MARKETING PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS Lead Nurturing Trends SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT Monthly Research Series Conducted in Partnership with Leading Marketing Solution Providers
Lead Nurturing Trends Survey Summary Report Ascend2 Monthly Research Series Conducted in Partnership with Leading Marketing Solution Providers. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. You may adapt, copy, distribute and transmit this work. However, you must attribute the work as produced by Ascend2 and its Research Partners but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work. When you share this content, please provide a link back to www.ascend2.com/home/latest-report/ 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS Overcoming obstacles to lead nurturing success 4 Most important lead nurturing objectives 5 Rating lead nurturing success 6 Most challenging obstacles to success 7 Budget changes to support success 8 Most effective online channels 9 Integration across channels 10 Most effective lead nurturing tactics 11 Most effective resources to implement tactics 12 Importance of marketing technology 13 Survey methodology and demographics 14 About Ascend2 15 3
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO LEAD NURTURING SUCCESS Now more than ever, an effective lead nurturing strategy requires precisely targeted messaging delivered across multiple marketing channels and devices. How are companies overcoming these challenging new obstacles to lead nurturing success? To find out, Ascend2 and our Research Partners fielded the Lead Nurturing Trends Survey and completed interviews with 220 marketing, sales and business professionals from around the world. We thank them for sharing their valuable insights with you. The charts in this edition of the study titled Lead Nurturing Trends Survey Summary Report represent the average of all market segments responding to the survey. Specific market segments from the survey are reported on separately and exclusively by our Research Partners. This research has been produced for your use. Put it to work in your own marketing strategy planning and presentation materials. Clip the charts and write about them in your blog or post them on social media. Please share this research credited as published and linked back to: http://ascend2.com/home/latest-report/ Sergio Balegno Partner / CEO Research-Based Demand Generation for Marketing Solution Providers +1.800.762.1595 www.ascend2.com 4
MOST IMPORTANT LEAD NURTURING OBJECTIVES The most important objectives of a lead nurturing strategy have one thing in common: moving leads closer to being sales-ready. Increasing conversion rates, sales opportunities and lead qualification are more achievable when marketing and sales processes are aligned. 5
RATING LEAD NURTURING SUCCESS 20% of companies consider their lead nurturing strategy very successful at achieving important objectives. Nearly the same percentage (18%) consider it unsuccessful and are struggling to overcome the obstacles to lead nurturing success. 6
MOST CHALLENGING OBSTACLES TO SUCCESS Creating relevant, trustworthy content is critical to engaging and nurturing leads. Creating content is also the most challenging obstacle to lead nurturing success. Targeting campaigns to deliver content at the appropriate stage in the decision-making and buying process is second. 7
BUDGET CHANGES TO SUPPORT SUCCESS Lead nurturing is gaining financial support from nearly two-thirds (65%) of companies that are increasing their spending on this important strategy. Only 2% are decreasing their budget for lead nurturing. 8
MOST EFFECTIVE ONLINE CHANNELS The most successful lead nurturing programs focus their budgets and efforts on delivering content via the most effective online channels. Social media, websites and, most significantly, email are the most effective channels used for lead nurturing purposes. 9
INTEGRATION ACROSS CHANNELS Now more than ever, an effective lead nurturing strategy requires precisely targeted messaging delivered across multiple marketing channels and devices. And nearly one-quarter (23%) of companies are extensively integrating their lead nurturing campaigns across channels. 10
MOST EFFECTIVE LEAD NURTURING TACTICS As demonstrated previously, creating relevant content is not only the most challenging obstacle to lead nurturing success, it is also the most effective lead nurturing tactic used as shown below. 11
MOST EFFECTIVE RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT TACTICS The need to create content that is relevant to multiple personas at various stages in the decisionmaking process often requires outsourcing. 67% of companies outsource the implementation of all or part of their lead nurturing tactics gaining capabilities not available in-house. 12
IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING TECHNOLOGY Marketing technology streamlines the implementation of lead nurturing tactics and is extremely important to 75% of companies and somewhat important to another 22%. Only 3% of companies consider marketing technology unimportant when it comes to nurturing leads. 13
SURVEY METHODOLOGY AND DEMOGRAPHICS Ascend2 benchmarks the performance of popular digital marketing strategies and practices using a standardized questionnaire, research methodology and proprietary 3-Minute Survey format. Findings are examined in a quantitative context by experienced analysts and reported objectively. This survey was conducted online from a panel of more than 50,000 US and international marketing, sales and business professionals representing a range of demographic roles, channels and company sizes as follows: Number of Employees More than 500 27% 50 to 500 25% Fewer than 50 48% Role in the Company Owner / Partner / C-Level 35% Vice President / Director / Manager 47% Non-Management Professional 18% Primary Marketing/Sales Channel B2B (Business-to-Business) 79% B2C (Business-to-Consumer) 14% B2B and B2C Equally 7% 14
ABOUT ASCEND2 Research-Based Demand Generation for Marketing Solution Providers If marketing professionals are your ideal prospects, we can help you find more of them. Marketing software and data solution companies, and digital marketing agencies partner with Ascend2 to reliably generate demand and supplement marketing content for their firms. Our Research Partner Programs are transparent spotlighting your brand and the interests of your market. Learn more at www.ascend2.com 15
ASCEND2 RESEARCH-BASED DEMAND GENERATION Research Partner Programs deliver white label reports and a guaranteed number of leads in two simple steps: 1. Choose the topics of interest to your target market Content Marketing Email Marketing Video Marketing Organic Search (SEO) Marketing Automation Email List Growth Website Optimization Inbound Marketing Paid Search (PPC) Lead Generation Social Media Strategy Marketing Database 2. Choose an exclusive research segment for each marketing topic Benchmarks for Success [Research data from the successful program segment] B2B Benchmarks [Research data from the business-to-business segment] B2C Benchmarks [Research data from the business-to-consumer segment] Enterprise Benchmarks [Research data from the large company segment] SMB Benchmarks [Research data from the small and medium business segment] Agency Benchmarks [Research data from the marketing agency segment] Leadership Benchmarks [Research data from the marketing leadership segment] Other Benchmarks [Research data unique to a specific topic when available] If marketing professionals are your ideal prospects, watch this 90 second video. 16