The benefits of marketing automation have been proven once again by a new study.
The Lenskold Group and the Pedowitz Group recently joined forces to assess the perks of marketing automation for the B2B sector. The study found that incorporating the right marketing automation solutions can help companies generate more leads, bolster the number of quality leads, and improve leads accepted by sales. Additional benefits cited were an increase in total marketing revenue, elevated lead to closed sale conversion, and boost revenue per sale.
Quantity and quality of leads generated were the two stand out metrics for companies that integrated marketing platforms. 61% of companies experienced a higher quantity of leads. What’s more is that 60% saw an increase in the quality of leads being generated. Other metrics measured show gains of at least 20% when switching to marketing automation solutions. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that one-in-four marketers realized an increase in revenue with marketing automation, highlighting the financial benefits of utilizing these systems.
“Not surprisingly, companies with integrated marketing automation are more likely than those with no marketing automation to have increased levels of efficiency in addition to effectiveness,” MarketingProfs adds, citing the report. “The combined total of marketers describing their marketing as highly effective and efficient or somewhat effective and efficient is much higher for users of integrated marketing automation (65% versus 44% among those with no marketing automation).”
Late to the Marketing Automation Party
In general, automated marketing solutions seem to be picking up some steam – one-half of respondents (51%) use some type of marketing automation platform (for example, a system that integrates customer relationship management and sales). Additionally, 19% have some sort of marketing automation system, but it isn’t integrated with CRM or sales.
Still, that means approximately 30% of marketers aren’t using marketing automation to improve their campaigns, and that may be costing them in terms of efficiency and return on investment. A separate study from BuyerZone suggests many of the professionals not using marketing automation simply don’t understand what it is and how it can impact their operations.
As the Lenskold Group and the Pedowitz Group have proven, there are tremendous opportunities with marketing automation for companies that haven’t taken that step. If you haven’t considered making the switch, there is no better time than the present. By working with software vendors, you can find out how automation platforms are relevant to your company’s needs and how you can utilize them.