Top 40 Content Writing Statistics in 2024: What the Data Says About the State of Content Creation and Marketing This Year

If you‘re involved in content writing, content creation, content marketing, or any type of business blogging in 2024, I want to share with you today some fascinating data-driven insights into the current state of the industry.

Below I‘ve compiled 40+ in-depth statistics across key content categories including creation, marketing, audience trends, and more. My aim is to provide you with a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of what‘s happening in content, backed up by credible industry research.

Let‘s get stuck into the stats!

A Booming Industry: Content Writing & Marketing Grow in Importance

Firstly, it‘s clear that professionally-created content has become mission-critical for brands in all sectors. As you‘ll see below, content writing and marketing are rapidly evolving disciplines that companies are investing heavily in.

• The total global content marketing industry is forecast to grow from $113.1 billion in 2021 to $135 billion in 2026. That represents year-on-year growth of around 5%. This data underlines how content is moving front and center in marketing strategies.^[1]
• Looking more specifically at AI-powered content creation tools, this market could top $250 billion globally by 2022. So in just 2 years, AI content could become a quarter trillion-dollar industry. The tech is progressing incredibly quickly.^[2]
• Per the Content Marketing Institute, a strong 70% of B2B marketers surveyed said they plan to increase their overall content marketing budget in 2022. For context, only 7% said their budget would decrease, with the rest maintaining. So content is clearly seen as a priority area to invest in.^[3]
• In terms of staffing, 2021 surveys found that around 50% of companies intend to grow their in-house content teams over 2022. Of the remainder, 46% will maintain current staffing with only 4% looking to reduce. Again, a strong sign of high demand.^[4]

Table 1: Planned Growth in Content Teams Over 2022^[4]

• When it comes to actually creating content, large B2B companies now outsource 75% of their content writing on average. Smaller B2B businesses tend to keep more content production in-house. Outsourcing provides access to writing expertise.^[5]
• Looking at the buyer‘s journey, eye-opening research shows that just 17% of a B2B buyer‘s time is spent directly interacting with sales rep. The other 83% is self-directed research – mainly reading content from potential suppliers online. This shows the crucial role of informative content in B2B marketing.^[6]

Table 2: How B2B Buyers Spend Their Research Time^[6]

This data underscores how content creation and strategic content marketing have become essential business activities, not optional extras. Failing to build content capabilities puts brands at risk of losing touch with customers.

Now let‘s explore some content format-specific statistics, starting with blogging.

The State of Blogging: Popularity, Multimedia, and Challenges

Blogging represents a major chunk of commercial content work available. Here are some insightful stats on current blogging practices, use of multimedia, and challenges from the blogger perspective:

Top Blogging Practices for 2022

• Interactive content rules supreme right now. Polls, quizzes, games, AR content and more topped the list of planned content marketing formats for 2022, selected by 75%, 70%, 53% and 52% of marketers respectively. Non-static content boosts engagement.^[7]
• It‘s estimated that around 77% of published blog articles can be classified as "how-to" posts – making this format super popular for lead gen. Posts that provide step-by-step advice attract high organic search traffic.^[8]
• Speaking of search, recent data indicates how-to articles drive around 1.5x more search visits on average compared to other blog post formats. So if done right, how-to content is extremely effective for SEO.^[9]
• For publishing frequency, an analysis found that companies posting 2-6 blog articles per week had over 50% more backlinks and 97% greater indexed pages versus those only posting weekly. So 2-6x per week is the current ‘SEO sweet spot‘ for blogs.^[10]
• Thought leadership content can boost sales by up to 20% when combined with an omnichannel distribution strategy. For B2B, popular formats are case studies, ebooks, and client success stories – great for establishing authority.^[11]

Table 3: Most Useful Content Resources for B2B Bloggers^[12]

• Lastly for blogging practices, research confirms that articles containing relevant images receive a huge 94% more views on average compared to non-illustrated posts. But be sure to use original stock photos only.^[13]

The Rise of Multimedia Content

Moving beyond text-based blogs, it‘s clear that multimedia content formats are booming:

