1、1 6T H E D I T I O N2023 B2B marketing mix reportDATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS FOR YOUR MARKETING PLANThis is the sixteenth edition of Sagefrog Marketing Groups annual B2B Marketing Mix Report,a resource that has become a valuable year-end tool for modern B2B marketers.The insights youll find in this report

2、summarize the results of our recent B2B Marketing Mix Survey,which seeks to gather the opinions and experiences of professionals across several B2B industries,including healthcare,technology,industrial,and business services.This year,we received over 900 responses from B2B marketing professionals an

3、d transformed their contributions into digestible data that reveals the top marketing trends and tactics to watch in the year ahead.With information from this report in hand,marketers will be better equipped to make an informed investment as they plan new budgets and marketing programs.We hope this

4、years forecasts and findings help you approach 2023 with greater confidence in your marketing strategy.who we surveyedRespondents had the option to choose multiple industries as applicable to their field*Non-profit,Transportation,Market Research,&EducationMarketing&Advertising 31%Software&Technology

5、20%Professional&Business ServicesHealthcare&Life SciencesFinancial&InsuranceIndustrial&ManufacturingOther*17%12%10%8%2%Manager or Director43%Coordinator or Specialist25%Assistant12%Vice President12%C-Level8%2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 2outsourced marketing gains popularity Marketers

6、are seeing increased success with outsourced marketing efforts.Its no wonder that outsourced marketing is gaining in popularity when it provides companies with professionals to help build their brand,generate leads,and drive sales.While many companies outsource marketing for a specific purpose like

7、a new product launch or fully integrated campaigns,the numbers indicate that most companies that outsource felt their efforts were effective.Overall,were seeing more B2B companies starting to work with marketing agencies to maximize their marketing efforts and ROI.The majority use a hybrid model com

8、bining some in-house work and some outsourced work,but the trend toward increased outsourced marketing remains.In-house marketing takes the lead this year,while outsourced marketing is on the rise.44%In-House35%Both In-House&Outsourced21%OutsourcedThe majority of those who outsource their marketing

9、find it effective.93%Yes7%NoOf those who outsource their marketing,most do so because of a new product or service launch.Product or Service Launch 27%Needed Agency Expertise 21%Project-Specific Needs 18%Company Merger 15%Lack of Time&Resources 11%8%Difficulty Recruiting In-House 2007-2023 Sagefrog M

10、arketing Group,LLC.Page 3most implemented marketing tactics in 2022 The best way to anticipate 2023 marketing results is to look at how 2022 wrapped up.Overall,we saw marketers test a variety of different tactics,and the results were closer than ever before.SEO remains a top marketing tactic with ne

11、arly 50%of B2B companies implementing it in their marketing strategy.Email marketing remains a priority,but its use as a tactic has significantly decreased compared to last year.As the COVID-19 pandemic continues,virtual events and webinars are on the decline,possibly because these events are now be

12、ing held in person.Marketers are adapting to the changing times in the tactics they prioritize and implement.Stop-gaps that arose out of necessity during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic are being left behind,and the general trend toward a wider range of information-centric marketing tools is

13、 slowly taking hold.Search Engine Optimization(SEO)49%Content Marketing 43%Organic Social Media 43%Email Marketing 36%Paid Social Media 35%In-Person Tradeshows&Events 35%Virtual Events&Webinars 28%Search Engine Marketing(SEM)27%Public Relations 27%Video Marketing 21%Direct Marketing 20%Telemarketing

14、 20%Print Advertisements 12%2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 4top marketing objectives for 2023It comes as no surprise that revenue and conversions are a top priority,as increased revenue is the ultimate end goal for sales and marketing teams.But whats interesting is that client retention

15、 seems to be more important than other marketing objectives for 2023.Theres reason to believe this is influenced by lower client retention rates seen throughout 2022.Last year,brand awareness and lead generation were top of mind for B2B marketers.While both are inevitably essential marketing objecti

16、ves,it appears they are now taking a back seat to revenue,conversions,and retention next year.1Revenue&Conversions 2Client Retention3Website Traffic4Brand Awareness5Lead GenerationWe know firsthand how important client satisfaction and client retention are.Its absolutely critical for companies to pr

17、ioritize existing customers in their marketing efforts while also attracting new ones.At the end of the day,marketing is always evolving,and at Sagefrog we continuously look out for important trends for our clients now and in the future.Mark Schmukler,CEO&Co-founder at Sagefrog 2007-2023 Sagefrog Ma

18、rketing Group,LLC.Page 5marketing budgets continue to grow For the past four years,marketing budgets have been on the rise.In 2022,marketers spent 33%of their budget on in-person tradeshows and events,which was a big change from the year prior.Sales and marketing materials were also a top area of sp

19、end,while twice as many marketers dedicated their budget to strategy and planning tactics,direct marketing,and video marketing.There is a significant decrease in spend on social media compared to last year.However,this doesnt reflect the overall increase in social media use were seeing for B2B compa

20、nies.It appears these trends suggest a return to physical marketing events and an increase in online marketing tactics;while that includes social media,its clear that things like website development and SEO are higher priorities.Increase 62%Stay the Same 25%Decrease 13%Marketing Budget Changes for 2

21、023Top Areas of Marketing SpendIn-Person Tradeshows&Events 33%Search Engine Marketing&Optimization 31%Sales&Marketing Materials 30%Website Development 28%Branding 25%Direct Marketing 23%Marketing Automation&CRM Software 23%Content Marketing 19%Social Media 18%Planning&Strategy 17%Public Relations 15

