In the content marketing industry, staying ahead of the game means being alive to both the latest and emerging trends. That’s how you separate what, according to your peers, is working from what’s not. 

In this post, we’ll explore the top content marketing statistics in 2023 that every marketer should know about. We will also discuss popular trends in content consumption and distribution as well as how much of their marketing budgets companies are using on content marketing. 

Whether you’re looking to improve your own content marketing strategy or simply want to stay informed about industry developments, this blog post is for you.

Looking for Content?

Creating lots of great content — and scaling your content marketing — has never been easier.

With Content at Scale, you can add 1, 20, 50, or even 100 keywords that you want to rank for. Then, within minutes, CAS will write high-quality long-form blog posts for each keyword — from start to finish!

That means everything: title, meta description, introduction, all the way to the conclusion, with minor human intervention. Just like THIS post! That means you can get content published daily to your blog for as low as $0.01/word.

Ready to try it out? Check out how simple it is to scale your content marketing.

State of Content Marketing in 2023

The content marketing industry is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly competitive as more marketers realize the benefits of using content for organic lead generation. 

As evidence of this year-on-year growth, 76% of enterprise marketers told Content Marketing Institute that content marketing has become more important to their organization over the year 2022.

Success with Content Marketing Correlates with Higher Budgetary Support

Data from the CMI study show that marketers are putting the money where their mouths are. According to this Semrush study, 80% of very successful content marketers say they spend more than 10% of total marketing budgets on content.

With AI having a growing influence on content marketing, allowing for the production and distribution of content at scale, there is an exciting future to look forward to. But what is the current state of play in content marketing?

Rather than relying on traditional marketing channels, content marketers are increasingly embracing digital channels such as social media and email. 

This trend is expected to continue as more companies realize the potential ROI they can realize by investing in quality content creation over traditional methods.

Trends in Content Types are Shifting

Content types have shifted dramatically over the past few years, with visual mediums like videos being increasingly popular among consumers who crave engaging experiences when consuming information online. 

Video content has seen a dramatic rise in popularity due to its ability to capture attention quickly while still providing valuable insights into topics relevant to viewers’ interests or needs. 

Marketers expect this trend will only continue as new technologies make it easier than ever before for people to consume video on any device they choose – making it an invaluable tool for reaching target audiences across multiple channels simultaneously.

Marketers measure success not only through web traffic but also through other metrics such as conversions or leads generated via various pieces of original content distributed across different platforms and formats. They plan their strategy around these key performance indicators (KPIs) while using analytics tools such as Google Analytics to track progress throughout the year so they can adjust accordingly if needed. 

Additionally, many marketers are leveraging new technologies like machine learning algorithms which enable them to optimize their campaigns based on user behavior data collected over time — something that was impossible until recently.

The state of content marketing in 2023 is one that will be defined by how companies use data to create relevant, timely, and engaging content. To understand the potential impact of this trend, it’s important to look at the current statistics on content marketing for 2023.

Key statistic: 71 percent of content marketers planned to increase their content marketing budgets for 2023. 

Content Marketing Trends & Statistics for 2023

Content marketing is an ever-evolving field that has been rapidly growing in recent years. It is essential for marketers to be aware of the current content marketing data and trends as the sector continues to develop. 

What’s refreshing to note is that 80 percent of those that considered themselves to be very successful at content marketing have a documented content marketing strategy. It shows that marketers see content marketing to be so essential as to develop and document a strategy for it.

Below is the outlook for the content marketing industry for 2023:

1. Content Creation Will Become More Automated

Automation tools are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason. These tools help to streamline processes and save both time and costs. By 2023, the majority of firms will be taking advantage of automation technology to help with at least one part of their content production.

At Content at Scale, we are seeing an increasing awareness of the benefits of automating content creation by our target audience. By using our AI writer to scale content creation, customers are producing 25x more content than traditional manual processes without spending more money.

Other tasks that you could automate and save money and time include everything from keyword research and optimization to creating visuals.

2. Visuals Will Remain a Key Part of the Content Strategy

Images, videos, infographics, and other visuals have long been used by brands as part of their overall content strategies – but this trend is only going to continue in 2023 and beyond. 

Studies show that humans retain more information when it is conveyed in a visual manner rather than through text exclusively. So, investing in high-quality visuals will make your content more digestible and help your business to stand out from the rest.

3. SEO Remains an Essential Tool for Organic Traffic Generation

SEO remains an integral component of any successful digital marketing approach, even as algorithms evolve. In fact, experts predict that SEO will still be a key factor for driving traffic and engagement with your website or blog in 2023 – so make sure you’re staying up-to-date on best practices.

4. Social Media Presence Will Become More Critical

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have already had a huge impact on the ability of businesses to reach new customers online – but this influence isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon. 

