Report: Content Marketing Remains a Developing Discipline

Content marketing has been around for years, but many marketers are still in the process of learning how to effectively implement it into their strategy. The “Content Marketing Maturity Report” from Crescendo and the Aberdeen Group recently revealed that more than half of marketers place in the “beginning” or “emerging” categories in regards to content maturity.

None of the survey respondents could consider their content marketing strategy’s maturity as “optimal,” according to the authors of the report. An optimal score was defined by the researchers as having a robust content marketing operation, driven by a larger marketing strategy.

Approximately 38 percent stated that they currently have a content marketing team that “owns” the content creation responsibility for their organization. Additionally, about one-third of respondents (34.2 percent) said that they use a shared marketing budget to invest in content marketing.

Projecting Future Investments in B2B Content Marketing

Despite the fact that they are still in the relatively early stages of utilizing content marketing, research shows that B2B marketers continue to invest in it. Data from Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership indicates that 80 percent intend to significantly increase the amount of money they spend on content marketing and thought leadership within the next three years.

“As more organizations adopt a thought leadership approach, it is going to be increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd,” said Guy Dunn, CEO of Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership. “Marketers will need more compelling content, greater access to high-level audiences and more innovative means of delivery to achieve success.”

Other areas where B2B marketers plan to spend more of their budget include online advertising (64 percent), digital advertising (62 percent) and search engine marketing (57 percent).