Report: 60% of Marketers Give Their Lead Nurture Programs a Failing Grade

Lead nurturing is essential for converting prospects into customers, but new research suggests that marketers are still struggling with this critical component to success.

DemandGen recently published the “2019 Lead Nurturing and Acceleration Survey Report,” and statistics showed that most marketers (60%) would give their current lead nurture programs a failing grade if asked.

About 45% of respondents admit that their nurture programs need improvement, while 14% claim that they are poor or inadequate. Just 8% of marketers give their nurture program an “excellent” rating; just 33% graded their program as “average.”

Overall, segmentation appeared to be the most critical part of successful nurture programs, with many marketers building specific campaigns either by title/role (55%) or industry (53%).

Lead Generation from Sales and Marketing Teams

Lead nurturing can be difficult for marketers, but previous research suggests that sales teams may be able to assist in this area, and with overall generation.

CSO Insights conducted the “2019 Sales Performance Report,” and statistics showed that last year, 52.6% of leads actually come from sales teams, while just 20.2% are generated by marketers.

In recent years, the percentage of leads that marketers have generated has continued to slip. In 2016, marketers generated 25.5% of leads, which was a drop from the 25.9% of leads they discovered in 2014.

“The usual assumption is that lead generation is first and foremost a marketing responsibility,” wrote the authors of the report. “However, looking at our long-term research, the data tells a different story. Sales, marketing, and to a lesser degree, service and referrals, are the most common lead sources, with sales leading the way.”