• Studies show 60% of people actively share online videos with others, versus only 20% for blog posts and 19% for other static content. Video sparks much higher social engagement.^[14]
• A significant 87% of marketers surveyed stated that video content has measurably increased traffic to their website. Video also provides SEO benefits when uploaded natively.^[15]
• YouTube retains its dominance as the top platform for hosting videos, used by 89% of content marketers. But Facebook (76% usage) and Instagram (72%) are popular video marketing platforms too.^[15]

Table 4: Top Video Marketing Platforms for Businesses^[15]

• For video creators, the #1 challenge cited is simply developing highly engaging, high-quality content. Getting views and traffic ranked second. So originality is key with video.^[15]

Hurdles Facing Content Writers & Bloggers

And blogging has its fair share of challenges, such as:

• Over 40% of bloggers say simply producing original, high-quality content is their #1 struggle. Writer‘s block and burnout are also issues. So creativity is a top-tier skill.^[16]
• Per estimates, only around 40% of the content on the web is refreshed or updated on a regular basis. The other 60% comprises old, stale content. Businesses forget about updating once-popular content.^[17]
• Looking at content production as a whole, around 60% is created in-house on average, with 40% outsourced to freelancers and content agencies. Many brands supplement internal teams.^[18]
• For those publishing content, approximately 40% miss their target posting frequency, falling behind their own schedules. Maintaining consistency with blogs is notoriously difficult.^[19]

So in summary, bloggers and writers face hurdles like writer‘s block, thin content, inconsistent publishing, ineffective multimedia, and more. But solutions exist for each challenge.

Audiences in 2024: Buying Behavior, Reading Habits & Expectations

Now let‘s explore some insightful stats on current audience behavior and preferences. Understanding the modern customer is crucial for effective content creation.

The Content-Driven Purchase Process

• Per Google‘s research, a massive 77% of online shoppers now perform general online research prior to making any high-value purchase. So for most buyers, informative content shapes decisions.^[20]
• Around 30% of all local searches on Google directly trigger a related purchase. So for service businesses, optimizing for search traffic continues to be hugely important.^[21]
• Studies also show that up to 35% of customers made a purchase decision specifically due to reading high-quality, educational content which offered product insights they valued.^[22]

Table 5: Do Customers Make Purchases After Reading Content?^[22]

So the consensus is clear – creating content that informs and educates customers is pivotal for sales success in 2024.

How Modern Audiences Consume Content

Today‘s readers and viewers have high expectations:

• The average visitor only spends 37 seconds reading a webpage before moving on. Long-form content holds less appeal for scanners.^[23]
• However, when content formats are highly interactive, readers will spend 4-5x more time engaged on those pages. Games, quizzes and more add value.^[24]
• Analyses reveal longer posts exceeding 1,000 words tend to achieve greater popularity and referral traffic compared to shorter blogs. But quality trumps quantity.^[25]
• For organic search, around 94% of users click on one of the first 5 results on Google. And a huge 58% click the top 3 rankings only. So appearing on that vital first SERP page remains essential.^[26]

In summary, modern audiences want their content digestible, visually appealing, interactive, and optimized for short attention spans. Quality and originality are still king though.

Next let‘s examine some content marketing statistics.

Content Marketing in 2024: Formats, SEO, Social & Challenges

Content marketing is about creating and promoting content to attract, engage and retain ideal customers. Here we‘ll explore best practices, SEO, social media use, and current challenges.

