1、2018 B2B Now in its eleventh year, the B2B Marketing Mix Report by Sagefrog Marketing Group compiles data from a survey of B2B marketing professionals in healthcare, technology and business services industries. This report serves as a strategic planning tool to help marketing professionals optimize

2、their marketing programs through emerging and competitive trends to maximize marketing ROI in the year ahead. A majority of those surveyed work for B2B companies, with one in five also serving consumers. 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 2 Who We Surveyed B2B: 74% Both: 18% Professional

3、 & Business Services Technology Advertising & Marketing Health & Life Sciences Manufacturing Financial & Insurance Other B2C: 8% 3% 8% 10% 27% 24% 15% 13% Over half of businesses lack a formal marketing plan 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 3 Without a strategic marketing plan in place

4、, B2B companies lack insight into their industry landscape and actual market opportunity, which can greatly reduce the impact of marketing. A formal marketing plan is vital to an effective marketing strategy and can remain a rigid or flexible document depending on your capabilities and industry need

5、s. In addition to establishing marketing priorities, a solid plan sets SMART goals that help you reach your companys long-term goals. “ Marketers tasked with building B2B brands especially small businesses cant afford to wing it in 2018. Having a documented marketing plan, complete with market resea

6、rch, is the foundation for success because it carves out your market opportunity to direct your marketing to the white space.” Mark Schmukler, Co-founder & CEO at Sagefrog Does not have a plan: 61% Has a plan: 39% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 4 Nearly two-thirds of businesses outso

7、urce their marketing A majority of B2B companies outsource at least some marketing, with about a fifth of these companies granting full management of their marketing program to an agency. Those that utilize the marketing capability and capacity of an agency often see greater results than when manage

8、d in-house. Professional marketing services combine specialized industry expertise with premium platforms, tools and tactics as well as dedicated skill in branding, copywriting, public relations, creative design and marketing planning and execution. The percentage of B2B companies that outsource has

9、 grown since last year, according to data from the 2017 Marketing Mix Report. “ The best marketing agencies take time to get to know their clients and industry landscape so they can capitalize on the white space that exists. This, in addition to dedicated marketing capability and capacity, is what m

10、akes agencies the most effective choice for most B2B companies.” Suzanne Morris, Co-founder & Creative Director at Sagefrog Outsourced & Both: 63% In-house: 37% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 5 Over half of all outsourced marketing is executed via retainers To set forth a consistent

11、brand identity across all marketing channels, many B2B companies have retainer agreements with their marketing agencies. While project work is an effective way to execute branding, websites and collateral, retainers provide an ongoing and flexible way to manage programs. 20% of survey respondents sa

12、id they outsource their marketing through both retainers and project contracts. Oftentimes this means a company will engage an agency for a brand strategy or website and then continue the partnership through a retainer that supports an integrated marketing program. Retainer & Both: 54% Project: 46%

13、More companies are utilizing retainers to better regulate marketing results and form a lasting partnership with their marketing agency. 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 6 One-third of B2B companies spend 10% or more of their company budget on marketing As more executives and sales team

14、s recognize the need for brand awareness and lead generation and as the demand for skilled marketing professionals grows companies are allocating more money to their marketing departments and increasing marketing spend year over year. Most marketing plans can increase website traffic and leads, but

15、only the proper investment can ensure that the traffic is relevant and the leads are qualified. A marketing budget should be suited to the size of your company and the quarterly goals you set and be optimized based on the tactics that bring the most ROI. Change in Marketing Spend from 2017 to 2018 I

16、ncrease: 59% Decrease: 4% Stay the same: 37% Percentage of Company Budget Allocated to Marketing Five percent: 39% 10 percent: 21% One percent: 16% Less than one percent: 12% Greater than 15 percent: 2% 15 percent: 10% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 7 B2B marketers spend big on event

17、 marketing and digital tactics Even with the steady climb of inbound marketing strategies, B2B professionals are still making large investments in traditional methods such as event marketing and print advertising. This year, 53% of those surveyed said tradeshows and events were a top area of marketi

18、ng spend. B2B companies also know the importance of web presence in the age of IoT, which is why they are spending more of their marketing budget on building up a digital presence through web development and other online tactics such as search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (S

19、EM). 007080 Website Development: 63% Tradeshows & Events: 53% Digital Marketing: 47% Social Media: 29% Direct Marketing & Print Advertising: 25% Marketing Collateral: 25% Marketing Automation & Analytics: 22% Marketing Planning & Brand Strategy: 18% Public Relations: 14% Other: 4% Top Are

20、as of Marketing Spend 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 8 Referrals are the largest source of qualified leads in B2B An overwhelming majority of marketing and sales professionals attributed their 2017 leads to referrals a powerful source of new B2B clients. Budget set aside for hands-on