According to Sprout Social, 91 percent of marketing executives anticipate their company’s social media marketing budget will increase over the next three years.

Survey data from Sprout Social also show that 90 percent of marketing executives predict that social media will soon become the primary channel for communication with customers. 

Having a strong presence across multiple social media networks can really pay off for brands looking for visibility online. The companies that will see the most benefit from social media will be those that use a multi-channel approach. It will be those that develop strategies specific to every social media network they have a presence on.

Key statistic: Worldwide, people spend 2 hours and 28 minutes on average on social media.

SEO Statistics for 2023

Content marketers are seeing the growing importance of SEO, with 62% having a documented content marketing strategy that includes SEO tactics. The importance of SEO to content marketing becomes more apparent when you consider that over half of website traffic comes from search engines.

SEO is by far the most effective tool for attracting more organic traffic to your website. Compared to social media, SEO drives 1,000 percent more traffic. To stay ahead of the competition, marketers must be vigilant in tracking emerging SEO trends.

Many brands are investing heavily in creating quality content for organic search. SEO will be crucial for surfacing topics your target audiences are researching online and developing content that resonates with them.

While traditional advertising still plays an important role in overall brand awareness campaigns, more businesses are turning towards organic methods such as social media platforms or blog posts when looking for ways to generate leads or sales conversions from online sources. 

Key statistic: 68 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine.

Video Content Statistics for 2023

Video content is hot right now, with short-form videos being particularly popular on YouTube right now. In fact, 73 percent of consumers prefer to watch short-form videos when learning about something.

To take advantage of the exploding popularity of short videos, 21 percent of marketing will be creating short-form videos for the first time in 2023.

According to HubSpot research, videos are shared 1200% more than links and text combined on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. 

Additionally, almost 50% of consumers say they have made a purchase after watching an online product demonstration or tutorial video – proving just how powerful visual storytelling can be when it comes to influencing consumer decisions.

With streaming video services like YouTube and Netflix expected to account for a massive 82% of all internet traffic, going forward businesses will look to increase their video marketing budgets to remain competitive.

As we have pointed out already, people tend to retain information better when presented with visuals as opposed to reading written text alone. This makes video an effective way for brands to reach their target audience and to ensure their message sticks. 

Key statistic: 48 percent of marketers believe their organizations are not using video content to its full potential.

Blogging Statistics for 2023

Although other channels, like vlogging in particular, are hot right now, blogging is still the best means to engage and cultivate relationships with potential customers. 

These statistics show the enduring importance of blogging for businesses in 2023:

• According to Parse.ly, 77 percent of marketers use content to generate leads. This indicates the importance of blogging for businesses looking to attract new customers and establish themselves as industry leaders.
• According to research from HubSpot, companies that blog regularly receive 97% more links back to their website than those that don’t. This makes building links, which is a key SEO task, easier. 

Backlinks not only help drive organic traffic back to your site but also boosts domain authority, which is crucial for achieving higher search engine ranking for your target searches.

• 80 percent of people enjoy reading relevant content from brands they already follow or do business with on a regular basis – this helps keep them engaged and interested in what you have to offer long-term.

Content marketing ROI can skyrocket by an average of 300% when businesses use blogging in tandem with other outreach tactics such as email campaigns and paid advertising. This illustrates the strength of merging multiple approaches into one unified strategy.

To show that more marketers are turning to blogging as a viable strategy for engaging customers and generating leads, Google Trends data show that searches related specifically to “blogging” have seen steady growth over the past few years.

Though blogging remains an essential pillar for any content marketing strategy, many marketers admit that they struggle with content creation. Orbit Media says that: 

• 52 percent of bloggers struggle to find time to create and promote their content
• 46 percent of bloggers struggle to generate traffic from their content
• 13 percent of marketers face challenges getting support within their organizations

Key statistic: Companies with active blogs attract 67% more leads than those that don’t blog at all.

Digital Advertising Statistics for 2023

The digital advertising market is projected to grow considerably over the next three years. Mobile devices are driving much of this growth as consumers increasingly use their smartphones for online activities such as shopping, streaming video content, and social media usage. 

Oberlo says digital advertising spending in 2023 has grown by 13.1 percent on $602.25 billion spent in 2022. The company says this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, predicting growths of 11, 8.4, and 6.8 percent over the next three years. Expenditure will hit $876.1 billion by 2026.

Search engine marketing (SEM) continues to be one of the most effective forms of digital advertising due to its ability to target users based on specific keywords or search phrases. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to other forms of online ads such as banner ads or native advertising which require more creative work upfront. 

SEM spending is forecasted at $88 billion globally by 2023 according to Statista projections—a number that should only increase over time given the consumers’ ever-increasing reliance on search engines for product discovery and general research.

