In an enlightening new study by Software Advice, a survey of 200 B2B marketers found not only are trade shows the best source of high quality leads, they also are the highest quantity when compared to other marketing lead sources.
Titled the B2B Demand Generation Benchmark IndustryView 2014, it also found that referral, search engine, and email marketing were the next best sources for highest quality leads.
In addition to measuring quality lead generation sources, the study also asked participants what type of content they used to generation interest and leads. About 92% of B2B marketers reported using video, which they also cited was very effective.
Other popular forms of content used for demand generation was surveys, white papers, case studies, and video demos. The marketers reported that besides video, surveys also had high quality lead generation, followed right behind by product comparisons.
Effective Call-to-Action Types for B2B Marketing
The study also highlighted the most effective types of call-to-action on survey participants’ websites. Those mentioned were:
- Live Demos
- Price Quote Buttons
- Free Trials
- Webinars
- Contact Us Buttons
About half of respondents said that live demonstrations with sales reps yielded excellent leads.
Other Study Findings
Finally, the study also found that almost 100% used SaaS (software as a service) applications in their marketing efforts: 97% use some type of email software and customer relationship management platforms (CRM) were used by 97% as well. Marketing automation was the next most popular SaaS product used at 96%.
And, when it comes to 2015, 41% of marketers are planning on increasing their demand generation budget. The biggest category respondents said they were planning on spending more was search engine advertising (PPC), as well as organic search (SEO) and social media advertising.
These findings show that even though digital strategy is an important aspect of marketing today, in-person relationships through trade shows, live demos, and referrals bring about the highest quality leads.
Graphs taken from study mentioned. Featured image via Pixabay.
Information about this report was originally found via MarketingCharts.
Kelsey Jones
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