Study cites marketing automation's true benefits
Two thirds of companies with integrated marketing automation are outgrowing their competitors compared to only 50% of those companies without marketing automation, according to the 2012 B2B Lead Gen Marketing Effectiveness Study from Lenskold Group and The Pedowitz Group.
A significant increase in total marketing revenue contribution was reported by 69% of marketing automation users who were also using ROI metrics to assess their marketing effectiveness. This compares very favourably to the 19% of marketing automation users who were using purely traditional, non-financial metrics.
The study found that 'highly effective and efficient' companies are far more likely to report a strength in marketing's ability to drive repeatable and predictable lead-to-sale conversion rates. The 'best practice segment' of marketers reporting 'highly effective and efficient marketing' were analysed in comparison to all other marketers. This segment reported high ratings of strength in all marketing practices examined.
The most significant gap was found in their ability to drive repeatable and predictable lead-to-sale conversion rates. This highly and efficient group is also strong at proactively managing the marketing funnel, measuring incremental sales and being accountable for revenue goals.
Organisational structure and process strengths are also key differentiators for highly effective and efficient companies. Compared to all other companies, highly effective and efficient marketers benefit from the organisational structure (78% vs. 33%) and established processes (78% vs. 38%) to manage lead gen effectiveness.
At the same time, highly effective and efficient companies are attaining a strategic level of marketing support from their marketing automation - a level that includes CMO support and integration with sales. Among the highly effective and efficient marketers, almost half (46%) report that their marketing automation provides a 'strategic' level of support - the highest and most advanced of the four levels presented. This compares to only 18% among all other companies where the greatest portion (41%) have automation that provides 'process' level of support for campaign planning and reporting.
Overall, highly effective and efficient companies were found to be:
- More likely to report much greater growth than their competitors (33% vs. 17%);
- More likely to use integrated marketing automation (68% vs. 49% of all others);
- More likely to have experienced increased Revenue per Sale, Total Marketing Revenue Contribution, Sales Conversion rates and Sales Acceptance rate as a result of their marketing automation;
- More likely to be using revenue metrics (marketing-generated revenue, customer value, etc.) to manage effectiveness (75% vs. 50% of all others);
- More likely to calculate ROI to assess marketing effectiveness (58% vs. 34% of all others);
- More likely to have marketing automation providing a level of strategic support (46% vs. 18% of all others);
- Much more likely to report strengths in each of the operational practices and capabilities presented;
- More likely to be very satisfied with the level of business effectiveness provided from their marketing automation (33% vs. 10% of all others).
Similarly, companies that are currently outgrowing their competitors were found to be:
- More likely to use integrated marketing automation (57% vs.43% of Slower/Same Growth companies);
- More likely to have experienced an increase in Total Marketing Revenue Contribution from marketing automation (55% vs. 31% of Slower/Same Growth companies);
- More likely to calculate ROI to assess marketing effectiveness (41% vs. 28% of Slower/Same Growth companies);
- More likely to have marketing automation providing a level of strategic support (26% vs. 15% of Slower/Same Growth companies);
- More likely to report strengths in each of the following operational practices (average of 54% vs. 40% of Slower/Same Growth companies):
- Processes to manage lead gen marketing effectiveness;
- Content marketing designed to drive demand and revenue;
- Tools to manage lead gen marketing effectiveness;
- Marketing staff skills to manage lead gen marketing effectiveness;
- Organisational structure to manage lead gen marketing effectiveness;
- Aligned to sales team success.
And companies using ROI metrics to assess their effectiveness were found to be:
- More likely to also use other metrics to manage marketing effectiveness, especially cost efficiency, revenue and forecast metrics (with gaps of 56%, 54% and 41% over Traditional Metrics users, respectively);
- More likely to be outgrowing competitors (69% vs. 49% of Traditional Metrics Users);
- More likely to define their marketing as highly effective and efficient (18% vs. 4% of Traditional Metrics Users);
- More likely to use integrated marketing automation (64% vs.31% of Traditional Metrics Users);
- More likely to report strengths in all operational practices (average of 64% vs. 31% of Traditional Metrics Users) and capabilities (average of 52% vs. 16% of Traditional Metrics Users);
- More likely to be very or somewhat satisfied with their level of business effectiveness generated from their marketing automation compared to Traditional metrics users (81% vs. 45%).
Sources: Lenskold Group; The Pedowitz Group / The Marketing Factbook.
Copyright © 2012 - 2026 The Marketing Factbook.
Categorised as:
- Customer Experience
- Knowing The Customer
- Marketing Know-How
- Marketing Technology