Content marketing statistics 2024: Key insights, trends & figures

In content marketing, industry developments are fast-paced, and the overall landscape is ever-changing. As a marketer, staying updated with the latest content marketing statistics is your key to success. It’s crucial to adapt to evolving content marketing trends, technology, and tactics and embrace the dynamic nature of this field. By exploring the content marketing trends of 2024 and its best practices for application, you can unlock the potential for growth and engagement in your content marketing strategies. 

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Understanding content marketing

Understanding the basics of content marketing is vital for building a successful marketing strategy in today's digital marketing scene. It is a strategic approach focusing on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a specific target audience.

Unlike traditional marketing techniques that solely promote products or services, content marketing aims to provide value to the audience by giving information, entertainment, or solutions to their problems. The emphasis is on creating high-quality content that resonates with the audience. This content can take various forms, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, or social media posts. 

The key is to deliver helpful, informative content that aligns with the reader's or user's interests and needs. By adopting a strategic approach to content marketing, you can nurture relationships with your target audience, establish yourself as a credible industry leader, and drive profitable customer action.

Content marketing statistics for 2024

Gathering content marketing data for 2024 is crucial to gain insight into effective and impactful strategies for your content marketing efforts during the year. These data offer valuable details regarding various metrics, such as engagement rates, conversion rates, return on investment (ROI), and emerging trends.

Here are various content marketing statistics you should pay attention to for better marketing strategies:

1. Content marketing is used by 82% of companies

Content marketing usage increased from 70% in 2020 to 82% in 2024. This increase shows its continued relevance and impact to a brand’s success. Content marketing is being adopted by more firms than ever before, leading to increased brand visibility and lead conversion. So, if you still need to embrace content marketing, now is the perfect time to tap into its host of benefits and stay ahead of the competition.

2. The daily average time a person spends consuming content is about 7 hours

On average, individuals now spend around 7 hours per day consuming content, which has more than doubled from the previous average of just over 3 hours in 2020. This great increase reflects the growing demand for content and highlights the chance for businesses to meet this demand through content creation.

3. 79% of content marketers rely on content marketing to create high-quality leads.

In the majority, 79% of content marketers use content marketing to produce high-quality leads. This finding stresses that lead generation is the top priority for content marketers, followed by driving website traffic and enhancing brand reputation.

4. 51% of content marketers rate the performance of their strategy positively.

While the 51% rating indicates the overall success of the marketing efforts, only 11% rate their performance as 'excellent'. This suggests there is still room for improvement when developing content marketing strategies for better results.

5. SEO is considered the most effective content marketing tactic by 75% of marketers.

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is integral to a successful content marketing strategy. It’s a useful tool that improves visibility and generates organic search traffic to provide opportunities for lead conversion.

6. 61% of marketers identified updating or repurposing existing content as the most efficient tactic.

This statistic highlights the value of constantly reviewing and refining existing content on your platform. This improves its relevance and maximises its performance on search engine result pages (SERPs). When this is done, you allow your brand to reach new audiences with improved content, showcasing your authority on industry-related topics.

7. Content distribution through organic search is the top choice among marketers.

Organic search remains the most popular channel for content distribution, with 89% of companies distributing their content through this method. Leveraging organic search involves ensuring content is indexed and enhanced for search engine rankings. Social media distribution is closely behind at 87%, another great channel for releasing content.

SEO in content marketing: Organic search statistics

​​SEO and content marketing work together to improve visibility and drive organic traffic from search engines. SEO focuses on improving websites and their content to rank higher in search engine results, boosting visibility to the target audience. Conversely, content marketing involves creating valuable and relevant content that aligns with the target audience's needs and interests.

The successful combination of SEO and content marketing ensures that high-quality content is discoverable by search engines, leading to improved visibility and increased organic traffic to the website. To help in this, we’ve gathered data from reliable sources such as Ahrefs and Semrush. Based on their analyses, here is the organic search data you must know:

1. 96.55% of web pages receive no organic search traffic from Google, indicating the fierce competition and challenges in achieving visibility in search engine results.
2. Search engines play a crucial role in online experiences, with 68% beginning with a search engine query.
3. Google maintains its dominance as the most widely used search engine globally, with a market share of 91.53%. Despite the introduction of AI search features by other search engines like Bing, there is no significant change in their market share.
4. Consumer behaviour trends reveal that 53% of shoppers always conduct research before purchasing a product or service. This is done to ensure they are making informed decisions.
5. Only 5.7% of web pages will rank within the top 10 search results on Google within a year of publication. This shows the difficulty of achieving high rankings and the importance of ongoing SEO efforts.
6. Mobile devices account for nearly two-thirds of global online searches. This highlights the need for better mobile optimisation to reach and engage a great portion of your audience.
7. Backlinks greatly impact organic traffic from Google. Pages with more backlinks from high-quality websites signal that your platform is an authority figure, resulting in higher organic search traffic.
8. Pages that rank at the top spot in search results for specific keywords also tend to rank in the top 10 for nearly 1,000 other relevant keywords.
9. There is no direct correlation between Flesch Reading Ease scores, which measure text readability, and ranking positions in search results.

