![B2B Marketers Go-To-Market Top Priorities [Survey]](https://bersondeanstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/b2b_marketing-priorities.jpg)
by Lori Berson | May 9, 2022 | Lead Management, Marketing, marketing automation, Marketing Strategy
According to the recent The State of B2B lead Management 2022 report from LeanData, Sales Hacker, Heinze Marketing and Outreach, B2B marketing and sales leaders found it more challenging to generate sufficient pipeline last year than to pivot go-to-market approaches amid changing conditions or sell virtually with a remote team. Per the study, those same leaders will be focused on generating pipeline this year.
Not only was pipeline the top challenge for 2021, but it’s the leading priority (among 5 listed) for 2022, according to the survey’s more than 1,700 respondents. Almost half (48.8%) named pipeline growth their top priority for their go-to-market organization this year. That’s more than double the share who said that building/staffing teams (22.4%) is their top priority. Other initiatives such as expanding their addressable market (18.3%), accelerating digital transformation (7.1%), and new tech stack investments (3.5%) were lower on the priority list.
The attention paid to pipeline growth, at least for marketing respondents, is understandable given the extent to which marketing is expected to contribute to the sales pipeline. In a recent study, 82% of marketers said they are measured by the sales pipeline they initiate, and 78% reported being measured by the sales pipeline they influence. The good news is that almost 6 in 10 respondents agree to some extent that their sales and marketing are aligned to deliver growth this year.
Although a slight majority agree that their organization’s lead management systems and processes help them deliver an ideal customer experience, more than one-quarter don’t feel that way. Moreover, one-quarter disagree that their current lead management system will support revenue goals this year. And, although almost 2 in 3 feel that they are somewhat effective in achieving their conversion goals with their current lead management strategy, only around 1 in 4 (27%) are very confident in this area.
Lead Routing Issues
The survey indicates that B2B organizations are at times assigning leads to the wrong owner, with 6 in 10 admitting this sometimes happens and another 7% claiming that it happens half or more of the time.
2 in 3 are able to match leads to accounts and are happy with the process. Unfortunately, this leaves many for whom lead matching occurs but is slow or error-ridden (24.3%), and a small fraction who simply aren’t matching leads to accounts despite a desire to do so (4.3%).
Issues with speed may be the result of outdated processes: the #1 method for routing leads is manual, as opposed to other methods such as using marketing automation platforms or native assignment rules in the CRM.
Looking forward, the top lead management capability that respondents would like to have but currently don’t is more automation and fewer manual processes.
About the Data: The results are based on a December 2021 global survey of 1,732 B2B sales, marketing, and operations professionals, with technology the most heavily represented industry.
Need assistance with your go-to-marketing strategies, and sales and marketing automation? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing and sales automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
![Podcast Engagement [Research]](https://bersondeanstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Podcast-1080x675.jpg)
by Lori Berson | May 6, 2022 | Marketing, Podcasts
According to results from the latest Edison Research Infinite Dial report, produced in partnership with Wondery and ART19, podcasts have are increasingly popular with middle-aged adults.
Mixed Trends in Podcast Reach
This 2022 report finds that 79% of US respondents ages 12 and older are familiar with podcasting. The podcast audience also continues to expand, as 62% of respondents say they’ve ever listened to a podcast. This figure has climbed virtually every year since 2006, and is up from 40% in 2017.
However, while more people have listened to a podcast than ever before, regular engagement with podcasts has slipped, which the report attributes to a return to pre-pandemic routines. As such, this year 38% of respondents report having listened to a podcast in the last month, down from 41% in last year’s survey. However, this figure remains higher than those registered in 2020 (37%) and 2019 (32%) as well as in prior years.
Likewise, weekly podcast listening has also dipped slightly. This year 26% report having listened to a podcast in the previous week, as compared to 28% last year. Once again, this year’s result continues to be higher than in 2020 (24%), 2019 (22%) and earlier years.
