Nearly half of content is created to generate awareness/interest

Chart of the Day: 47% of content is for top of funnel buyers

Research published from the Content Marketing Institute has shown that almost half of the content created by B2B marketers is for early-stage buyers - to generate awareness and interest.

This matches the reasons that marketers gave for using content marketing, with 87% of them saying it was to generate leads and potential customers and 82% stating it was to create brand awareness.

This isn't a great surprise, as the branded content is (most frequently) available to browsers without the need to purchase or log in beforehand. A brand can promote charity initiatives, relevant survey/report results their customers may be interested in, and personal brand growth stories (new offices, securing investment, landing industry awards etc.) to establish themselves in the minds of customers.

However, what is surprising is that only 8% of content was created for late stage buyers - focussed on the evaluation of product/service and then purchase. Content can be used effectively to explain aspects of a company's products or services to encourage a conversion. It's the reason why you may see a financial company create a jargon buster infographic or an easy interest calculator.

When creating your content marketing strategy, consider which of your customers each piece of content is geared towards. You may find you also have a bias towards capturing the attention of new customers and raising brand awareness. But if you run a subscription-based service or sell a product that lends itself to repeat purchases, do not neglect your established customers. They demand more detailed content that increases their product understanding, rather than simply their awareness.

• Source: Content Marketing Institute
• Sample size: 192 US marketers
• Recommended resource: Content marketing strategy guide