The growing popularity of virtual events has resulted in a melting pot of knowledge and expertise, accessible from a wide range of professions across the globe. Flip through these slides to discover insights that reveal exciting developments in store for the industry.
Imposter Syndrome in Marketing & Why You're Not Alone
Level up on the Future of Marketing: Marketing Insights from Marketing Nation Online
1. LEVEL UP ON THE
FUTURE OF MARKETING
Marketing Insights From Marketing Nation Online
2. The growing popularity of virtual events has resulted in a melting pot of
knowledge and expertise, accessible from a wide range of professions across
the globe. This diverse and comprehensive information can uncover new
trends and insights about marketing, opening us up to a world of knowledge
and helping us better prepare for the future.
Insights from more than 25,000 attendees at Marketing Nation Online
2015 reveal exciting developments in store for the industry.
Let’s Explore
3. Marketers at Every Level
Want to Help Shape the Future
67% of the event’s virtual attendees are marketers, with many in managerial or director roles. Many attended
from small-business backgrounds, and are in the business services and software/internet industries.
Where They Work
98 different industries were represented, including:
Who They Are
Size of Companies
Represented
Small Business
59%
Enterprise
17%
Mid Market
12%
Legend:
SB = Up to 500 employees
MM = 501–3,499 employees
ENT = 3,500+ employees
Business
Services
19%
Software &
Internet
18%
Computers &
Electronics
9%
Retail
7%
Media &
Entertainment
6%
Financial
Services
5%
Manufac-
turing
4%
Telecommu-
nications
3%
24%
7%
4%
4%
3%
Marketing
Professional
Marketing
Manager or
Director
President
or CEO
Sales
Marketing
VP/CMO
Agency
27%
4. Marketers are Diverse
The event drew a crowd from 68 countries, mainly hailing from:
Because of the flexible nature of virtual events, they attract a more
diverse attendance base and reveal broader, global industry insights.
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
IRELAND &
UNITED KINGDOM
CANADA &
UNITED STATES
5. Let’s Dig In!
The future of marketing will hinge on:
Sales and Marketing Alignment
Mobile Marketing
Marketing Platform Integration
Multi-Channel Marketing
Customer Engagement
6. Join Forces
Sales and marketing need to partner up. According to SiriusDecisions, B2B organizations
with tightly aligned marketing and sales organizations achieved, over a three-year period,
24% faster revenue growth and 27% faster profit growth.
Our data reveals a broad need for better marketing and sales alignment.
Nearly half of respondents recognize the need to better align their sales and marketing teams.
How advanced do you consider your sales and marketing alignment?
*Numbers are rounded.
Very advanced,
we’re tightly knit
Non-existent, we have
our work cut out for us
Moderate, we're on
the same page
most of the time
Needs improvement,
we have work to do
7%
14%
31%
49%
7. Stronger Together
Friction between departments often arises from role- and goal-related misunderstandings.
But when these are aligned, sales and marketing can determine:
Opposites Attract
Although sales and marketing departments maintain important separate operations,
combined efforts have a complementary effect. Companies with blended sales and marketing
ownership of lead-nurturing and incubation processes report better conversion rates.
Who their ideal customers are
Their customers’ pain points
How to reach out with the right offer,
product, or service specific to them
Neither team can do this alone. But together, they can
create an environment that increases the buyer’s
propensity to purchase. And when these buyers become
customers, everyone wins.
A 10% lead quality
improvement can result
in a 40% improvement
in sales productivity.
8. SMS is a great way for marketers
to build an ongoing dialogue with
buyers, who are attached to their
mobile devices.
Here’s the 411: More Mobile, Please
More than half of attendees think that SMS and MMS messaging would benefit their organizations.
46% of smartphone owners say
it’s something “they couldn’t live
without.”
Through SMS, marketers can
build a strong brand–buyer
relationship of mutual interest
and continue the conversation
across all their channels.
Brands including Google Adwords,
Target, Macy’s, and Starbucks are
continually looking at new ways to
build their SMS databases.
Why should mobile marketers be thinking about this?
And what impact will it have?
Source: “6 Facts About Americans and Their Smartphone” 2015, Pew Research Center
9. Don’t Fit a Square Peg in a Round Hole
More than 3/4 of our event attendees believe seamless integration across multiple platforms is important.
Your ecosystem needs to be better connected in order to run the marketing organization of
tomorrow. Technology and systems that talk to each other don’t just ease ongoing
marketing activities, they also enable marketers to leverage the vast amounts of data
available for next-level strategies and results.
