Over the past few years, B2B content marketing has experienced another major shift, shaped by changing market dynamics, global disruptions and innovations like generative AI. At the same time, content is increasingly recognized as a core ingredient of success, and there’s a growing awareness that a robust content strategy is a prerequisite for achieving key business goals.
In other words, B2B content is evolving (again), and it’s more important than ever for brands to get it right.
To gain a clearer picture of how the content space is changing, our team at Walker Sands surveyed 300 B2B marketing leaders to learn how they’re evolving their content strategies in this new, AI-driven landscape.
Today, I’m excited to share our findings in the newly released “The Future of B2B Content 2024” report. This report builds on the insights from our last “Future of Content” edition released in 2019, offering a detailed look at the shifts in content strategy, production and promotion over the past five years.
Key insights include:
- 81% of B2B marketers plan to invest more money in their content marketing efforts over the next 12 months
- Virtually all B2B marketers say their organization uses generative AI for content creation
- More than half of B2B marketers are making digital content, the adoption of AI and other technologies, and social media content a greater priority.
- B2B marketers rank content quality, speed and diversity as the top three most important factors to the success of their organization’s content program over the next 12 months.
Whether you’re working on refining your approach to B2B content or working to stay ahead of the curve, I think you’ll find the data extremely useful for navigating today’s fast-changing environment. Let’s dive into some of the key takeaways.
Turning Content Investment Into Business Impact
Our data shows that the vast majority of B2B marketing leaders (81%) plan to increase their investment in content over the next year, with nearly a third (29%) aiming to invest significantly more.
However, despite this push for greater content production, there’s a noticeable disconnect between investment and anticipated results for many B2B brands. Our findings indicate that less than half of B2B marketers strongly believe their content is effectively driving their top business goals.
So, what’s behind the disconnect? While brands still believe in content’s potential and continue to invest in it, many struggle to connect its value to their core business goals. Closing that gap requires more than just creating high-quality content — it demands a strategic approach that aligns content with specific, measurable business outcomes.
That’s where Outcome-based Marketing (OBM) comes in. OBM starts with clearly defined business outcomes, ensuring that every piece of content serves a specific purpose, whether it’s driving revenue or enhancing brand reputation. In a landscape where B2B marketers are under more pressure from executives to deliver results, OBM offers a solution for creating thoughtfully designed content that moves the needle.
AI’s Growing Role in B2B Content
One of the most glaring shifts in the content landscape over the past five years has been the rise of generative AI. Virtually every B2B marketer now uses AI tools for content creation in some capacity, with many scaling up their usage and exploring innovative new applications.
Our report highlights just how quickly AI has gained traction: 62% of B2B marketers describe their use of AI in content creation as either “mature” or “leading edge,” and not a single respondent reported that they’re avoiding AI entirely.
While AI brings clear benefits to the table (e.g., research assistance, increased efficiency and shorter iterative cycles), it also introduces challenges. Concerns about data privacy, potential impacts on human creativity and the risk of producing low-quality or biased content are all factors B2B marketers need to consider. However, even with these challenges, AI’s influence on B2B content will only expand, making it crucial for marketers to establish solid policies and best practices for its use.
Today’s Top B2B Content Types + Promotion Channels
Since 2019, the types of content B2B marketers find most valuable have shifted, with a growing emphasis on bylines, tip sheets and SEO-driven content. According to our report, 25% of B2B marketers say their audiences find bylines valuable, a big jump from just 8% in 2019. Similarly, 37% now cite SEO content as valuable, up from 16% five years ago. These changes reflect a growing focus on thought leadership and driving sales through content.
But picking the right type of content is only half the battle — identifying the most effective distribution channels is just as critical.
Unsurprisingly, 60% of B2B marketers point to social media as their go-to channel for promoting content. However, fewer believe their target audiences see social content as particularly valuable. This disconnect suggests that while marketers recognize the power of social media, they may be struggling to create social content that truly resonates. Keep in mind, not every social platform is a fit for every B2B brand, so knowing where your audience spends their time is key for social content success.
Quality and Speed Take Center Stage in B2B Content
B2B marketers are increasingly prioritizing the quality, speed and diversity of their content compared to five years ago. Our findings show that 34% of marketers now consider content quality the most important factor for success, up from 21% from 2019. Speed is also gaining momentum, with 28% of marketers naming it a top priority, more than doubling from our last report.
Interestingly, factors like audience relevance and content differentiation, which were once seen as crucial, seem to have taken a backseat in today’s B2B content landscape. That’s a red flag. To stay competitive, marketers will need to balance speed and quality while ensuring their content continues to connect with the right audiences.
The Future of B2B Content Is Here
The next five years will undoubtedly bring even more change to the B2B content landscape, especially as AI continues to advance. But one thing remains constant: the need for a clear strategy that connects content to measurable business outcomes.
At Walker Sands, we’re here to help you navigate this evolving space — whether you’re focused on driving sales, building brand reputation or mastering AI.
Ready to embrace the future of B2B content? Check out The Future of B2B Content 2024 report for insights, or reach out to our team and let’s talk about how we can help you create a winning content strategy.
