Some people think being terrified is fun. I am not one of those people.
I can’t read thrillers, leave the room if a TV show gets too suspenseful, and avoid horror films at all costs. And I don’t care if you think it’s “predictable” or “cheesy,” I won’t be at your Halloween party if The Exorcist, The Ring, Scream, The Shining, or Jurassic Park is playing in the background.
Yes, Jurassic Park scares the bejesus out of me. Don’t judge.
When something scary comes up in business…you can’t hide under the covers.
But when something scary comes up in business—like when you realize you have to drastically shift your strategy halfway through the year, or when “tried-and-true” stops working—you can’t hide under the covers or leave the room.
In fact, ignoring these scary situations will only make it worse.
These 13 marketing stats are pretty terrifying. They signal shifts in the way we do business, and highlight real problems requiring significant changes to the marketing organization.
And since October is all about celebrating the scary, why not face those fears? Luckily for you, I’m sensitive to fear-provoking situations, so we decided to soften the blow with a little GIF-inspired humor.
Happy scaring, marketers.
1. 60% to 70% of B2B content created is never used. Tweet This Stat!
2. By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationships without talking to a human. Tweet This Stat!
3. Less than 1/3 of email marketing companies regularly test their email campaigns. Tweet This Stat!
4. Only 35% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy. Tweet This Stat!
5. Last year, 42% of B2B marketers claimed to be effective at content marketing. This year, that number dropped to 38%. Tweet This Stat!
6. 79% of marketing leads never convert into sales. Lack of lead nurturing is the common cause of this poor performance. Tweet This Stat!
7. The #1 reason marketing automation implementation fails is lack of content. Tweet This Stat!
8. Only 12% of marketers make publishing research and perspectives the main focus of their content marketing. 0% said they engage external experts to validate those ideas. Tweet This Stat!
9. 85% of B2B marketing leaders fail to connect content activity to business value—leading to a failure to retain customers and win long-term customer loyalty. Tweet This Stat!
10. 40% of B2B buyers waited longer to contact a vendor than in the previous year, and 34% said the number of people involved in evaluating a purchase increased as well. Tweet This Stat!
11. Only 21% of B2B marketers say they are successful at tracking ROI. Tweet This Stat!
12. 32% of B2B marketers say they are challenged with finding trained content marketing professionals. Tweet This Stat!
13. Only 4% of B2B content marketers are “true masters of content marketing.” The other 96% are “doing” content marketing, but not at an advanced level. Tweet This Stat!
Okay, I know that was scary. But now that you know what there is to be afraid of, you can face it head-on.
Want our advice? Start with a content marketing operation. It tackles many of these unknowns and helps you prove the business value your marketing efforts provide to the organization.
Or, you could just hide under the covers. Your choice.