Extremely important,
must have a strong
ecosystem
Important, but not
a deal breaker
I don't think
about it
Not a priority, just
a value-add
When you are choosing a marketing technology or marketing platform, how
important are the partner ecosystem and integrations?
45%
37%
10%
8%
10. Beyond Acquisition
It’s time for marketers to think beyond customer acquisition. Now, marketing strategies should
focus on nurturing relationships to build an ongoing connection and earn customers’ loyalty.
Typically, marketing hones in on new acquisition, while customer success and sales may focus on
retention. But getting on the same page ensures marketers and account managers can work
toward acquiring new customers, keeping them, and earning their loyalty.
“THE B2B LOYALTY CHALLENGE,” 2015, CHIEF MARKETER
Acquiring new customers costs 5xmore than keeping the ones you already have.
“THE COST OF EBUSINESS OPERATIONS AND CUSTOMER ACQUISITION,” 2008, FORRESTER RESEARCH
Why think beyond acquisition?
11. Engage Throughout the Lifecycle
Nearly half of marketers agree they need to boost their efforts to keep
customers engaged throughout their entire lifecycle.
Do you currently have a marketing strategy to engage buyers
across channels and throughout their lifecycle?
*Numbers are rounded.
Yes, it's deployed
28%
No, but we need one
49%
No, it's not important
6%
Yes, we need to deploy
17%
12. Are you able to “listen” to customer behavior and respond
with relevant content?
Become the Customer Whisperer
Only 1/5 of marketers actively observe and react to customer behavior.
If you want to build and nurture customer relationships, you need to be proactive.
Yes, across
channels
22%
On some
channels,
but not all
55%
No
23%
13. All for One, One for All
Delivering a seamless customer experience is now a business must,
and marketers are prioritizing omni-channel marketing as a result.
What does a seamless experience provide the marketer?
Source: “Omni-Channel Customer Care: Empowered Customers Demand a Seamless Experience,” 2013, Aberdeen Group
Companies with strong omni-channel
customer engagement retain on average
89% of their customers, compared to
33% for companies with weak
omni-channel customer engagement.
It means you’ll be able to hone in on
specific customers and communicate to
them on a whole new level. You’ll be able
to weave yourself into your customers’
lives—becoming a part of their identities.
68% of marketers say it’s a priority
for all marketing to be integrated
across channels.
14. By personalizing your
content, your customers
will feel more inclined
to engage with you.
70% of buying experiences
are based on how the
customer feels they
are being treated.
No Room for the Weak
Most marketers agree they need to step up their content marketing efforts and
personalize their messages in order to grow. It’s time to prioritize and specialize.
What skill do you think your team must develop in the next
year, if you’re going to successfully elevate your marketing?
Source: “The Moment of Truth in Customer Service,” McKinsey & Company
Branding
17%
Personalization
35%
14%
Reporting
Content
34%
15. Survival of the Most Adept
The evolution of marketing is all relative—a couple decades ago, digital marketing didn’t even exist. Today’s ever-changing
digital landscape requires marketers to adapt to new technology to stay relevant. Don’t, and you’ll be left in the dust.
Looking forward, here’s what marketers think
will have the greatest commercial impact:
Marketing
Automation
Content
Marketing
Big Data Mobile
Marketing
Conversion
Rate
Optimization
(CRO)
Social
Media
Marketing
Search
Engine
Optimization
(SEO)
Wearables Online PR Paid
Search
Marketing
Communities Internet
of Things
(IoT)
Partnerships
Including
Affiliate &
Co-Marketing
Display
Including
Retargeting &
Programmatic
Source: “Marketing Trends for 2016: Will We Be in a Post-Digital Era?” 2016, Smart Insights
20%
18%
12%
9% 9%
5%
5%
5%
3%
3%
3%
3%
1%
1%
16. Marketers are gearing up for big things to come.
Don’t miss out on the latest marketing trends, topics, and even
more insider insights; join us at The Marketing Nation Summit.
17. Sources
“6 Facts About Americans and Their Smartphone” 2015, Pew Research Center
“Are SMS campaigns too intrusive, or not invasive enough?” 2013, Mobile Marketer
“Improving Lead Quality Can Improve Sales Quality,” 2007, Marketo
“Marketo’s 2015 Marketing Nation Online: The New Era,” Marketo
“Marketing Trends for 2016 – Will we be in a post-digital era?” 2016, Smart Insights
“Omni-Channel Customer Care: Empowered Customers Demand a Seamless Experience,” 2013, Aberdeen Group
“The B2B Loyalty Challenge,” 2015, Chief Marketer
“The Cost of eBusiness Operations and Customer Acquisition,” 2008, Forrester
“The Moment of Truth in Customer Service,” McKinsey & Company