This article was originally published on ComeRecommended.com.

Wondering whether content marketing is worth your while? Well, the majority of the marketing industry is heading in that direction. According to a new survey, 82 percent of B2B marketers plan to increase their content creation efforts in the next year (32 percent significantly so).

B2B marketers are mostly using content creation to generate leads (71 percent), but their goals also include thought leadership and market education (50 percent), customer acquisition (45 percent), and brand awareness (41 percent).

The most effective content marketing tactics include for B2B marketers: customer testimonials, case studies, in-person events, online articles, and videos. In the past year, white papers dropped way down in popularity compared to the other tactics used.

When asked the most effective social media platforms for delivering content, B2B marketers decided LinkedIn was most effective (85 percent), followed by YouTube, which jumped from 53 percent to 73 percent in the last year. Twitter fell from 70 percent to 65 percent, and Facebook dropped even further to 39 percent.

So, why are so many B2B marketers putting their efforts into content marketing?

Content marketing works because it drives leads right to you. When you create valuable content for your potential customers, they know to come to you for your expertise in your field. In fact, 90 percent of customers find custom content useful and 68 percent of them read content from brands they like. Therefore, content marketing builds a relationship between you and your customers. They become loyal when you continue to produce good content.

There are always new trends and information to present, and there are unlimited ways to present them. Whether you specialize in case studies, articles, videos, or something else, tailor your content to your target audience. Your audience is what’s most important in content marketing.

If you consistently deliver high quality and valuable content, your journey into content marketing will be worth it.

Why do you think content marketing has gained popularity among B2B marketers?