Study: Digital Content Marketing Spend Reached Nearly $16.6B In 2011

Companies’ spend on online content marketing grew to nearly $16.6 billion last year, with video showing the strongest growth of all media measured. These stats come courtesy of a new study conducted by the Custom Content Council and ContentWise which was released this week. Survey trends reveal that online content marketing is likely to surpass […]

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Companies’ spend on online content marketing grew to nearly $16.6 billion last year, with video showing the strongest growth of all media measured. These stats come courtesy of a new study conducted by the Custom Content Council and ContentWise which was released this week.

Survey trends reveal that online content marketing is likely to surpass print in the next few years, though print will likely remain a major player. The formats measured by the study included print, web, email, video, virtual events, white papers (both print and electronic), podcasts and e-Zines. (The $16.6 billion figure includes everything but print.)

“Funds that were previously earmarked for print are being shifted to video and web content, though print remains a dominant part of the overall spend,” Lori Rosen, executive director of the Custom Content Council, said in a statement.

In 2011, 52% of marketers said they used video, as compared to only 37% in 2009, and this is likely to grow even more, as 54% of marketers said they expect to use more video. Additionally, the number of videos produced has risen from 12 to 19 per year.

ContentTypesUsedByMarketers

Formats Used By Content Marketers, 2011

Websites were the most widely adopted of digital media, with 82% of content marketers using them in 2011. The average marketer updated their website 145 times with articles, posts and other content during the year — a slight increase from 2009.

Email grew from being used by 66% of marketers in 2009 to 71% in 2011.

Custom content (including print) represents 26% of companies’ overall marketing, advertising and communications budget. This is slightly lower than the 29% recorded last year.


About the author

Pamela Parker
Staff
Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media's Content Studio, where she produces MarTech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land and MarTech. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

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