Marketing Trends
Lead Generation
2013
survey resuLts
by Holger Schulze
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the 2013 B2B Lead Generation Report!
It’s no secret that B2B marketing is undergoing dramatic
change. Marketing professionals are under immense pressure
to deliver results and justify significant program and headcount
investments. The B2B Technology Marketing Community on
LinkedIn conducted the 2013 lead generation survey to better
understand how B2B marketers are adjusting to new challenges,
and to identify new trends and best practices.
The results are in! We received more than 800 responses and are
excited to share the results with you. We hope you find this report
an interesting read that contains the critical data points and trends
to inform your 2013 marketing plans, campaigns and budget
allocations.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey!
Group Owner, B2B Technology Marketing Community
[email protected] | +1 302-383-5817
B2B buyer behavior has
been changing dramatically
over the last few years
as buyers become more
sophisticated, and find new
ways to gather information
online and via social media.
90% of business buyers say
when they’re ready to buy,
they’ll find you.
*DemandGen Reports
The number one challenge for B2B marketers:
Generating high-quality leads
The most effective lead generation tactics used by marketers:
company website, email marketing and SEO
The greatest barrier to lead generation success is lack of resources:
Staff, budget and time
B2B marketers’ top metrics to measure marketing ROI:
Cost per lead, revenue and lead volume
The secret to B2B email success:
Provide compelling content for each stage in the buying
process to move buyers from first touch to purchase
Top-5 Trends in B2B Lead Generation
Generating
high-quality leads
is by far the number one
challenge for B2B marketers
(61 percent).
Generating high-quality leads Converting leads into customers Creating meaningful content Demonstrating return on investment Sourcing high-quality data/lists Lead generation across multiple media Generating a high-volume of leads Marketing to a lenghtening sales cycle Marketing to a growing number of people involved Generating public relations and awareness buzz Communicating product value Creating overall marketing strategy Keeping up with changes in the marketplace
What are your biggest B2B lead generation challenges? (Select all that apply)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST
Lead Generation Challenges?
The most effective lead
generation tactic used by
marketers is the
company website
followed by email marketing
and SEO.
Company website Conferences/Tradeshows Email marketing Search engine optimization (SEO) Telemarketing Virtual events/Webinars Public relations Paid search (PPC) Social media Online advertising Direct mail Print AdvertisingHow effective are the following B2B lead generation tactics?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Effective Somewhat Effective Ineffective Do not use
HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE
B2B Lead Generation Tactics?
Q4
Today’s greatest barriers to
lead generation success are
lack of resources:
staff, budget and time.
Lack of resources in staffing, budgeting or time Lack of high quality data/lists to drive campaigns Lack of budget Limited ability to develop content Lack of time & bandwidth Lack of sufficient insight on target audience Lack of alignment between Sales and Marketing Lack of ability to stop executing and think strategically Lack of reliable data to drive decisions The economic climate Lack of a clear value proposition Lack of insight in competitive research Lack of strategic direction Not enough education on best practices Lack of clarity on goals and objectives Difficulty gaining support from the C-suite Lack of support from IT
What are your greatest barriers to B2B lead generation sucess?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
WHAT ARE THE GREATEST
Barriers to B2B Lead Generation?
Q4
Cost per lead,
revenue and
lead volume
top the list of metrics most
B2B marketers use to measure
marketing ROI.
Cost per lead Total revenue Total lead volume Lead quality Closing rate Web traffic Cost per customer acquisition Average deal size Time to close Don’t measure
What metrics do you use to measure marketing ROI?
0% 20% 40% 60%
WHAT mETRICS ARE USED
to measure marketing ROI?
Q4
For most marketers, between
5 and 10 percent
of qualified
leads convert
to customers. A whopping
25 percent don’t know their
conversion rates.
What percentage of your leads convert to closed-won deals?
25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 00 05 10 15 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Don’t Know Percentage of Leads Survey responses
convert to closed-won deals?
Q4
The secret to B2B email
success is
compelling content
for each stage in the buying
process to move buyers from
first touch to purchase.
Compelling content for each stage Offering downloadable content Segment email campaigns based on behavior Segment email campaigns based on demographics Dynamically personalize email content Automatically send email based on triggers Allow subscribers to specify email preferences Use animated images or video in design Use loyalty/reward program Don’t use email marketing Include surveys, trivia or games
What B2B email tactics do you consider most effective?
0% 20% 40% 60%
are most effective?
Q4
Networking
and speaking
engagements
drive success at trade
shows – advertising in
tradeshow materials is
the least effective tactic.
Post-show marketing Networking during trade show Speaking engagement as part of the conference/tradeshow program Demonstrations at booth
Pre-show marketing Staffing trade show booth appropriately Engaging booth display and design Utilizing social media Have a presenter at the booth Sponsoring trade show or related events Giving away a great promotional item Games, contests or sweepstakes at booth Advertising in trade show materials Don’t use tradeshows
What tradeshow tactis do you find most effective in creating qualified leads?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
most effective in creating qualified leads?
