Study: B2B Marketers Failing to Reap the Benefits of Marketing Automation

A new study published by Spear Marketing has revealed that a number of inefficiencies, ranging from poor data quality to a lack of lead nurturing efforts, are preventing B2B marketers from fully leveraging the potential of marketing automation software.

According to the data, 40 percent of B2B marketers do not use an automated email responder to follow up with new leads. Additionally, nearly 54 percent of respondents said that their marketing database includes poor, inaccurate data and almost three-fourths (74 percent) indicated that fewer than 50 percent of their email campaigns are triggered or automated vs. simply “one-off” (batch) programs.

“Any amount of under-utilization of marketing automation is a problem in that it, at the very least, prevents companies from generating a maximum return on their investment,” wrote the authors of the report. “Based on this survey, the average marketing automation user has a long way to go before utilizing the software in a way that would help him or her achieve the most business value.”

The “State of Marketing Automation Maturity” report was designed to examine the under-utilization of marketing automation software in the B2B field. Researchers collected data for the survey throughout March 2015.

But what are the key benefits of using marketing automation?

The Case for Marketing Automation

There are more advantages to using marketing automation than establishing connections to new leads. A recent survey released by Ascend2 shows that lead nurturing (52 percent) and analytics/reporting (51 percent) are the two most valuable benefits of automation.

The report also revealed that the top objectives for marketing automation are to increase sales revenue (47 percent) and boost lead generation (47 percent).

Ascend2 compiled its results based on 317 marketing and sales professionals from around the world, 76 percent of who came from B2B-focused companies.

As more people realize the benefits of marketing automation, 45 percent of marketers say that a lack of an effective strategy is their most biggest obstacle.