Social media marketing statistics

Marketing data within the vast social media space shows the importance of utilising social media platforms in your marketing strategy. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter dominate the social media landscape, with billions of active users you can reach. That’s why leveraging social media is a key component of an effective marketing strategy. In line with this, here are the crucial social media marketing statistics you need to know:

Global social media usage data

1. In 2023, social media users worldwide reached 4.95 billion, representing over 60% of the global population. Additionally, there were 5.3 billion internet users worldwide in the same year, accounting for over 65% of the population.
2. The average working-age internet user, aged 16 to 64, spends 2 hours and 31 minutes daily on social media and 6 hours and 37 minutes on the internet.
3. Facebook remains the most popular social network globally, with 2.958 billion monthly active users. YouTube follows it with 2.514 billion users, WhatsApp and Instagram have 2 billion users, WeChat has 1.309 billion users, and TikTok has 1.051 billion users.

Social media advertising data

1. In 2023, TikTok generated more digital ad revenues than Twitter, Snapchat, and Reddit combined.
2. The share of global ad spending allocated to digital advertising has increased by 27.7% since 2019, now accounting for 73.3% of the total global ad spending.

Social media engagement data

1. TikTok boasts the highest engagement rate among social media platforms, with a rate of 4.25%. In comparison, Instagram has an engagement rate of only 0.6%, Facebook 0.15%, and Twitter 0.05%. However, TikTok's engagement rate has been declining over time.
2. Around 80% of social marketers state that their primary goal is to enhance engagement across social media platforms.
3. When it comes to sharing content, 51% of people are more likely to share videos with friends and family than other types of content.

Social media brand user relationship data

1. 78% of consumers desire brands to use social media to facilitate connections between people. Social media is the number one communication channel for customers to connect with brands.
2. When a consumer is referred to a brand through social media, the likelihood of purchasing is 71%. However, there’s only a 7% chance if they were not referred at all.
3. 40% of consumers expect brands to address their issues or problems through their preferred channels, such as sending a Messenger or Instagram message.
4. When a CEO is active on social media, 70% of consumers feel more connected to the brand as they perceive the presence of real people working on it.
5. 72% of people feel a stronger connection to a brand when its employees share details on social media, as it provides insights into the people who make up the brand.
6. The most impactful behaviour that makes consumers feel more connected to a brand on social media is liking or responding to their comments or messages. About 55% of consumers report that such engagement makes them feel more in touch with the brand.

Social media brand user expectation data

1. For 68% of consumers, the primary reason for following a brand on social media is to stay informed about new products or services. This highlights users' expectations for brands to share these details on social media platforms.
2. 79% of consumers expect brands to answer their social media messages within 24 hours.
3. Consumers have specific expectations for brands on social media: 72% want brands to be positive contributors to society, 64% want brands to connect with their consumers, and 64% expect brands to use their influence to help people.

Social media marketing ROI data

1. Instagram is the preferred social media platform for 25% of marketers, offering the highest ROI, while less than 10% consider Twitter, Snapchat, and BeReal as effective channels for ROI.
2. 83% of marketers find it challenging to measure social media ROI, mainly due to the difficulty in identifying the right metrics to track and evaluate.
3. Social media ad campaigns yield an average ROI of 250%, showing the impact of paid advertising on various social platforms.
4. 96% of marketers agree that social media offers positive returns, affirming its value as a marketing channel.

Social media B2B marketing data

1. Social content is used by 95% of B2B marketers as an integral part of their content marketing strategy.
2. LinkedIn proves to be the most effective organic social media platform for content marketers. Research shows that 96% use the platform, followed by 76% with Facebook and 70% with Twitter.
3. Social media advertising and promoted posts are widely adopted by 85% of B2B marketers as the top paid content distribution channel.
4. On average, B2B buyers engage with 3-7 pieces of content before contacting a sales representative.
5. 84% of B2B buyers or decision-makers use social media throughout their decision-making process.

Social media B2C marketing data

1. In 2023, 77% of B2C brands prioritised video content, with social media as the main platform for sharing videos.
2. The evolving algorithms of social media platforms are a major concern for 53% of B2C marketers, as changes in these algorithms can impact the visibility and reach of their content.

Blogging statistics

Blogging statistics show the importance of creating high-quality, optimised blog posts in content creation. Creating high-quality content, such as blog posts, is crucial in attracting and engaging readers. This contributes to proving your authority in the industry and driving organic traffic to a website. When making content, you should utilise relevant keywords and SEO techniques to help improve search engine rankings and visibility. This is an effective marketing strategy to raise brand awareness, generate leads, and nurture customer relationships. 

