The B2B content marketing landscape has undergone substantial transformation due to shifting market conditions, global disruptions, and generative AI innovations. To understand these changes, Kubnal Bridge surveyed 300 B2B marketing leaders regarding their evolving content strategies, releasing "The Future of B2B Content" report that builds on their 2019 edition.
Key insights from the research
- 81% of B2B marketers intend to increase content marketing investment over the next 12 months
- Nearly all B2B marketers report using generative AI for content creation
- More than half of B2B marketers are prioritizing digital content, AI adoption, and social media content more heavily
- B2B marketers identify content quality, speed, and diversity as their top three success factors for the next 12 months
Turning content investment into business impact
Despite 81% planning increased investment and nearly one-third aiming for significant increases, a notable gap exists between spending and results. Less than half of B2B marketers strongly believe their content effectively drives core business goals. The solution involves implementing Outcome-based Marketing, which starts with clearly defined business outcomes, ensuring that every piece of content serves a specific purpose.
AI's growing role in B2B content
Generative AI has rapidly become ubiquitous in content creation, with no respondents avoiding it entirely. Notably, 62% describe their AI usage as either "mature" or "leading edge." While AI offers advantages including research assistance, improved efficiency, and faster iteration, concerns persist regarding data privacy, reduced human creativity, and potential quality or bias issues.
Shifting content types and promotion channels
Content preferences have shifted since 2019. Bylines are valued by 25% of marketers (up from 8% in 2019), and SEO-driven content is cited as valuable by 37% (up from 16% in 2019). For distribution, 60% of B2B marketers identify social media as their primary promotion channel, though fewer believe target audiences find social content particularly valuable — a potential disconnect.
Quality and speed take center stage
Content quality is now the top priority for 34% of marketers (up from 21% in 2019), while speed is prioritized by 28% — more than doubling from the previous report. The next five years will bring continued evolution, particularly through AI advancement. But the fundamental requirement remains: a clear strategy connecting content to measurable business outcomes.