Advertisers are also embracing video ads as a means of connecting with viewers in an immersive manner that goes beyond static visuals. Video consumption across all platforms skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic, making it an even more attractive option compared to traditional methods like TV commercials which are becoming less relevant.

YouTube remains a dominant force in video advertising with roughly 30 million monthly viewers but newer players like TikTok are gaining traction thanks to innovative formats that help capture attention in short spans of time. 

In 2023, video advertising will represent a large portion of overall digital spending, especially amongst younger demographics who tend to gravitate toward visual mediums when consuming content online.

Key statistic: Video ads can increase conversions by 86 percent.

Social Media Statistics for 2023

Incorporating social media into content marketing strategies is essential for success in 2023. To maximize your content marketing efforts, it’s important to understand the current social media landscape and its trends.

Currently, 4.89 billion people around the world are active social media users, with the average perhaps switching between 7 different social media networks every month. The number is expected to grow as it has steadily done for a while now.

Though Instagram has seen massive growth over the last few years, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform, seeing 100 percent growth between 2020 and 2023. The growth, as with Instagram, is seen mainly among younger users who favor visuals over text-based content. That said, Facebook remains the most used platform across all age groups. 

YouTube continues to be a major player for video content creators and marketers alike due to its massive user base and reach potential. Although it has fewer users than Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, Twitter continues to be a major source of up-to-date news and discourse on trending topics or industry occasions.

Businesses should craft high-caliber visuals such as videos or photos that can captivate their intended audience across these platforms while also optimizing their profiles with pertinent keywords so they can be found quickly by search engines when someone looks up related terms within their niche market.

Furthermore, leveraging influencers through sponsored posts can help businesses widen their reach beyond just followers on their own accounts since influencers already have well-established relationships with large numbers of engaged fans who may take an interest in what they have to offer too.

When it comes time for measuring success across social networks, marketers will need reliable analytics tools that track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rate (likes/shares/comments), website traffic generated from each post, follower growth over time, etc. These insights will help them understand how effective their campaigns were at achieving desired goals such as increased brand awareness or higher sales conversion rates.

Social media statistics for 2023 indicate that the industry is poised to grow exponentially in terms of user base, engagement, and advertising opportunities. With such potential growth on the horizon, it’s important to understand how content marketing will be affected by these changes.

Key statistic: 93 percent of all internet users are active users of social media.

Outlook for the Content Marketing Industry

Artificial intelligence is one of the top trends in business at the moment. As it will in most other industries, it will play an increasingly crucial role in how the content marketing industry shapes up beyond 2023.

In 2021 the market for artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing was estimated at $15.84 billion. By 2028, it is projected to have increased to more than 107.5 billion. This paints a picture of how fast the influence of artificial intelligence on business is growing.

Also not slowing down in popularity is video content. According to data from a Content Marketing Institute survey, respondents expect video production costs will make up 62% of their total marketing budget by 2023 – making video one of the most popular content formats today. 

To ensure success when producing videos, marketers should consider adding interactive elements like polls or quizzes, which have been proven effective at driving engagement levels.

Traditional advertising remains an important factor in many industries, particularly those where direct sales are involved. Savvy promoters recognize that an organized blend of traditional and contemporary techniques is key to achieving the best ROI from all utilized channels in their promotional plan.

FAQs – Content Marketing Statistics for 2023

What is the success rate of content marketing?

The success rate of content marketing depends on the quality of your content, how well it resonates with your target audience, and your distribution strategy. Generally speaking, when done correctly, content marketing can be highly successful in achieving desired results. 

What is the average rate for content marketing?

The rates charged for content marketing work depend on the scope of work and skill level required. Content marketers with specialized knowledge in areas such as social media management or analytics will likely command higher fees than those who specialize in writing alone.

Why is content marketing important in statistics?

Content marketing helps to build trust, loyalty, and overall brand awareness. Publishing more quality content that ranks high on search engines also improves your brand visibility online, which helps you generate more organic leads.

Automate Your Content Marketing and Stay Ahead of the Competition

The content marketing industry is rapidly evolving, thanks to emerging technologies like AI and the rise of new content formats such as short-form videos. As we move forward, staying up to date with statistics on both current and emerging trends will ensure that you improve your overall marketing ROI and stay ahead of your competitors.

Looking for Content?

Creating lots of great content — and scaling your content marketing — has never been easier.

With Content at Scale, you can add 1, 20, 50, or even 100 keywords that you want to rank for. Then, within minutes, CAS will write high-quality long-form blog posts for each keyword — from start to finish!

That means everything: title, meta description, introduction, all the way to the conclusion, with minor human intervention. Just like THIS post! That means you can get content published daily to your blog for as low as $0.01/word.

Ready to try it out? Check out how simple it is to scale your content marketing.