In an effort to acquire more leads and build better brand recognition, many companies are increasing investments in the content marketing, a survey from Focus suggests.

In an effort to acquire more leads and build better brand recognition, many companies are increasing investments in the content marketing, a survey from Focus suggests.

Regardless of whether a company serves other businesses or consumers directly, lead acquisition and branding are two of the leading strategic priorities. Fifty-five percent of B2B firms and 37 percent of B2C organizations said generating new prospects would be a key objective for their online marketing efforts. Additionally, 49 percent of both B2B and B2C companies indicating branding would be a priority.

To accomplish these objectives, many respondents plan to funnel more money into content marketing. Nearly half of the polled respondents (47 percent) said online content marketing would be this year's top investment. The most popular approach is blogging, with 39 and 37 percent of B2B and B2C companies naming this as their top strategy. Industry white papers, online videos and virtual events were also commonly used tactics.

Brafton recently reported that content was a key driver of digital events. According to a report conducted by MarketingProfs and relayed by eMarketer, 77 percent of virtual conference attendees downloaded content. Meanwhile, 61 percent said they would pay money for valuable online content.