As a B2B content marketing agency, we’re well aware of the value of some strategically-used content marketing statistics. So why should you care about them?

Well, if you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you’re already a regular parishioner at the church of content marketing. Praise be to Blog! But even if you know the value of this discipline, it’s not always easy to convince others. It’s essential to communicate the huge contribution content marketing can make to the business: your CEO, your board, and your finance team are the most important conversions you’ll ever secure.

These six content marketing statistics will help you accomplish this. While each fact is interesting on its own, together, these figures paint a vivid picture of the considerable value it can offer to your business.

Here they are.

1.    Sixty-seven percent of the buyer’s journey is now done digitally.

Source: Lenati

Every CEO knows that the digital space matters – but few realise exactly how much it matters. In 2017, an overwhelming majority of customers are completing the buyer’s journey online. Whether it’s good or bad, content marketing offers the opportunity to hit them where they live (and shop). Seize it!

2.    Nine out of ten B2B buyers believe that online content has a moderate to major effect on purchasing decisions.

Source: Lenati

What’s more, online content isn’t just a tangential stop on the road towards the final purchase: it’s an essential component of it. The quality of your blogs, eBooks, and emails influences your customers – and can have a demonstrably profound effect on their eventual decision. If you’re not writin’, they won’t find you excitin’.

3.    Some 87% of B2B buyers give more credence to industry influencer content – as well as peer reviews, third-party publications, and user-generated feedback. Additionally, 68% of buyers said they frequently give credence to peer reviews and user-generated feedback, and 60% give credence to content authored by a third-party publication or analyst.

Source: DemandGen Report – 2017 Content Preferences Survey

Your end-users want content – and they want it from a number of different sources. If you position yourself as an industry influencer, you could well benefit – and if you can get a third-party publication or analyst to write about your business and its offering, even better.

4.    Case studies are the top content type for buyers, with 78% accessing this format when researching purchases in the last 12 months.

Source: DemandGen Report – 2017 Content Preferences Survey

And with good reason! A great case study highlights the precise, measurable benefits of your product or service – and provides an appealing story that your prospective customer can relate to. Use them well and they’ll turn a hesitant lead into a solid prospect.

5.    Overall, 47% of B2B buyers consume three to five pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson.

Source: DemandGen Report – 2016 Content Preferences Survey

You could have the best business development team in the land, but it doesn’t matter if customers aren’t speaking to them. Create content that speaks to their specific interests and you’ll get them on the hook – ready for your best salespeople to reel them in.

6.    Some 76% of buyers will register and share information in exchange for white papers, 63% will offer it in exchange for eBooks, 79% will provide it in exchange for webinars, 57% will do the same for case studies, and 66% prize third-party/analyst reports.

Source: DemandGen Report – 2017 Content Preferences Survey/Ultimate White Paper Template

There’s a wide range of profitable content marketing opportunities available – mix it up a little and provide prospects with a variety of resources, and they’ll be more likely to give you that all-important contact information.

The above content marketing statistics make a great case for investing in this crucial discipline, and should be more than enough to get a reluctant CEO over the line. Its value is clear, significant – and most importantly, easily proven.

If you’re still having trouble convincing the right stakeholders to sign off on your content marketing strategy – or if you need someone to develop this strategy in the first place – get in touch with one of our specialists.