Survey: Enterprises Use an Average of 8 Marketing Channels

The “Enterprise Marketing Survey 2016 ” published by Clutch and R2i has found that enterprises rely on eight different channels on average, and specialized agencies remain in high demand as a result.

When looking at the marketing channels used most by enterprises, we see websites (84 percent) and social media (78 percent) outpacing more traditional channels like print (65 percent) and television (57 percent).

Comparing B2B vs. B2C channel usage, the data shows that 42 percent of B2B marketers use content marketing, while just 33 percent of B2C marketers said the same.

“For any enterprise B2B purchase, the investment is generally significant and there are layers of stakeholders and personas involved in the process,” said Natalie Staines, Director of Marketing of R2i. “Content plays a key role in each phase of the buying journey due to its duration and complexity.”

The data also shows that most enterprises (84 percent) hire at least one agency for marketing or advertising support. More than a quarter (26 percent) hire four or more agencies.

Enterprise Usage of SEO

The “Enterprise Marketing Survey 2016: Search Marketing Results” from Clutch and R2i revealed exactly which channels enterprise marketers have been using frequently. In addition to websites (84 percent) and social media, 47 percent utilize SEO.

Creating high-quality content was named the top priority SEO tactic over the next six-to-12 months (34 percent). Twenty percent said they would also like to use social media to support SEO.

“Progressive companies don’t produce content specifically for SEO,” said Kara Alcamo of R2i. “Instead, they integrate SEO into their content. A content piece should always be tied to a larger marketing campaign and overall goal.”