Almost all the respondents made quick shifts. And 80% say they made effective changes, with 38% strongly agreeing with that sentiment.  

Moreover, 84% say some of the changes they made will remain in effect for the foreseeable future, and 36% strongly assent that this will be the case.

Of the companies polled, 63% changed their targeting and messaging strategy, 56% adjusted their editorial calendar, 37% changed their website and 34% reexamined their customer journey.  

In addition, 26% increased time talking with customers, 20% altered their products/services and 23% adjusted their key performance indicators. Another 18% revisited customer/buyer personas and 13% changed their content marketing metrics.  

While 50% did not change their content spending in 2020, 33% reduced it. Only 17% increased their spend. 

What’s more, 30% shifted advertising dollars to content marketing.  

The types of content they created in the last 12 months include: 

• Blog posts/short articles — 83% 

• Email newsletter — 74% 

• Video (pre-produced) — 62% 

• Infographics/charts/photos — 39% 

• In-person tweets — 37%  

• Video (livestreaming content) — 35% 

• E-book/guides — 29% 

• Case studies — 24%  

• Long-form text (e.g., articles 3,00-words — 22%  

The top three content distribution channels are social media platforms (82%), their company website/blog (79%) and email (76%).  

Among the tools they use in their content marketing:  

• Keyword research for search engine optimization — 73% 

• Shared docs to collect/track ideas (e.g., Google Docs, Excel) — 60% 

• Editorial calendar — 58% 

• Persons (e.g., buyer, customer, audience — 48% 

• Writing readability tools (e.g., Grammarly, Hemingway Editor) — 37% 

• Ideation/collaboration/project management platforms — 34% 

• Fact-checking procedures/tools — 22% 

• Other—8% 

This year, content marketers expect to invest in: 

• Content creation — 61% 

• Social media management/community building — 54% 

• Website enhancements — 53% 

• Content distribution (organic, nonpaid) — 43% 

• Customer experience — 40% 

• Getting to know audiences better (e.g., personas, social listening, research) — 36% 

• Content distribution—paid — 31% 

• Events (digital, in-person, hybrid) — 30% 

• Earned media (PR/media/influencer relations) — 27% 

• Content marketing-related technologies — 25% 

• Staffing/human resources — 18% 

• Other — 2%

In terms of content marketing maturity, 24% rate as young, 28% as adolescent, 28% as mature and only 11% as sophisticated. Another are making their first steps.

The Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs surveyed 1,707 marketers worldwide.