22、%Email Marketing 14%Video Marketing 14%6%Print Advertisements 4%Virtual Events&Webinars 2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 6seo,sem&paid social are bringing in leadsThe most qualified leads that marketers received in 2022 came from a combination of SEO,SEM,and paid social.These digital mark

23、eting tactics appear to be the most successful,as more traditional methods of lead generation are on the decline.Referrals are no longer a significant source of leads this year when compared to their top spot last year.Were also seeing evidence that tradeshows and events are making a comeback,with i

24、n-person events more viable this year than during the height of the pandemic.Top Sources of Sales&Marketing LeadsSearch Engine Optimization(SEO)34%Search Engine Marketing(SEM)30%Paid Social Media 29%In-Person Tradeshows&Events 27%Content Marketing 22%Email Marketing 22%Referrals 21%Networking 19%Dir

25、ect Marketing 16%Directories&Sponsorships 1 14%Telemarketing 14%Virtual Events&Webinars 14%Organic Social Media 10%8%Print Advertisements 4%Account-Based Marketing 2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 7what you need to know about socialSocial media is one of the most important tools in your B

26、2B marketing strategy.Virtually every B2B company uses it,and the majority of your customers frequent it as well.That being said,the specific social media platforms youre using will affect the success of your marketing plan.LinkedIn remains the top social platform for B2B companies,with Facebook and

27、 Twitter following close behind.Interestingly,Twitter was in the top spot last year and looked to be making a comeback,but ultimately didnt manage to hold its place in first.Instagram may not be a priority for B2B marketers,but you should consider leveraging this platform to showcase a fun company c

28、ulture for recruiting purposes.When you connect with potential buyers on social,use your content to draw them in and start building a relationship at the top of the funnel.Social media can be a great way to find where your target buyers are already engaging online.Does your company have social media

29、 pages?Most social media engagement occurs on LinkedIn.2.212.463.173.433.7497%3%YesNo 2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 8paid social is essential for b2b marketersIn todays world,organic social media is no longer effective on its ownespecially for B2B marketers.If youre investing time in p

30、lanning social media content organically,then you need to start investing in paid social.Paid social media is an effective and affordable way to increase brand awareness and extend your reach to ideal prospects.To create an effective paid social strategy,you need to understand your audience.Learn wh

31、ich platforms they engage with the most and put your resources there.Youre paying for this content to reach your audience,so ensure your message is seen frequently enough to encourage action.From what weve gathered,a combination of organic and paid social tactics is the recipe for success.There are

32、several ways you can integrate these strategies that will ultimately produce the highest ROI.Consider boosting top-performing organic content to extend its reach or optimize your posts using data from A/B testing ads on social to discover which elements lead to the best results.Most Used Social Medi

33、a Marketing TacticsMost companies see results from paid social media efforts.85%8%7%YesNo Dont UseFacebook Ads 55%Organic Social Posts 46%Boosted Social Posts 44%LinkedIn Ads 41%Twitter Ads 34%Instagram Ads 30%LinkedIn Sales Navigator 21%2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 9looking towards t

34、he future of b2b marketingComparing shifts in marketing strategies from 2022 to 2023 shows us what changes we can expect to see in B2B marketing.The most dramatic change looks to be in artificial intelligence(AI)and automation;42%of marketers plan to experiment with those techniques this year.Video

35、marketing and influencer marketing stay strong as new strategies B2B professionals are looking to explore in 2023.The biggest question with both methods is how marketers will be able to use them effectively in the year ahead.Another trend were seeing is toward a mobile-first strategy.Every year the

36、number of people using mobile devices(over desktops or tablets)climbs higher and higher,and its changing how we design marketing materials.Everything from copywriting and design shifts to accommodate the smaller screens of mobile devices,like using shortened email subject lines and spacing layouts d

37、ifferently depending on where the fold falls on mobile.If you havent considered a mobile-first strategy for your B2B brand yet,make sure you do in 2023.New Sales&Marketing Strategies for 2023Artificial Intelligence(AI)&Automation 42%Video Marketing 32%Influencer Marketing 30%Mobile-First Strategy 26

38、%Personalization 26%Inbound Marketing 25%Brand Storytelling 24%Account-Based Marketing 24%Virtual Events&Webinars 23%Podcasts&Livestreaming 21%Social Media Advertising 20%CRM Software 20%Retargeting 19%Organic Social Media 18%12%Conversational Marketing(chat bots)10%LinkedIn Sales Navigator 5%Co-mar

39、keting 2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 10top takeaways from this years report Focus on building stronger relationships to retain clients Make room in your budget for in-person conferences and events Utilize SEO and SEM to increase lead generation Incorporate paid and non-paid social medi

40、a tactics in your strategy Experiment with AI and automation to stay ahead of the competition 2007-2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLC.Page 11All Rights Reserved 2023 Sagefrog Marketing Group,LLCabout sagefrog marketing groupSagefrog is a top-ranked B2B marketing agency and award-winning Best Place to

41、 Work,with specialties in healthcare,technology,industrial,and business services.We accelerate client success through branding and integrated marketing delivered through proven programs,business acumen,and fast quality.Our services include branding and strategy,websites and digital,content and inbound,and traditional marketing.Contact us to put the insights from this report into action for your (215)230-9024