Only 14% of marketers report strong results: what the data says
Orbit Media just released its annual blogging research, and the headline number is the worst Andy Crestodina has recorded in 13 years of tracking. Only 14% of marketers now report strong results from their content efforts.
Ann Handley pulled three findings from the report that are worth sitting with.
AI is making content faster, not better
AI use has spread into nearly every part of marketing workflow. But according to the data, none of the AI use cases Orbit tracks correlate meaningfully with stronger content performance. Speed and efficiency alone are not moving the needle.
The more useful question, as Handley frames it: What actually makes this worth paying attention to? Not how to produce more, faster.
The practices that work are being abandoned
The steps most associated with strong performance in the research include original research, human editing, collaboration, analytics, keyword research, and paid promotion. All of them are trending down in adoption. Meanwhile, the practices linked to weaker results are gaining ground.
Handley’s framing: AI makes it easy to remove effort from the process, but not all effort is waste. Some friction is where the thinking, distinctiveness, and credibility enter the work. Removing the wrong kind is what tanks results.
The operator angle
The practical read for solo operators and small teams: as the broader market races toward faster and cheaper content, the practices that require more deliberate work become more distinctive. Original research, genuine expertise, and publishing on a platform you own carry more relative value when everyone else is optimizing for volume.
As Handley puts it: when speed becomes cheap, judgment carries a premium.
See the full breakdown and Orbit Media’s report here.
I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.
With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.
At BizStack, I aim to cut through the digital noise to provide clear, actionable advice.
And more than all else, I’m a father to a (always) little girl and a husband.
Contact me at [email protected] for assistance.
