ResearchConductedinPartnershipwithAscend2

B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy

How B2B Marketers Formulate a Strategy That Works.

Table of Contents

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3. B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy4. Important Strategic Objectives5. Success Achieving Objectives6. Critical Challenges to Success7. Strategy is Crucial8. Comparing Objectives and Challenges9. Complexity of Implementation10. Implementation Resources Used11. Most Effective Data Collection Channels12. How Channel Effectiveness is Changing13. About the Research Partners

Methodology

Ascend2 benchmarks the performance of popular digital marketing practices using a standardized online questionnaire and proprietary 3-Minute Survey format, then experienced analysts report on the findings objectively.

This survey was fielded to a panel of research subscribers and marketing influencers, and this report represents the following:

Employees in the CompanyMore than 500 37%50 to 500 34%Fewer than 50 29%

Role in the CompanyOwner / Partner / CXO 51%VP / Director / Manager 41%Non-Management 8%

B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy

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Without a clear and concise data-driven marketing strategy, B2B marketers lack the ability to effectively acquire, organize, analyze and translate customer information into actionable insights.

But what does an effective B2B data-driven marketing strategy look like?

To find out, Synthio in partnership with Ascend2, fielded the Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Survey.

This report, titled ‘B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy’, exclusively represents the opinions of the 114 companies dedicated to the business-to-business marketing and sales channel that completed the survey interview. We thank these busy B2B professionals for sharing their valuable insights with us, and you.

This research has been produced for your use. Put it to work in your own marketing strategy. Clip the charts and write about them in your blog or post them on social media. Please share this research credited as published.

Understandingwhatneedstobeaccomplishedisthefirststepindevelopinganeffectivedata-drivenmarketingstrategy.

Fornearlyhalf(49%)ofB2Bdata-drivenmarketers,atoppriorityisbasingmoredecisionsondataanalysis.

ImportantStrategicObjectives

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

**Enrichingdataquality,ensuringcompleteness,andintegrating itacrossallplatformsisanobjectivefor74%ofrespondents.**

Atotalof93%ofB2Bmarketerssaydata-drivenmarketingissuccessfulatachievingimportantobjectives.

Whatarethechallengestosuccessthattheremaining7%areunabletoovercome?

SuccessAchievingObjectives

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

MostCriticalChallenges?Integratingdataacrossplatformsandenrichingdataqualityandcompletenessarethemostcriticalchallengestoachievingdata-drivenmarketingsuccessfor51%and46%ofB2Bmarketersrespectively.

CriticalChallengestoSuccess

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

AlloftheB2Bmarketerssurveyedagreethataneffectivedata-drivenmarketingstrategyiscrucialtoachievingsuccess,witharesounding73%stronglyagreeingwiththisstatement.

StrategyisCrucial

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

**Thisundisputedsupportconfirmstheneedfordevelopingaclearandconcisestrategytosuccessfullyacquire,organize,analyzeandtranslatecustomerinformationintoactionableinsights.**

ThemostimportantobjectivetomoreB2Bmarketers(basingmoredecisionsondataanalysis)andthemostcriticalchallenge(integratingdataacrossplatforms)arerelated– youcan’thaveonewithouttheother.Comparativeinsightslikethesearenecessaryinthedevelopmentofaneffectivedata-drivenmarketingstrategy.

ComparingObjectivesandChallenges

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

ThevastmajorityofB2Bmarketers(88%)describetheimplementationofadata-drivenmarketingstrategyascomplicated tosomeextent,withabouthalfofthose(45%)sayingitisextremely complicated.

ComplexityofImplementation

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

Whetherthecomplexityofimplementingadata-drivenmarketingstrategyisperceptionorreality,itistheprimaryreasonforatotalof93%ofB2Bmarketersoutsourcingallorpartofthistask,while39%areoutsourcingitentirelytoaspecialist.

ImplementationResourcesUsed

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

Only7%implementtheirdata-drivenmarketingstrategyusingin-houseresourcesonly.

Awebsiteorecommercesite,emailcommunicationandsocialmediaarethemosteffectivedigitalchannelsusedforcollectingmarketingdataaccordingto52%,49%and46%ofB2Bmarketersrespectively.

MostEffectiveDataCollectionChannels

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

TheeffectivenessofthedatacollectionchannelsusedforB2Bdata-drivenmarketingisincreasingforallbutamere1%ofthosesurveyed.Andfora54%majorityofB2Bmarketers,theincreaseineffectivenessisdescribedassignificant.

HowChannelEffectivenessisChanging

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B2B Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Synthio and Ascend2, Published July 2017

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About the Research Partners

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Synthio is the only data as a service provider that automates the data cleansing process while also providing the richest firmographic and contact data available for appending or origination. From merging non-standard or free-form data into a single usable dataset, to deduplication, standardization, strategic augmentation, or simply understanding more about your own data through a data health analysis, Synthio meets every data need of the modern marketer. Learn more at Synthio.com

Marketing technology companies and digital marketing agencies partner with Ascend2 to reliably generate demand and supplement marketing content. Our Research Partner Programs are transparent – spotlighting your brand and the interests of your market. Learn more at www.Ascend2.com