketers; aided list.How Often UK Marketers ConsiderVarious Concepts While Creating Content91%74%72%71%70%57%56%43% 36% 21%34% 10%35% 8%26% 4%23% 6%21%23% 5%5%9%Ensure that our content isfact-based and/or credibleConsider how our content impacts the overallexperience a person has with our organisationPrioritise delivering content qualityover content quantityFocus on creating content for ouraudience versus our brandDif_ferentiate our content fromour competitions contentPrioritise 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 21SPONSORED BYCONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONHow would you rate the project management flow during the content creation process (from concept through completion) within your organisation?How UK Marketers Rate the Project Management FlowDuring the Content Creation ProcessEXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD FAIR POOR7% 4%28% 34% 27%The vastmajority of our projects move along eicientlyMost of our projects move along eicientlySome of our projects move along eiciently, but we face bottlenecksMost of our projects are held up by bottlenecksMany of our projects move along eicientlyContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.Base: UK content marketers; aided list.22SPONSORED BYContent Marketing in the UK 2018Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. Content Marketing Institute.CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONWhich types of content does your organisation use for content marketing purp