As a B2B Agency, we’re very interested in the latest stats and trends in B2B digital marketing. Our clients often ask us about best practices and stats as they can be helpful when building a business case or when trying to create change with their company.
To help you keep pace with the latest in digital B2B marketing trends, we’ve compileda list of 21 intriguing marketing statistics from 2015 and 2016(there’s a lot of outdated info in many of the lists that we researched!). These data points cover content marketing, marketing automation, buyer personas and lead generation.
Content Marketing
Prospects are looking to consume quality online content that helps them make informed buyer decisions without feeling that they are being sold to. Great content marketing facilitates this. These stats share industry insights and the challenges facing content markers. Are you dealing with the same obstacles?
- 63% of B2B marketers report that their top challenge in 2016 will be producing engaging content. (CMI and MarketingProfs, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 60% of B2B decision-makers say that content provided by companies helps them make smarter buying decisions. (Marketo, 2015) [Tweet This]
- 30% of B2B marketers say that their organizations are effective at content marketing. (CMI and MarketingProfs, 2016) [Tweet This]
- Approximately 60 – 70% of B2B content goes un-used because the topic is irrelevant. (SiriusDecisions, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 29% of B2B marketers say that their organization is clear on what an effective or successful content marketing program looks like. (CMI and MarketingProfs, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 41% of B2B marketers cite webinars as the best marketing tactic for driving revenue. (Demand Wave, 2016)
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Marketing Automation
Today, B2B marketers need to distribute continuous, relevant and personalised communications in order to nurture individual prospects and existing buyers. Marketing automation systems make this possible. But how well is the industry using this tool? These stats highlight current challenges and benefits of marketing automation.
- 52% of marketers report that the most significant barrier to marketing automation success is lack of effective strategy. (Ascend2, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 63% of companies outsource all or part of their marketing automation strategy planning. (Ascend2, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 52% of Marketing Automation users say analytics and reporting are the most important features of marketing automation technology. (Ascend2, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 63% of marketers expect to realize the benefits of their marketing automation system within six months of implementation. (Ascend2, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 28% of B2B marketers have all the marketing automation tools needed but don’t feel that they are fully utilizing them. (Informatica, Dun & Bradstreet and Ascend2, 2015) [Tweet This]
Buyer Personas
Marketing success depends on how well B2B marketers can target and build relationships with the right prospects. The better marketers know their buyers, the better they can hone their marketing strategy. Getting to know a buyer requires a strategy that prioritises real insights from real customers. These stats share how the industry is making use of targeted buyer personas.
- 71% of companies who exceed revenue and lead goals have documented personas. (Cintell, 2016)
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- 60-70% of B2B marketers admit that they don’t truly understand their buyers. (SiriusDecisions, 2016)
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- 70% of companies who missed revenue and lead goals did not conduct qualitative persona interviews. (Cintell, 2016) [Tweet This]
- High performing companies are:
- 2.3X as likely to research the drivers and motivations of their buyers [Tweet This]
- 1.6X as likely to understand the fears and challenges of their buyers [Tweet This]
- 2.0X as likely to include the buying preferences of their personas [Tweet This]
than companies who miss revenue and lead goals. (Cintell, 2016)
- A) Nearly 60% of corporate marketers indicate that they are frustrated that their buyer personas are based on typical product management and sales intelligence and did not result in the deeper understanding expected. (Tony Zambito, 2016)
B) As a result, only 30% of corporate marketers state that their buyer personas are very to significantly effective. (Tony Zambito, 2016) [Tweet This]
Lead Generation
Today, B2B marketers need to confront changes in the buying process by finding new ways to reach and convert the right buyers. They must concentrate on getting their content found online and create interest in products or services by building and maintaining buyer relationships. These stats share current industry trends in lead generation.
- 83% of B2B marketers say that lead quality versus quantity is a top demand generation priority in 2016, an increase of 10% from 2015. (DemandGen, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 70% of B2B marketers favor live events as a top lead generation tactic followed by white papers (66%), and webinars (65%). (DemandGen, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 77% of B2B marketers call email a top channel for early-stage outreach. (DemandGen, 2016) [Tweet This]
- In 2015, 40% of B2B marketers said that social was a top channel for driving late-stage leads. This year, the number has slipped to 21%. (DemandGen, 2016) [Tweet This]
- 41% of B2B marketers lack well-defined criteria for what makes a sales-qualified lead. (Demand Wave, 2016) [Tweet This]