Analysis Shows Brands Are Generating More Content but Less Engagement

Calling it the “content marketing paradox,” a new study by Track Maven found companies are publishing more content than ever before, but content engagement is decreasing.

Specifically, the data showed that in 2015, content output per brand (from highest to lowest point) increased 35 percent while content engagement decreased 17 percent.

The study assembled a comprehensive view of the current state of content marketing by analyzing 12 months of data, across nearly 23,000 brands, 50 million pieces of content (social media and blogs), and 75.7 billion interactions.

Two of social media’s biggest players, Twitter and Facebook, saw a significant increase in content output – 60 percent and 31 percent, respectively, year-over-year. Engagement percentages fluctuated throughout the year on all the social channels, with the exception of LinkedIn, which drew a consistent level of engagement among its audience.

An increasingly fractured landscape has caused content marketers to divide their attention. One of the results, according to the study, is a decrease in on-site blog content. On average, the number of blogs published per month decreased by 16 percent over the course of the year. However, engagement with blogs – despite the drop in content – remained steady.

As the content landscape continues to evolve, the Track Maven study also identified two trends that are gaining momentum: the monetization of social networks and the rise in mobile content. To leverage these two trends, the analysis suggests brands produce quality platform-specific content, either because they have to pay for promotion on a social channel or simply want to reach their mobile audience on the apps they are already using.

“To stay relevant, marketers need to create content that is well-suited for each platform and consumable with as few additional hoops — or clicks — to jump through,” wrote the study’s authors. “For marketing teams, creating custom content will require more intentional use of resources, more creativity, and more budget. But the teams taking the time to be intentional will outperform those that are spraying and praying every time.”

Improving B2B Content Engagement Rates

When looking at content marketing efforts as a whole, creating engaging content is the top priority for 72 percent of B2B marketers, according to the B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—
North America report.

The study found content effectiveness increased when companies added focus to their efforts with a documented content marketing strategy and organizational clarity on what content marketing success looks like.