The world of content marketing has come a long way since businesses first started putting information online. As technology continually improves, the smartest content marketers are taking advantage of every new format available and testing the waters of new content marketing frontiers.
In 2019, we saw more frequent and higher-impact Google Algorithm changes, which forced more sites to focus on mobile-first best practices and on improving trust and expertise signals.
TikTok continued to climb the social media ranks as the third most downloaded app (surpassed only by WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger), presenting new opportunities for hungry marketers. We also saw voice content making a push that’s sure to persist as people continue to add smart devices like Alexa and Google Home into their lives.
As the landscape continues to change, so should content marketing strategy. The businesses that survive and thrive will be those that are most in tune with the latest trends. Knowing where and how to spend content budget effectively is a must. To help keep you informed, we’ve put together a rundown of all the top content marketing statistics and trends that you need to know in 2020.
Click on a statistic to get a closer look.
CHAPTER 1
Content Marketing Trends
56% of businesses reported they want to increase their content creation spending.Content Marketing Institute 
61% of marketers ranked improving “their ability to measure and analyze their marketing efforts” as a vital priority. 2018 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey Report
92% of marketers reported that their company views content as a business asset . Content Marketing Institute 
70% prioritize content quality of quantity. Point Visible
The biggest challenges for content marketing are reportedly lack of data and lack of strategy. DMA
35% of marketers report that creating engaging visual content consistently is one of their top struggles. Venngage
97% of content marketers choose to use prescriptive content. Demandgen Report
Changes to SEO is the top concern (61%) of content marketing organizations (followed by social media algorithm changes at 45%). Content Marketing Institute
Stock photography (40%) and infographics (37%) are the most frequently used visual content. Venngage 
84% of people expect brands to produce content that entertains, provides solutions and produces experiences and events. Meaningful Brands
By 2022, mobile traffic generated from smartphones is estimated to increase by 10 times.Ericsson
Only 9% of content marketers plan to incorporate Medium into their content marketing strategy. State of Inbound 
CHAPTER 2
Mobile Statistics
53% of mobile users will close a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Think With Google
88% of mobile users searching for local information take action within a day of finding results. Think With Google 
Three in four phone users turn to mobile search for an immediate need. Think With Google
Mobile traffic has a 125% growth rate (vs. 12% rate for desktop traffic). Issuu
CHAPTER 3
B2B Content Marketing Statistics
Email campaigns (87%) and educational content (77%) are the top content marketing methods B2B marketers use to support and develop their audience. Content Marketing Institute
Infographics, photos, charts and other image content have seen a 56% increase for B2B marketers in the last four years. Content Marketing Institute 
Only 54% of content marketers use their content strategy to build loyalty with their existing clients. Content Marketing Institute
61% of B2B content marketers increased their social media usage in 2019. Content Marketing Institute 
64% of content marketers prioritize building relationships with influencers, like brand advocates and journalists. Content Marketing Institute
Only 41% of B2B marketers craft content tied to the buying journey of a customer. Content Marketing Institute 
90% of B2B content marketers prioritize their audience’s needs over their sales message when creating content. Content Marketing Institute
44% of B2B marketers don't outsource any content marketing. Content Marketing Institute
CHAPTER 4
B2C Content Marketing Statistics
The most commonly used content mediums for B2C marketers are social media (96%), pre-produced videos (76%) and illustrations/photos (67%). Content Marketing Institute
B2C marketers dedicate an average 26% of their total marketing budget towards content marketing. Content Marketing Institute
Only 33% of B2C content marketers reported always utilizing data in their distribution strategies.Conductor 
There has been a 69% increase in audio/visual content usage for B2C marketers from 2018—2019. Content Marketing Institute
CHAPTER 5
Email Marketing Statistics
iPhone Mail (29%) and Gmail (27%) are the two most popular ways to read email. Litmus
List segmentation and personalization are the two most effective email marketing strategies. DMA
40% of consumers prefer that brand emails be more informative (and less promotional). Adweek
Users are twice as likely to sign up for a brand’s mailing list than interact with the brand on Facebook. Constant Contact
CHAPTER 6
Video Marketing Statistics
58% of users stop watching videos in the first 90 seconds. My Smn
87% of consumers want more video from brands. Hubspot
YouTube is the consumer’s leading source of video content at 83% (followed by Facebook at 67%). Hubspot
97% of consumers and online marketers report that video helps customers understand their product. Wyzowl 
45% of consumers say that authoritative content makes a brand video feel authentic. Animoto
26% of consumers are less likely to finish a video if they need to turn their phones horizontally to watch. Animoto 
39% of viewers would never watch a video from a brand again if they had a negative viewing experience on mobile. Animoto
44% of consumers choose to watch live video from brands and other businesses once per week. Animoto
64% of viewers are likely to buy a product online after watching branded social videos. Tubular Insights 
80% report an increase in dwell time on their site if it has video content. Wyzowl
56% of consumers watch video content in the evening, compared to 33% in the morning and 41% at lunch.Animoto 
65% of “decision makers” will visit a marketer’s website after viewing a brand-focused video. Hubspot
41% of content marketers reported that shrinking production costs led to more video being produced in 2018. Hubspot
Video usage for marketers has increased more than written or image content since 2018. Content Marketing Institute 
27% of men watch branded YouTube videos 5 times a day, compared to 17% of women. Animoto
CHAPTER 7
Blogging Statistics
Blog traffic generation increases up to 30% after you post 24–51 blog posts. Traffic Generation Cafe
Post headlines with six to 13 words bring in the highest and most consistent traffic. State of Inbound
59% of outsourced business blogs are made up of guest posts. BrizFeel
43% of B2B marketers say “blogging” is the most important content they produce. Hubspot
46% of blog posts were 500–1000 words long in 2018, compared to only 8% that were more than 2000 words.Orbit Media
Long-form content (3000–10,000 words) gets shared more than short-form content. OkDork
55% of marketers want to focus on blog creation as their top inbound marketing priority. State of Inbound
69% of bloggers are aged 25–44. ConvertKit
CHAPTER 8
Podcast Statistics
Consumers from ages 35–54 are the most common monthly podcast listeners. Edison Research
Monthly podcast listeners subscribe to an average of seven different podcasts. Edison Research
50% of homes report being fans of at least one podcast and 22% consider themselves “avid” fans. Nielsen
Podcast listeners are much more likely to follow companies and interact with them on social media. Podcast Insights
17% of marketers plan to incorporate podcasts into their content marketing strategy. State of Inbound
43% of monthly podcast users listen to an entire podcast episode. Edison Research