,MANUFACTURING,CONTENT MARKETING:,2018 Benchmarks, Budgets, and TrendsNorth America,2018,Welcome,Differences Between ManufacturingMarketers by Organizations ContentMarketing Maturity Level,Usage & Team Organization,Content Creation & Distribution,Methodology & Demographics,About,3,4,5,10 Commitment & Overall Success,19,37,38,29 Goals & Metrics34 Budgets & Spending,TABLE OF CONTENTS,16 Content Marketing Strategy & Technologies2,WELCOME,GreetingsMarketers,Welcometoourfifthannualreportonthecontentmarketingpracticesofmanufacturers.ContentMarketingInstitute(CMI)hasbeenconductingannual,contentmarketingresearchsince2010,butbecauseourdataindicatedthatmanufacturerswereslowerthanotherindustriestoadoptcontentmarketing,wedidntbeginproducingamanufacturingreportuntil2014.,Itsbeenexcitingtowatchmoreandmoremanufacturerslaunchcontentmarketinginitiativeswitheachpassingyear.Andforthosethatarejuststartingoutorareatastandstilltherearelessonstolearnfromcompaniesthatarefurtheralongintheircontentmarketingmaturity(seepage4).Forexample,mostcontentmarketingprogressisbuiltonafoundationofastrongcommitmenttotheapproachandadocumentedcontentmarketingstrategy.Beyondthosetwobasics,theresearchshowsthatmanufacturerswhoaremoresophisticated/maturewithcontentmarketingoften,amongotherdifferentiators:,n Delivercontentconsistently,n Haverealisticexpectationsaboutwhatcontentmarketingcanachieven Valuecreativityandcraftincontentcreationandproduction.,Fifty-fivepercentofmanufacturingmarketerssurveyedthisyeartoldustheirorganizationsoverallcontentmarketingapproachis“moderately”successful.Thoseworkingtobecome“extremely”or“very”successfulhavemanyresourcesavailabletoassistthemintheirefforts.Letusknowhowwecanhelp!,Yoursincontent,Lisa Murton Beets,ResearchDirector,ContentMarketingInstitute,Specialthanksto:JoePulizzi,CMIfounder,andAnnHandley,chiefcontentofficer,MarketingProfs.CMIteammembers:StephanieStahl,generalmanager;RobertRose,chiefstrategyadviser;KimMoutsos,vicepresidentofcontent;MicheleLinn,editorialstrategyadviser;NancyReese,researchconsultant;andJosephKalinowski,creativedirector.Thanksalsotoourreportsponsor,IEEEGlobalSpecMediaSolutions.,3,AllRespondents,Sophisticated/Mature,Adolescent,Young/FirstSteps,OrganizationsoverallcontentmarketingapproachisextremelyorverysuccessfulOrganizationisextremely/verycommittedtocontentmarketingHasadocumentedcontentmarketingstrategyPercentageoftotalmarketingbudgetallocatedtocontentAlways/frequentlydeliverscontentconsistentlyAgreesthatorganizationisrealisticaboutwhatcontentmarketingcanachieveAgreesthatorganizationvaluescreativityandcraftincontentcreationandproductionRatesprojectmanagementflowduringcontentcreationprocessasexcellent/verygoodAlways/frequentlycraftscontentbasedonspecificpointsofthebuyersjourney,14%38%19%22%45%47%62%20%27%,33%73%33%32%73%67%80%37%48%,18%50%25%23%48%61%78%30%18%,2%13%10%15%29%29%43%5%21%,COMPARISON CHARTDifferences Between Manufacturing Marketers byOrganizations Content Marketing Maturity Level*,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs4,*Seep.7fordefinitionsofcontentmarketingmaturitylevels.,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers.,USAGE&TEAM,5,ORGANIZATION,MANUFACTURINGCONTENTMARKETING,Team organization is similar to what was reported last year: 57% havesmall (or one-person) marketing/content marketing teams serving theentire organization.,Nearly half of respondents (46%) said their organization is in the young/first steps of content marketing maturity; 30% are in the adolescentphase; and 22% are in the mature/sophisticated phase.,Almost three out of five respondents (58%) outsource at least one,content marketing activity; conversely, 42% do not outsource any contentmarketing activities.,Contentmarketingisdefinedas“astrategicmarketingapproachfocusedoncreatinganddistributingvaluable,relevant,andconsistentcontenttoattractandretainaclearlydefinedaudienceand,ultimately,todriveprofitablecustomeraction.”Base:Allmanufacturingrespondents.,86%,Yes2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs6,USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATIONDoes your organization use content marketing?PercentageofManufacturingRespondentsWhoUseContentMarketingNo,14%,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,7,USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATIONHow would you describe your organizationscontent marketing maturity