21、 industry events also paid off, with 51% of survey respondents naming tradeshows and events a top source of leads. To obtain experience-based, reputation-based and specialization- based referrals, create a referral marketing strategy that optimizes the presentation of your brand to potential clients

22、. Build brand awareness by showcasing your companys unique value, success stories and industry expertise. Top Sources of Sales and Marketing Leads Referrals: 86% Tradeshows & Events: 51% Email Marketing: 37% SEO: 33% Online Display & PPC: 25% Social Media: 24% Telemarketing: 12% Other: 10% Public Re

23、lations: 8% Print Advertising: 8% Direct Mail: 6% Media Buying: 0% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 9 Increasing leads for sales teams is todays most important marketing objective SEO & SERP Ranking: 16% Content Marketing: 14% Thought Leadership: 12% Rebranding & Web Updates: 12% Align

24、ing Sales & Marketing: 12% Most marketing professionals across B2B and B2C markets place a greater importance on growing sales leads over marketing leads. This means that marketing teams are tasked with generating marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and bringing them through more of the funnel until th

25、ey become sales qualified leads (SQLs). Our survey results underscored the confusion in modern B2B companies. Converting leads into customers was the second most important objective for marketers another multifaceted task that has historically fallen on sales professionals. The lines between marketi

26、ng and sales are blurred, but to combat role confusion, B2B companies should align both teams under one goal and clearly define lead scoring and handoff procedures. Top 2018 Marketing Objectives HIGH PRIORITY OTHER PRIORITIES Sales Leads: 67% Leads to Customers: 47% Brand Awareness: 37% Web Traffic:

27、 35% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 10 Social media and email marketing are standout marketing tactics What do marketers spend their time on every week? Data shows most are creating and sending emails, maintaining a presence on social media and participating in industry events. Digit

28、al marketing channels will always remain popular, but survey results show marketers still implement print advertising and public relations to engage with audiences. Most Implemented Marketing Tactics 007080 Email Marketing: 79% Social Media: 79% Tradeshows & Events: 59% SEO: 55% Blogging:

29、 45% Online Display & PPC: 37% Seminars & Webinars: 37% Print Advertisements: 35% Whitepapers & eBooks: 29% PR & Editorial Pitching: 29% Video Marketing: 20% Telemarketing: 8% Other: 2% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 11 LinkedIn is on top of the B2B social media pyramid Almost all of

30、 the B2B professionals we surveyed turn to LinkedIn to promote their brand and make connections with potential customers. Because the platform has held onto its status as a professional channel, it has become a hub for B2B companies looking to attract leads through thought leadership and paid advert

31、ising. Although the B2B community has found its social channel of choice, social media marketing does not hold a high importance in todays marketing plans. Still, maintaining fresh feeds on all active profiles is vital to demonstrating relevance and availability to audiences. Most Used Social Media

32、Websites 020406080100 LinkedIn: 86% Facebook: 73% Twitter: 67% Instagram: 33% YouTube: 25% Pinterest: 16% SlideShare: 16% Vimeo: 4% Other: 4% Do not use social media: 2% 2017-2018 Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC. Slide 12 What B2B marketers can do with the 2018 Marketing Mix Report Data is useful, but

33、 what we do with it is most important. Use the findings from this years Marketing Mix to bolster your own research on marketing trends, spend allocations and popular tactics. Then compare everything youve learned to your own marketing plan to learn how you stack up in your industry. Figuring out wha

34、t works best for your B2B company may mean optimizing existing tactics, testing new ones or staying on top of trends to beat out your competitors. Trending Topics for Marketers in 2018 01020304050 Inbound Marketing: 45% Influencer Marketing: 39% Account-Based Marketing: 37% Personalization: 37% Vide

35、o Marketing/Livestreaming: 35% Interactive Content: 29% Mobile-First Strategy: 18% Smarketing: 16% AI & Automation: 14% Other: 4% See how your marketing strategy measures up to those of the marketers we surveyed and be prepared to adjust your program to maximize your reach and start making valuable,

36、 real connections with qualified leads. Heres to a productive and successful 2018! Sagefrog Marketing Group is a top ranked B2B marketing agency with specialties in healthcare, technology and business services. With offices in Doylestown, Princeton and Philadelphia, Sagefrog is dedicated to accelera

37、ting client success through brand building and integrated marketing services. Sagefrogs service offerings include branding, digital and content marketing, public relations, social media and traditional tactics. Its proven process JumpStart integrates the strategy, tools and programs needed to unlock the potential of B2B companies. Contact us to put the insights from this report into action for your company. (215) 230.9024 About Sagefrog Marketing Group