Most Effective Content Marketing Practices

• The top goals marketers have for content are: Brand awareness (68%), Lead gen (62%), Audience engagement (59%), and Sales enablement (53%). All are increasing in focus annually.^[27]

Table 6: Goals of Content Marketing Campaigns^[27]

• An incredible 97% of B2B marketers now leverage content marketing to some degree. For B2C, usage stands at a still-strong 74%. So content marketing is close to universal at this point.^[28]
• Per research, around 60% of content marketers say they have directly acquired new customers through their content efforts. So for most, it delivers tangible business results.^[29]
• On average, marketers invest 28% of their total marketing budget into content creation and promotion. More successful brands tend to allocate 35% or higher.^[30]
• For content types, B2B marketers get the most mileage from case studies (89% find useful), whitepapers and ebooks (86%), and guides (85%). Case studies build authority.^[31]

Table 7: Most Effective B2B Content Formats^[31]

• For B2C, the content delivering the highest ROI includes blogs (77% say effective), infographics (73%), and short videos (72%). These spread brand awareness.^[32]

The Growing Impact of SEO & Organic Search

• 72% of B2B marketers view SEO as an effective element of their wider content marketing strategies. Optimizing content for search brings qualified traffic.^[33]
• Research indicates that predominantly long-form, evergreen content achieves 2-3x greater ROI from SEO compared to short-form, trend-focused content. Long-form content accrues authority over time.^[34]
• Per data, content designed intentionally for organic search attracts 7-9x more site visitors on average versus content not optimized for SEO at all. So SEO-friendly content works.^[35]

Social Media Marketing & Content Sharing

• A significant 77% of B2B and B2C marketers now use social media platforms as their number one channel for content distribution and promotion. So social must be part of any content strategy.^[36]

Table 8: Top Social Platforms Used to Share Content^[36]

• For frequency, businesses posting daily social media content typically gain more followers and engagement compared to those posting just 1-2x per week. For most brands, daily works best.^[37]

Top Content Marketing Challenges in 2024

• Around 35% of marketers cite ensuring content quality and consistency as their biggest obstacle. Finding competent writers to produce premium content is an issue.^[38]
• Per research, 60% of B2B content marketers struggle to create truly engaging content. For B2C marketers, only 32% find this challenging. So B2B has greater content struggles.^[39]
• It‘s estimated only 40% of B2B brands have a well-defined, documented content marketing strategy. The remaining 60% likely need to optimize and focus their approach.^[40]
• In terms of metrics, only 35% of marketers say they utilize clear KPIs and quantifiable goals to track content performance. The rest are potentially measuring inconsistently.^[41]

Key Takeaways: What the Data Says About Content in 2024

Looking at all these stats in their entirety, some compelling themes and insights emerge:

High-Quality, Original Content is Crucial

The data shows that even with more content being produced than ever, the biggest challenge is still generating engaging, creative ideas and turning those into quality content. For both writers and marketers, originality is imperative for success.

Content Marketing Delivers Tangible Business Value

This data leaves little doubt that done right, content marketing activities deliver real value. From generating quality leads, to directly driving sales, to building authority and awareness, marketers repeatedly confirm content provides a strong ROI.

Video & Interactive Formats are Essential

Static text content has reduced appeal for modern audiences. To connect in 2024, brands need expertise in video production and interactive content formats like polls, quizzes, and augmented reality.

Audiences Crave Education and Insight

While people‘s patience for long-form content is declining, they still want to learn from the content they consume. Brands win by publishing genuinely useful educational resources. Don‘t pursue trends for the sake of it.

SEO & Social Media Skills are a Must

Any brand Getting content marketing right means having in-house or outsourced expertise across multiple disciplines – audience research, optimized and evergreen content, effective promotion across social media and elsewhere. It‘s a complex puzzle requiring coordination.

Data Should Drive Content Efforts

In this fast-moving industry, opinions quickly become outdated. Brands must stay on top of the latest data on content marketing trends and audience preferences, using it to inform their strategy and their writing.

Final Thoughts

So in summary, those are 40+ of the most insightful content marketing and content writing statistics for 2024, painting a detailed picture of the current landscape.

It‘s an exciting time, with content taking center stage in the marketing mix. But it‘s also increasingly complex. By leveraging compelling formats, optimizing for search, promoting social, and above all, providing premium value to audiences, brands can make content work for their business this year.

I hope these stats provide some guidance as you shape your own content plans for 2024. Don‘t hesitate to get in touch if you need any further data, insights or recommendations. This is an area I follow closely.

Now get out there, start creating, and give your audience content that informs, entertains, and inspires!