The State of Content Marketing in 2023 [Stats & Trends to Watch]

As a marketer, leveraging Content marketing in your strategy means planning, creating, and sharing content to attract and delight your target audience.

An engaging content marketing strategy generates brand awareness, convinces customers to take action, and drives revenue.

Content marketing encompasses many types of platforms, channels, and types of media — such as social media, videos, and blogs. And as new content platforms emerge, so do new trends and techniques that change how businesses reach their consumers.

Keeping up with the latest changes in the content marketing landscape may seem daunting, but it's essential to keeping your brand current and competitive. In this post, discover important stats about the state of content marketing in 2023 and trends to look out for throughout the year.

Content Marketing Statistics to Know

Content Marketing Trends to Watch in 2023

1. Short-form video takes center stage in 2023.

Short-form video is the most popular trend among marketers, has the highest ROI, and will see the most growth in 2023. Marketers plan to invest more in short-form videos than any other trend.

In fact, 90% of marketers using short-form videos will increase or maintain their investment in 2023, and 21% plan to leverage short-form videos for the first time in the same year.

This coincides with the videos consumers prefer to watch, as 73% of consumers prefer to watch short-form videos to learn about a service or product.

This consumer behavior has made videos, short-form specifically, the primary form of media used within any content strategy for the fourth year.

2. More brands will emphasize their values in their marketing content.

A recent study commissioned by Google Cloud found 82% of shoppers want a brand's values to align with theirs. Furthermore, the same study found 75% of consumers would part ways with a brand over conflicting values.

So, it's no wonder 30% of marketers are creating content that reflects their brand’s values, making it one of the most popular trends in marketing. The trend has the 5th highest ROI and will see growth in 2023.

The COVID-19 pandemic plays a role in the increased importance of values in marketing, according to Giusy Buonfantino, Vice President of Consumer Packaged Goods at Google Cloud.

"COVID-19 drove people to reflect on their priorities, elevating concepts like community service, equity, and sustainability," Buonfantino said in a blog post sharing the above findings.

Buonfantino says today's consumers aren't just looking for savings or convenience; they also want to feel good about spending their money at a company whose values align with theirs.

According to Google Cloud's study, sustainability is a value most consumers (52%) are interested in. Consumers want to know how companies manage their resources and whether their materials are sourced responsibly.

3. Influencer Marketing will remain vital to reaching audiences online.

According to the Digital Marketing Institute, almost half of consumers depend on recommendations from influencers to determine the products they want to purchase.

Furthermore, 1 in 4 marketers are leveraging influencer marketing and it offers the 2nd highest ROI of any trend.

Influencer marketing is expected to see significant growth in 2023 with 17% of marketers planning to invest in it for the first time. So, why is influencer marketing so beneficial?

According to Nielsen Scarborough, 42% of Americans seek the advice of others for purchase decisions and they want advice from relatable sources.

Influencers are seen as more relatable than brands and companies and use their relatability to form tight bonds with their audience.

So, if you're looking to humanize your brand and create a deeper connection with consumers — influencer marketing is the way to go.

4. Funny, trendy, and relatable content is crucial in 2023.

Relatable content will grow significantly in 2023 as 46% of social media marketers will leverage it for the first time. Among those using it, 49% plan to increase their investment, and 43% keep investing the same amount.

Additionally, funny content will see the 2nd most investment of any content type in 2023, and 33% of social media marketers plan to use it for the first time next year.

If you're not sure what's trending with audiences or what's getting the most laughs this year, don't be afraid to lean on influencers.

In addition to being relatable, influencers are constantly tapping into what their audience cares about and what makes them laugh.

5. Social media remains the best way to reach Gen Z.

Social media is the #1 channel to reach Gen Z consumers. We found that 93% of Gen Z spend an average of four hours daily on social media, and 57% of Gen Z have discovered a new product on social media within the past three months.

Furthermore, 28% of Gen Z consumers bought a product through a social media app. Additionally, social media is the marketing channel Gen Z consumers discover new products on most often, and it's their preferred channel for product discovery.

So, what social media platforms do Gen Z use the most? According to our data, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are in the top 3.

6. Strategic SEO tactics are a must-have.

SEO is far from new in marketing, but it still has a crucial place in content marketing strategies — especially for web content. 29% of marketers use a website to attract and convert leads.

SEO has the fourth largest ROI, and most marketers using it (88%) will increase or maintain their investment in 2023.

And SEO ranks third behind short-form videos and influencer marketing regarding where marketers invest the most money in 2023.

Stay Up-to-date On Your Industry

It’s always essential to stay up-to-date on what is happening in your industry; being aware of these trends is a way to do so.

Should you choose to leverage one of these trends in your marketing strategy, ensure that it’s relevant to your business needs and will help you achieve your goals.