What the Most Recent Data Tells Us About B2B Marketing in 2015

Referrals are the key to converting leads when it comes to B2B marketing.
Referrals are the key to converting leads in B2B.

Implisit, a company that collects, analyzes and publishes data from its vast customer interaction pipeline, released new statistics about B2B marketing at the end of 2014. This information can help us shape the picture of what this will look like going forward.

Here are key facts and figures you should take into account as you plan and implement your B2B marketing strategies in 2015:

1. Forget events. Apparently, no one cares about meeting you in person anymore. While this can generate goodwill and keep you top-of-mind, when it actually comes to leads, events are not doing much for you. As opposed to a shockingly low 7.6% following in-person meet-ups, social media engagement (66.8%) is second only to personal referrals (68.7%) when it comes to B2B leads. And let’s face it, many of those referrals are probably coming through social media. Email, website and webinar outreach is also high up there.

2. Count on word of mouth. Speaking of employee and customer referrals being the most effective way to lock in B2B partnerships, the report notes that it took, on average, 84 days to convert leads to opportunities and 18 days to convert opportunities to deals. This timeline is going to help you plan your approaches and follow-ups with realistic expectations and comparative analysis.

3. Close more deals, faster. Social and personal referrals are not only more effective, they’re also faster channels when it comes to closing a deal. In contrast, even successful and profitable eblasts, webinars and trade show leads can take a long time to close from the first point of contact.

4. Rationalize your expectations. So how much will your marketing present real opportunities for B2B sales, and how many deals will you actually close based on that courtship? Based on 2014 average figures, 13% of leads will turn into opportunities, and 6% of those will turn into deals. Contact Mad 4 Marketing to learn more about how these insights can help you maximize your B2B marketing in 2015.

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