Here are some of the interesting content creation statistics for bloggers:

1. Organic search drives most of the blog traffic, accounting for about 85.19% of total visitors.
2. Online readers tend to scan rather than read word for word, with engagement declining after around 7 minutes of reading.
3. Blogs have gained credibility as a trusted source of information, with 70% of people preferring to obtain information from blogs rather than traditional advertisements.
4. How-to articles are the most known content format among blog readers, with 76% of individuals favouring this type of content. Lists (55%) and news and trends (47%) are also well-received formats.
5. Only one-third of bloggers frequently monitor their blog's traffic analytics.
6. The blogging landscape is vast, with over 600 million active blogs out of 1.9 billion websites worldwide. Bloggers create an immense volume of content, creating over 6 million daily or more than 2.5 billion posts annually.

Video marketing statistics

Video marketing data highlight the importance of creating attention-grabbing videos to convey brand messages effectively and increase brand awareness. Video content has become a powerful tool in content marketing, as it captures and retains viewer attention more than other forms of content. 

Analysing video content marketing data provides valuable insights into audience engagement, likes, and trends, enabling you to improve your strategies for maximum impact.

Here are the important statistics you should know to create an effective video marketing strategy:

1. Video content marketing continues to dominate as the fourth year's most popular type of marketing.
2. YouTube has proven to be a powerful platform for driving purchasing decisions, with 70% of viewers reporting buying a product after seeing it.
3. Further, 79% of people have been convinced to download software or apps after watching a video, indicating the persuasive impact of high-quality video content.
4. In an average week, YouTube reaches more people aged 18 to 49 than all cable TV networks combined.
5. Short-form videos, such as those found on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and live streaming, were the most effective video formats on social media back in 2022.
6. Most businesses (91%) use video as a marketing tool, showing its widespread adoption and recognition of its efficiency in promoting products and services. This represents a 5% point increase compared to the previous year.
7. Explainer videos have been proven to be an effective way to learn about specific products or services. As high as 96% of people report that they have watched such videos to find the answers to their queries.
8. Audience demand for branded video content remains high, with 91% of people wanting to see more videos from brands in 2023. This shows a 5% point increase compared to last year.

B2C and B2B content marketing statistics

B2B content marketing data shows how tailored messaging and addressing the specific interests of business-to-business audiences are crucial. B2B content marketing aims to provide helpful and relevant information that resonates with the needs and challenges of other businesses, establishing credibility and trust. Scanning relevant statistics helps you understand the preferences and the B2B consumer’s interests, enabling you to create effective marketing plans that deliver targeted messages and drive business growth.

Here are content marketing data on content marketing for B2B and B2C:

1. According to a study on B2B content marketing, about 40% of B2B marketers have a well-established marketing plan they keep a record of. Meanwhile, 27% do not have a content marketing strategy to improve their brand.
2. 65% of B2C marketers prioritise meeting their audience's informational needs over promoting sales or pushing promotional messages.
3. Short articles (under 3,000 words), videos, and data visualisation/3D models emerged as the most effective content assets for B2C marketers back in 2021 and 2022.
4. B2C marketers who use non-paid social media platforms report that Facebook (63%), LinkedIn (53%), and Instagram (39%) have yielded the best content marketing results.
5. 78% of B2C marketers employ paid content distribution channels to amplify their reach and visibility.
6. Keyword research for SEO is common among B2C marketers, with 73% using it when creating content.

Maximise the success of your content marketing strategy with QWERTYLABS

The content marketing statistics for 2024 reveal the key factors for success in this changing landscape. Understanding and grasping the latest trends, such as the dominance of video content, the importance of tailored messaging in B2B marketing, the impact of organic search in driving blog traffic, and more, can greatly boost your marketing efforts.

You can refine your marketing plans and improve your content performance by monitoring and analysing our data. However, if you're looking to stay ahead in the dynamic world of content marketing, our services at QWERTYLABS are here to help you navigate these trends and achieve your marketing goals.

Get in touch with us now to discover the full range of our digital marketing services and how they can benefit your business.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the content marketing statistics for 2024?

Content marketing statistics for 2024 reveal that companies' adoption of content marketing has increased by 82%, up from 70% in 2020. Marketers are now heightening their focus on generating high-quality leads and on creating valuable and consistent content to meet the growing demand. They leverage SEO tactics, repurpose existing content, and distribute it through organic search and social media channels.

Why is AI becoming integral to content creation?

AI is becoming integral to content creation because it offers several benefits, including automation, efficiency, and personalisation. AI-powered tools can create content at scale, improving it for search engines and tailoring it to individual user interests, making the content creation process more streamlined and effective.

What does the future of content marketing look like?

The future of content marketing is expected to be more immersive and interactive. Emerging technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive content formats will play a huge role in engaging audiences and delivering more personalised experiences. Additionally, content will continue to evolve to meet the changing preferences and behaviours of consumers, with a greater emphasis on authentic storytelling and purpose-driven messaging.

How can video marketing boost brand visibility?

Video marketing can boost brand visibility through creative visuals that capture audience attention more effectively than other content formats. Videos have the potential to go viral, reach a wide audience, and create emotional connections with viewers. They can be shared across various platforms and social media channels, enhancing brand exposure and increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.