Content marketing is essential to more than half of businesses' digital marketing strategies, according to a new survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to website.

More than half (53%) of businesses invest time and money in content marketing, and continued growth in this category is expected, industry experts say.

"Even 10 years ago, content marketing was seen as a new buzzword," said Lauren Fairbanks, partner and CEO of S&G Content Marketing. "But over the last few years, it's really moved into the marketing mainstream. Marketers know that content marketing is essential for reaching consumers organically."

Most Businesses Publish Content Daily

Fifty-one percent (51%) of businesses publish content daily, the survey found.

Businesses need to ensure that their content publishing frequency doesn't sacrifice quality, marketing experts advise.

"It's all about putting out really good, thoroughly researched content," said Aylin Cook, head of content marketing at digital marketing agency Single Grain. "If companies can publish that content every day, great. If not, rather than frequency it's about quality and depth."

Videos, Blog Posts, and Data Most Popular Content That Businesses Publish

Businesses publish a variety of content types. The most popular are videos (72%), blog posts (69%), and research and original data (60%).

Offering a variety of content helps businesses reach an expanded and diverse customer base.

"There's a lot of content out there, and it's good to mix it up a bit and diversify it," said Jody Birch, director of marketing and communications at digital marketing agency Avalaunch Media. "Diverse content reaches the widest range of consumers."

Content Improvements Businesses Want to Make

Businesses want to improve their content.

When asked what improvement they would like to make to their content, most businesses said they would create more original content (22%) and include more visual components (22%).

Creating more original content increases brand awareness, and including more visuals keeps consumers engaged.

Overall, the survey indicates that most businesses value and rely on content marketing, and it will continue to be part of an increasing number of companies' digital marketing strategies.

The Manifest's 2018 Content Marketing Survey included 501 digital marketers from U.S. companies around the world with more than 100 employees.