level?HowManufacturingMarketersAssessTheirOrganizationsContentMarketingMaturityLevel,Providingaccurate,SOPHISTICATED4%measurementtothebusiness,scalingacrosstheorganization,Findingsuccess,MATURE18%yetchallengedwithintegrationacrosstheorganization,Havedeveloped,ADOLESCENT30%abusinesscase,seeingearlysuccess,becomingmoresophisticatedwithmeasurementandscaling,Growingpains,YOUNG34%challengedwithcreatingacohesivestrategyandameasurementplan,Doingsomeaspects,FIRST STEPS12%ofcontent,buthavenotyetbeguntomakecontentmarketingaprocess,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,8,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATIONHow is content marketing structuredwithin your organization?ManufacturingContentMarketingOrganizationalStructure,20%,57%,7%11%5%,Centralizedcontentmarketinggroupthatworkswithmultiplebrands/productlinesthroughouttheorganizationEachbrand/product/departmenthasitsowncontentmarketingteamBoth:acentralizedgroupaswellasindividualteamsthroughouttheorganizationSmall(orone-person)marketing/contentmarketingteamservestheentireorganizationOther,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs9,USAGE & TEAM ORGANIZATIONWhat content marketing activities does yourorganization outsource?ContentMarketingActivitiesManufacturingMarketersOutsource,49%,25%,15%,9%,3%,ContentCreation(e.g.,writers,designers,videoproduction)ContentPromotion/DistributionContentMarketingMeasurement,ContentMarketingStrategy,OtherDonotoutsourceanycontentmarketingactivities,42%,Note:Almostthreeoutoffive(58%)ofrespondentsoutsourceatleastoneofthecontentmarketingactivitieslisted.,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers.Aidedlist;multipleresponsespermitted.,COMMITMENT &,10,OVERALL SUCCESS,MANUFACTURINGCONTENTMARKETING,Around half of respondents (51%) describe their organization assomewhat committed to content marketing. The remaining are eitherextremely/very committed (38%) or not very/not at all committed (11%).,The majority of respondents (55%) characterize their organizationsoverall content marketing approach as moderately successful.,Like last year, nearly 60% of respondents said their overall contentmarketing success has increased (much more/somewhat more)compared with one year ago.,10%,11,36%,ExtremelyCommitted,COMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow would you describe your organizationscommitment level to content marketing?ManufacturingOrganizationsCommitmenttoContentMarketingVery Committed,SomewhatCommittedBase:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,1%Not At AllCommittedNot VeryCommitted2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,12%,51%,26%,3%,2%,12,targeted results.Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,55%,11%28%,COMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow would you characterize the successof your organizations current overallcontent marketing approach?HowManufacturingMarketersRatetheSuccessofTheirOrganizationsOverallContentMarketingApproachVerySuccessful,ModeratelySuccessfulNote: The survey defined success asachieving your organizations desired/,MinimallySuccessful2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,ExtremelySuccessfulNot At AllSuccessful,13,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,COMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSHow does the success of your organizationscurrent overall content marketing approachcompare with one year ago?HowManufacturingMarketersRatetheSuccessofTheirOrganizationsOverallContentMarketingApproachComparedwithOneYearAgo43%34%13%,5%,0%,4%,MuchMoreSuccessful,SomewhatMoreSuccessful,AbouttheSameasOneYearAgo,SomewhatLessSuccessful,MuchLessSuccessful,DoesNotApply(programlessthanoneyearold),14,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,COMMITMENT & OVERALL SUCCESSTowhatfactors do you attributeyourorganizationsincrease insuccess withcontentmarketing?,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketerswhosaidtheirorganizationsoverallcontentmarketingapproachismuchmoreorsomewhatmoresuccessfulcomparedwithoneyearago.,FactorsContributingtoManufacturingMarketersIncreasedContentMarketingSuccessOvertheLastYear(Top5),Content Creation (higherquality, more e cient)Strategy (developmentor adjustment)Spending MoreTime onContent MarketingContent Distribution (bettertargeting, identi cationof what works)Content Marketing HasBecome a Greater Priority,76%66%57%55%54%,Otherfactorscited:ContentMarketingTechnologies/Tools(32%);ContentMeasurement(growinginabilitytoshowresults)(32%);Management/HR(organizationalchanges,staffing,newcontentmarketingroles)(32%);More,BudgetforContentMarketing(32%);ContentMarketingTraining/Education(25%);WeHaveGivenOurEffortsTimetoBearFruitandAreNowGettingResults(17%);ChangesinOurTargetAudience(s)(11%);AssistanceofOutsideExpertise(9%);andOther(4%).Note:Duetothelownumberofmanufacturingrespondentswhosaidtheirorganizationscontentmarketingsuccesshaddecreasedcomparedwithoneyearago,thisreportdoesnotincludeachartshowingfactorscontributingtodecreasedsuccess.,15,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,OPINIONS