Social Media, Digital Advertising Now Lead in Marketing Investment But Data Quality and Availability Still Biggest Issue

Stirista, the leader in data-driven marketing solutions, released results from the annual B2B Customer Acquisition Survey of senior-level B2B marketers across a variety of industries. The survey findings show that B2B marketers have had to pivot to rely on new technologies and digital methods to connect with customers as traditional marketing channels became more challenging. In fact, the top customer acquisition channels are social and digital advertising but nearly half (47%) of B2B marketers say data quality and availability are the biggest challenge in reaching and engaging with customers.

“While digital channels have been embraced, savvy marketers are taking a hybrid approach in digital personalization and in-person connections through live events and partner programs that leverage the best of both worlds of new data and technology” – Stirista SVP of Product Mike Hilts

“As in-person meetings and other previous tried-and-true personal sales and marketing tactics fell away due to the pandemic, B2B marketers had to quickly pivot to digital channels. Our annual survey sheds light on the latest B2B customer acquisition strategies and if those will continue to shift over the next two years,” said Mike Hilts, SVP of Product, Stirista. “While digital channels have been embraced, savvy marketers are taking a hybrid approach in digital personalization and in-person connections through live events and partner programs that leverage the best of both worlds of new data and technology.”

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Two-Year Outlook for Customer Acquisition Marketing
Looking ahead, the survey revealed that the vast majority of B2B marketers have a positive outlook on meeting or exceeding marketing goals over the next 24 months. However, nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents report only some or no success from their efforts, signaling room for improvement in customer acquisition strategies.

Most (72%) of the B2B marketers surveyed say that they expect a significant increase in the budget allocated to partner programs in the coming two years. Mobile (in-app) and video will also see increases in dedicated budget (30% and 29% respectively). B2B marketers also said they expect to increase their customer acquisition budgets and focus more on in-person channels, like live events and partner programs.

Keys to Success in Customer Acquisition
Marketing and sales alignment is the biggest contributor to success according to nearly half of B2B marketers surveyed (47%). While data quality and availability still remain critical factors to successful campaigns, workflow efficiency (47%), and measuring performance and attribution (43%) also are top determinants. There is a disconnect when it comes to live events. While 55% of B2B marketers reported live events to be highly beneficial, only 11% said they believe that live events are the main factor contributing to the success of their strategy.

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While successful acquisition strategies vary widely in B2B marketing among sectors, data quality, attribution, and measurement are the biggest factors that hinder growth across all industries.

Study Methodology
Findings from the 2024 Stirista State of B2B Customer Acquisition Survey were derived from an online panel conducted by Ascend2. Nearly 200 marketing decision-makers in job roles of management and above participated in the survey. These individuals represent B2B companies with 500 or more employees from a range of industries operating in the United States.