Middle-Aged Adults Go Against The Trend
The percentage of Americans ages 13 and older who listen to podcasts on a monthly basis declined across age groups and genders, with one exception: 35-54-year-olds. Instead, the proportion of Americans in this age group having listened to a podcast in the previous month ticked up from 39% last year to 43% this year. By comparison, the percentage of 12-34-year-old respondents listening in the past month fell from 56% to 50%, while for those ages 55 and older it dropped from 26% to 22%.
Meanwhile, slightly fewer male respondents this year (41%) than last (43%) had listened to a podcast within the prior month, with engagement also dipping among female respondents (39% to 36%).
Another measure of podcast listening also shows that the middle-aged group is heavily engaged. Though the report doesn’t break out the percentage of respondents who listened to podcasts in the previous week by age group, it does look at the number of podcasts listened to among weekly podcast listeners by age. The results here show that although one-third (33%) of weekly listeners ages 12-34 listen to more than 5 episodes in the previous week, that figure rises to 38% among 35-54-year-olds. Indeed, the number of episodes that weekly podcast listeners tuned into during the prior week averaged 8.9 among the 35-54 bracket, compared to 8.3 for the 12-34 group and 4.9 for the 55+ group.
Recent study results suggest that Comedy is the most popular genre among 25-54-year-old podcast listeners, followed by News, Society & Culture, and True Crime.
The Monthly Podcast Listener
Men are over-represented in the monthly podcast listening audience, according to the Infinite Dial report. While they account for 48% share of the 12+ population, they represent 53% of monthly podcast consumers of that age, compared to 46% share for women and 1% for non-binary/other. However, men’s share of the monthly podcast listening audience has edged down over the years, from 55% in 2017. A recent Nielsen report has also found an increase in female listeners, noting that the number of heavy female listeners – those tuning in 10+ times per month – almost doubled between November 2019 (5.38 million) and November 2021 (9.27 million).
As for the age distribution of monthly podcast listeners, a declining share are ages 12-34 (47%, down from 51% in 2017). The share who are aged 35-54 remains flat from 2017 at 33%, while the share who are aged 55 and older has grown from 16% to 20% during that period. This also aligns with research from Nielsen, in which adults ages 55 and older have been found to represent a growing share of the podcast audience at the expense of younger adults.
As for the race/ethnicity of monthly podcast listeners, this year’s study finds that 59% are White, down from 66% in 2017. Some 16% are African-American, up from 12%, while another 16% are Hispanic, up from 11%.
Online Audio Engagement Rises
Unlike with podcasting, the percentage of US respondents ages 12+ who listened to online audio in the previous month rose this year, reaching 73% after spending the past couple of years at 68%. The rise was particularly noticeable among the 35-54 (81%, up from 72%) and 55+ (52%, up from 46%) age groups.
Weekly online audio listening (referring to AM/FM radio stations online and/or streamed audio content available only on the internet) also climbed to reach two-thirds (67%) of respondents, up from 62% last year and 60% the two years prior.
About the Data: The results are based on a January survey of 1,502 people in the US ages 12 and older.
Need assistance with podcast production and promotion? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing and sales automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
![How Marketers Are Using Marketing Automation Tools [Report]](https://bersondeanstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Marketing-Automation.jpeg)
by Lori Berson | May 5, 2022 | Marketing, marketing automation
Per an Ascend2 report, marketers mention several advantages of using marketing automation, chief among them are improvements in the customer experience and better use of staff time. And automation has also been linked to a stronger ability to prove ROI as well as increased coordination between marketing and sales teams. With these benefits, almost one-third of marketers surveyed by Ascend2 say they’ll be shopping for a new solution in the coming year.
Some 31% said they’ll be shopping for a solution, versus 26% who won’t be in the market. (The remaining 43% are unsure.) The results are interesting in light of a 2021 report indicating that 2 in 3 marketers had replaced a martech tool in the previous year, with marketing automation the most likely to have been replaced (by 24%).
Automation Usage Trends
The Ascend2 study suggests that there is some room for improvement in automation of the customer journey. While close to 1 in 3 respondents say their customer journey is either fully (9%) or mostly (22%) automated, for a majority – 47% – the overall customer journey remains only partially automated. In fact, for 1 in 5 (22%) the customer journey isn’t automated at all.