ABOUT CONTENT MARKETINGIndicate your level of agreement with the following statementsconcerning content marketing in your organization.ManufacturingMarketersOpinionsAboutContentMarketing,77%,13%,10%,16%,62%47%45%35%31%,25%29%38%47%,22%28%26%27%22%,12%,34%,54%,Our organization is focused on buildingaudiences (building one or more subscriber bases),Our organization values creativity and craftin content creation and productionOur organization has realistic expectationsabout what content marketing can achieveOur leadership team gives us ample timeto produce content marketing resultsWe are discontinuing speci c content marketingactivities that weve found to be ine ective, sowe can concentrate on those that yield the best resultsOver the last year, it has become increasinglydi cult to capture our audiences attention,We are creating less content than one yearago, but that content is driving greater results, Agree, Neither Agree Nor Disagree, Disagree,16,MANUFACTURINGCONTENTMARKETING,The likelihood of having a documented content marketingstrategy increases as an organization becomes more,mature/sophisticated with its content marketing approach.,80% of respondents who do not currently have a content marketingstrategy say they plan to have one within 12 months.,The two main types of digital technologies that manufacturing,respondents use specifically for content marketing purposes are analyticstools (90%) and email marketing-focused technology (78%).,CONTENT MARKETING,STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIES,17,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,47%,19%7%,27%,CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIESDoes your organization have acontent marketing strategy?PercentageofManufacturingMarketersWhoHaveaContentMarketingStrategy,Yes, and it isdocumentedNo, with no plansto have one within12 months,Yes, but it is notdocumented,No, but plan to haveone within 12 months,TechnologiesManufacturingMarketersUsetoManageContentMarketingEorts(Top4),90%,AnalyticsToolsEmail MarketingTechnology(email-focused)Content Management SystemMarketing Automation Software(automation-focused),78%,49%,30%,CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGIESWhich types of digital technologies does your organizationuse specifically for managing its content marketing efforts?,Othertechnologiesused:Webinar/OnlinePresentationPlatforms(20%);VideoTools/Platforms(16%);DigitalAssetManagement(DAM)System/FileStorage,(13%);ContentCollaboration/WorkflowSoftware(10%);ContentPromotion/DistributionSoftware(5%);ContentOptimizationSoftware(4%);ContentPlanning/CreationSoftware(3%);andOther(6%).Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers.Aidedlist;multipleresponsespermitted.,AVERAGENUMBERUSED:32018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs18,CONTENTCREATION,19,&DISTRIBUTION,MANUFACTURINGCONTENTMARKETING,When asked how well content-creation projects flow withintheir organization, 20% of respondents rated the flow as,excellent or very good; 31% rated it as good; and 49% rated it as fair or poor.,Among the content types, distribution formats, and social media,platforms that respondents use, they rated videos (pre-produced), email,and LinkedIn as most effective in helping their organizations achievespecific objectives.,Nearly all respondents (94%) said they always or frequently ensure thattheir content is fact-based or credible.,20,2018ManufacturingContentMarketingTrendsNorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs,Base:Manufacturingcontentmarketers;aidedlist.,CONTENT CREATION & DISTRIBUTIONHow often do you take thefollowing conceptsintoaccountwhile creatingcontent foryourorganization?HowOftenManufacturingMarketersConsiderVariousConceptsWhileCreatingContent,63%59%53%52%46%45%,27%,35%,38%,30%36%34%36%37%36%,7%5%13%12%17%19%,6%,Ensure that our content isfact-based and/or credible,Consider how our content impacts the overallexperience a person has with our organizationPrioritize delivering content qualityover content quantityDi erentiate our content fromour competitions contentFocus on creating content for ouraudience versus our brandPrioritize providing the right content tothe right person at the right timeDeliver content consistently(e.g., on a de ned, regularly scheduled basis),