Successful B2B marketing programs leverage a combination of investments that improve on their existing strengths while also tackling new challenges and opportunities, all designed to grow revenue and build brand. KoMarketing, a search, social and content marketing consultant, collected insights from more than 50 surveys and benchmark reports. Collectively, they can help companies set B2B marketing budgets and goals for the year ahead.
Sales reps required
B2B buyers require human sales interaction during every stage of the buyer’s journey, even though digital communication and promotion has become more prevalent in vendor marketing programs, according to survey findings released by SiriusDecisions.
Information as a sales tool
B2B buyers are exploring a number of different channels when conducting vendor research. Over the past year, 83 percent of respondents said that they have turned to white papers for research. Other popular forms of content assessed by buyers include webinars, blog posts and videos.
Information as a sales tool (redux)
A report released by PulsePoint and Digiday found that by 2017, content marketing and native ad budgets will grow 59 percent and 46 percent respectively; potentially outpacing search and social budgets.
But it has to be the right information
Despite a tsunami of information regarding what comprises an effective B2B content marketing strategy, KoMarketing’s own 2015 B2B Web Usability Report found that a huge disconnect still exists between the content vendors supply to buyers on their websites and what buyers need in order to move forward.
Mobile matters
67 percent of B2B marketers want to increase brand awareness through mobile marketing, making it the top priority, according the “State of B2B Mobile Marketing” report published by Regalix.
Are your reps social savvy?
The percentage of sales professionals who missed their sales quota and had little or no social media skills increased an astounding 50 percent from 2012 to 2014.
A link to KoMarketing’s summary of 50+ surveys and benchmark reports can be found in the Additional Web Resources box at SalesandMarketing.com.