Looking at the areas in which automation is being deployed, the report finds that email marketing (55%) is the most widely used, much as it is the most broadly used for personalization. This was the only area for which a majority of marketers reported using automation.
Following email is social media management (44%), which was also the second-most utilized area for automation after email last year. However, after that content management is the third-most this year, as opposed to paid ads last year. Landing pages remain relatively high on the list, as do paid ads, while SMS marketing jumps up this year. Relative to last year, there seem to be fewer marketers putting automation to use in their lead scoring.
Using AI with Automation
While automation can improve efficiencies, adding artificial intelligence (AI) can help to further improve the customer experience.
The survey asked respondents in which areas they are currently testing or utilizing AI in conjunction with their marketing automation. The areas that emerged at the top were paid advertising (32%) and personalizing email messages/offers (32%). Not surprisingly, AI is being leveraged in areas where automation is more broadly used.
Meanwhile, about 1 in 5 report using or testing AI in conjunction with automation for product/content recommendations, email subject line personalization, predictive analytics, and account identification.
Other Findings:
- Price (58%) and ease of use (54%) are the most widely cited primary factors driving the purchase decision of a marketing automation tool, much as they have been in years past.
- Marketers are more likely to describe the success of their marketing automation at achieving important objectives as “very successful” (22%) than “unsuccessful” (14%). For the majority (64%), their marketing automation has been “somewhat successful” in meeting their goals.
- 7 in 10 respondents report that it is either extremely (11%) or somewhat (59%) easy to measure the success of marketing automation in meeting their objectives.
About the Data: The results are based on a survey conducted in February 2022 among 393 marketers, half (52%) of whom count B2C as their primary marketing channel. The remainder primarily target B2B (22%) or B2B and B2C equally (26%). Some 43% of respondents work at companies with at least 50 employees.
Need assistance with marketing automation platform selection, onboarding and/or optimization? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
Also, check out our agency listing on Design Rush.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing and sales automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
![What Makes Content Memorable and Enables a Sales Call [Survey]](https://bersondeanstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Memorable-Contentshutterstock_353241029.jpeg)
by Lori Berson | May 4, 2022 | Content Marketing, Marketing, Sales Enablement
A majority of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson when making a purchase decision, although 3 in 10 consume more than 5 pieces of content, according to Demand Gen’s B2B Content Preferences Survey Report. With content consumption playing a key role in predicting purchase behavior, it’s helpful to see what buyers want from content.
Research & Data Are Key for Content Sharing
The report indicates that B2B buyers pay close attention to content that includes research and data, and that this is a factor in their decision of whether or not to share content. When they were asked the key drivers for sharing content, respondents pointed first to its inclusion of relevant/shareable links that can be immediately shared (48%), and then next they preferred the content be loaded with shareable stats and quick-hitting insights (42%).
In fact, the presence of data seems to be a driver of sharing for more respondents than the ability of that data to influence others: about 4 in 10 said that a motivation to share content was that it tells a strong story that resonates with the buying committee (41%), while fewer said that shareworthy content is that which will influence peers/other internal stakeholders on the buying team (34%).
B2B buyers participating in the study indicated that they were more likely to share research/survey reports (45%) with their colleagues than other popular types of content including e-books (43%), webinars (42%), and case studies (40%).
The results bring to mind recent research from Muck Rack, in which journalists said that two factors that make a story shareable are it containing an image or infographic, and it having exclusive and/or surprising data.
Data Makes Content Memorable
The survey also asked buyers what makes content memorable and triggers them to take a sales call. Once again, research and data figured prominently, with the top response being that the content uses data and research to support claims (51%). Some 4 in 10 also said that what makes a piece of content memorable is that it is packed with shareable stats and quick-hitting insights (41%) and that it is research-based (41%). The only other key element cited for content that triggers a buyer to take a sales call is that it tells a strong story that resonates with the buying committee (49%).
