Email is a close second to social media among the tools being used by B2B companies, according to Breaking Down The Role Of The B2B Sales & Marketing Executive, a study by Delia.
Of the
B2B executives polled, 59% say their firms are active in social, 55% in email, 54% in content marketing and 52% in video marketing.
Further down the list are public relations (43%), SEO
(43%), trade shows (40%), trade advertising (38%), direct mail (37%) and cold-calling (33%).
These activities support the following marketing
imperatives:
- Communicate benefits of products & services — 23%
- Generate leads — 21%
- Increase customers — 17%
- Influence prospect’s opinion of company — 16%
- Create loyal customers —
16%
- Reaffirm that customer made the right decision — 7%
But this list of priorities differs slightly from that of the metrics
being used to determine success:
- Number of sales leads (inquiries) — 63%
- Return on investment —
54%
- Positive online reviews — 52%
- Clicks — 44%
- Likes or followers —
44%
- Listed on top of the page when searched — 36%
- Star (customer) ratings — 32%
All this is taking place during a period of apparent brand volatility. Of the firms represented here, 57% updated their brand in 2020 or 2021, versus 43% prior to that.
Here’s when
B2B create or revise their marketing budgets:
- Once a year and willing to revise during year as market demands — 32%
- Once every couple of years — 25%
- Once a year and we do not review until the next year — 21%
- Twice a year —
20%
- Not at all — 2%
- Do not have a strategic marketing plan — 1%
Marketing is the top skill needed by
B2B sales & marketing executives—47% of the respondents say so. Sales is next, with 38%, followed by leadership (34%) and branding (14%).
Marketing also gets more
of the total budget at 42%, versus 33% for sales and 26% for branding.
Despite branding’s low budget portion, 90% add that brand is of high or very high importance in sales. And
they rate brand and marketing as equally important contributors, by a score of 50-50.
Overall, 39% of employees do not understand their companies’ brands.
Who owns brand within organizations? Brand communications is headed by the sales & marketing leader in 59%, and by the CEO in 26%. And 13% cite another
executive.
Brand promise is led by sales & marketing executives at 52%, by the CEO in 40% and by another executive in 6%.
In addition, sales &
marketing execs run brand identity at 55%, and the CEO at 31%.
The big shots tend to come from outside — 83% have spent eight years as head of sales &
marketing, and have been at their firms for the same amount of time.
In contrast, 17% have spent 12 years at their companies, and are the owner or founder, or another
senior-level person. But some worked their way up from intern or sales rep positions.
Delia surveyed marketing executives during April 2021.