For webinar success
build compelling
content, advertise
the webinar early,
and make sure
to follow up .
Developing webinar content Pre-webinar advertising to gain attendees Post-webinar marketing and follow-up Recruiting the right webinar speaker(s) Making webinar available on demand Creating a compelling webinar registration page Day of webinar execution Producing a webinar plan and deadlines Setting objectives for the webinar
What do you consider the most important aspects of an
effective B2B webinar?
0% 20% 40% 60%
aspect of an effective B2B webinar?
For the minority of B2B
marketers who still
use direct mail –
letters, brochures
and 3D promo
packages
are the most effective formats.
Standard business letters Brochures and catalogs 3 dimensional promo packages Postcards Sell sheets and flyers Self-mailers Audio or video CDs Coupons Promotional items, gifts, etc.
What B2B direct mail formats do you consider most effective?
0% 20% 40% 60%
We don’t use direct mail
is considered the most effective?
For social media success,
build relationships
with bloggers, community
moderators, and social
influencers – and don’t neglect
your corporate blog.
Building relationships with bloggers, community moderators, and social influencers Uploading content to social sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare) Moderating social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) Posting comments on microblogs (Twitter, etc) Including social sharing buttons in email content Don’t use social media tactics Advertising on blogs, social networks or other social media sites Including social sharing buttons on company website
What social media tactics do you consider most effective?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Posting content on company blog
are considered the most effective?
Most B2B marketers
(43 percent) use marketing
automation software for
reporting, analytics
and dashboard
capabilities
– followed by campaign
tracking (42 percent).
Lead nurturing Reports, analytics and dashboards Campaign tracking Integration with other systems (CRM, Web) Email distribution and analysis Lead management Landing pages Lead scoring Lead notifications (for sales and/or marketing) We don’t use marketing automation software Lead distributionHow do you use marketing automation software in your
B2B marketing organization?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
used in B2B marketing?
Allocation of
marketing budgets
to lead generation runs the
gamut – from as little as 10
percent to more than 80
percent. Most B2B marketers
that took the survey, however,
don’t know (20 percent).
What percentage of your marketing budget is allocated to lead generation?
20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Don’t Know Percentage of Budget Survey responses
is allocated to lead generation?
Lead generation
budgets are going up
for about 50 percent of B2B
marketers. Budgets will stay flat for
44 percent. Only a small number
of marketers (7 percent) expect
lead generation budgets to shrink.
How are lead generation budgets going to change
49.0% | Increase
44.0% | No change
7.0% | Decrease
budgets changing?
The most commonly outsourced
B2B marketing function is
creative and
graphic design
(38 percent), followed by SEO
and PR (both 29 percent).
Public relations Search engine optimization (SEO) We don’t outsource any Paid search (PPC) Company website Telemarketing Media buying & management Online advertising Tradeshow booth design & marketing
What Marketing tactics do you currently outsource?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Creative/graphic design
are currently outsourced?
In a nutshell: Most B2B
marketers (49 percent)
have yet to figure out
how mobile
marketing fits into
their strategies.
What role does mobile marketing play in your marketing plan?
49.2%
|
16.6%
15.1%
15.0%
4.0%
Already heavily engaged
in mobile marketing
|
Not interested in
mobile marketing
|
Still 6-12 months
from getting serious
|
Getting serious in 2013
Not yet clear
|
marketing play?
Conferences
and tradeshows
receive the
biggest marketing
budget allocation,
followed by lead generation
programs, website and
content marketing.
Conferences/Tradeshows Lead generation Content Marketing Company website Telemarketing Email marketing Paid search (PPC) Public relations Search engine optimization (SEO) Virtual events/webinars Online advertising Marketing automation Social media Direct mail List purchases/ Sales Intelligence tools Research Print advertisingRoughly speaking, how will you allocate your B2B marketing budget in 2013?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
allocated in 2013?
Cost per marketing
qualified lead
ranges from less than $25
to over $500 per lead – but
most B2B marketers simply
don’t know (41 percent).
What is your average cost per marketing qualified lead (MQL)?
50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Less
Than $25 25-50 51-75 76-100 100-150 151-200 200-500 Over$500 SureNot
per marketing qualified lead (MQL)?
This survey was sent to the 42,000 + members of the B2B Technology Marketing Community on
LinkedIn. 845 marketers responded – here is a detailed breakdown of the demographics.
Software High-Tech Advertising/Marketing Business services Professional services Manufacturing Telecommunication Healthcare Financial services Government
What industry is your company in?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Director Owner/CEO/President
VP/EVP/SVP Specialist C-Level (CMO, CFO, COO)
What is your career level?
Manager
What is the size of your company (number of employees)?
32.6% | 10-99 25.3% | Fewer than 10 22.0% | 100-999 11.4% | 1,000-10,000 8.6% | 10,000+ CEO/President/Owner Sales Consultant Product Management Engineering
What is your role?
0% 20% 40% 60%
Marketing