Not surprisingly then, a sizable share of buyers (36%) would recommend that B2B vendors use more data and research in order to improve their content quality. Other recommendations included curbing the sales messages (39%), creating shorter content (37%), and not overloading content with text (36%). In other words, as Demand Gen Report notes, “B2B buyers crave concise, research-based content.”
About the Data: The results are based on a survey of 174 B2B executives from a range of titles, industries, and company sizes.
Need assistance developing and implementing your content marketing strategy? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing and sales automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
![The Most Valuable Content Marketing Formats for B2B [Survey]](https://bersondeanstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Content-Marketing-1080x675.jpg)
by Lori Berson | May 3, 2022 | Content Marketing, Marketing
According to Demand Gen’s B2B Content Preferences Survey Report, B2B buyers say they’ve been placing a higher emphasis on the trustworthiness of the source of the content they’ve consumed over the past year. Below are the buyers’ content consumption preferences per the report.
Webinars Are Still Popular
Although there are signs of online event fatigue, webinars are still effective. Of the 174 B2B executives surveyed for the report, two-thirds (67%) said they had consumed webinars during the previous year. This was the top format, ahead of e-books (56%), research/survey reports (55%), blog posts (54%), white papers (52%), and case studies (49%).
It’s no wonder then that recent research finds B2B marketers saying that webinars are their most effective top-of-the-funnel demand generation tactic. They may also be key for the later stages of the funnel, too, as they’re more likely than some other formats to be associated with an immediate buying decision.
Webinars Are Well Suited for Mid-Stage of the Funnel
The report indicates that buyers are more reliant on content in the early- to mid-stages of their journey, as each of the 16 content formats examined for the study were said by buyers to grab their highest engagement at those stages.
A majority said that infographics (62%), blog posts (58%), and podcasts (56%) are most valuable at the early stage of the funnel. Despite the above-cited results, 48% of buyers said that webinars are most valuable at the mid-stage of the funnel, compared to 41% who find them most valuable at the early stage and 11% at the late stage.
This is supported by research from MarketingCharts in partnership with Active Marketing Services, in which B2B demand gen marketers said that blogs and infographics are most effective at the top of the funnel, while webinars are most effective mid-funnel. The only content format that a plurality of respondents believed was most effective at the bottom of the funnel was the in-depth white paper or e-book.
Research Reports Help in Purchase Research
While buyers are most apt to have attended webinars over the past year, webinars are not the format they’ve found most valuable for researching their purchases. Research/survey reports were cited by more than 4 in 10 respondents, narrowly ahead of case studies and webinars. Separately, respondents noted that research-based content that includes shareable stats gets their attention and proves memorable.
About the Data: The results are based on a survey of 174 B2B executives from a range of titles, industries, and company sizes.
Need assistance developing and implementing your content marketing strategy? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing and sales automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | Apr 26, 2022 | Digital marketing, Marketing, Podcasts
EMarketer forecasts that US podcast ad spending will surpass $2 billion next year and $3 billion by 2026. Podcasts will account for over a quarter of digital audio services ad spending in 2022 and will be more than a third of spending by the end of 2026.
Most digital audio monetization will come from recorded music for the foreseeable future, but podcasts’ share of the market has grown—and will continue to do so. Previously only employed with experimental budgets, podcasts are becoming a crucial component of multimedia ad campaigns.
More than half of advertisers said they planned to increase their podcast ad budgets in 2022, according to a poll of 255 US advertisers conducted by Advertiser Perceptions in August 2021. Nearly half (46%) planned to keep their budgets the same, and just 1% planned to reduce podcast ad spending.
The survey also showed overall digital budgets were the most commonplace that advertisers pulled their podcast ad budgets from.
Most advertisers did not have dedicated podcast budgets. About half used their digital audio budgets to fund podcast campaigns. As podcast ad spending increases and accounts for a greater share of total audio ad dollars, more advertisers are expected to break out podcast-specific budgets. Having dedicated budgets could help centralize campaign planning and measurement for advertisers committed to podcasts over the long run.
Need assistance with your podcast marketing strategy and production? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in Marketing Automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
