Commentary

Driving Data Home: How Small B2B Brands Create Demand

Skeptics are probably not quick to link the words "small business" and "data." But they are wrong, judging by “Using Data To Drive Demand,” a new study from RollWorks, in partnership with Ascend2. 

Small B2B brands are using data, although they face challenges that mirror those of larger corporations: 

  • Identifying target audiences/accounts — 39%
  • Measuring results — 38%
  • Allocating resources/budget to execute — 31% 
  • Aligning marketing and sales processes — 31% 
  • Making data actionable — 29%
  • Finding/implementing appropriate technology — 28%
  • Data unification — 17%
  • Leadership buy-in — 11%

Of the SMB owners polled, 75% say they are somewhat successful at using data to drive B2B demand-generation goals, and 17% that they are very much so (best-in-class. 

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But only 32% agree that demand generation is significantly improved when a data-driven strategy is used, versus 61% who moderately go along with that, and 7% who disagree. 

Data fuels email marketing for SMBs, but not as much as it does in maintaining the customer experience. Here are the activities that are affected by data-driven marketing:

  • Customer experience — 46%
  • Personalization of content — 37%
  • Email marketing — 33%
  • Engagement — 32% 
  • Segmentation of target audiences — 29% 
  • Inbound marketing (ads, social media, etc.) — 24%
  • Target accounts — 22%
  • Conversion — 17%
  • Lead scoring — 11%
  • Nurture campaigns — 8%

Tactics aside, small B2B brands are utilizing these component as part of their demand generation strategies:  

  • Real-time marketing — 47% 
  • Customer journey mapping — 31% 
  • ABM (Account-Based Marketing) — 23%
  • Hyper-personalization — 22%
  • Intent data — 20% 
  • AI/predictive data analysis — 15%
  • Omnichannel — 12%

What are the most important benefits of a data-driven strategy?

  • Improved quality of leads — 55%
  • Improving customer experience — 48%
  • Increased quality of leads — 39%
  • Increased pipeline for sales — 26%
  • Increased close-rates for sales — 25%
  • Increased campaign ROI — 24%
  • Increased velocity of sales — 22% 
  • Improving attribution — 9%

How good are their data? For 31%,  the answer is very effective, and for 56% somewhat so. Another 5% answer with a flat no, and 8% are unsure. 

But only 26% say yes when asked if they have enough data to make effective decisions on where to spend marketing dollars. And 58% agree somewhat they have it. Also, 10% say no and 6% are uncertain. 

Ascend surveyed 290 SMB marketers. Of these, 63% were at the owner/partner/C-level, 28% were VPs, directors or managers and 9% were non-management professionals. 

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