Act-On Software is a Business Reporter client
In today’s dynamic B2B technology landscape, marketing automation has evolved beyond lead generation. It’s now a critical driver of revenue growth, empowering businesses to build deeper customer relationships and accelerate sales cycles.
This article delves into the key findings of two groundbreaking reports: The State of B2BMarketing Automation by Act-On and Ascend2, and Peter O’Neill’s Revenue Marketing Automation Solutions. These reports provide invaluable insights for B2B marketers seeking to maximise the return on their marketing automation investments. By combining data-driven insights with expert analysis, they offer a comprehensive roadmap for navigating the evolving landscape of marketing automation and achieving sustainable revenue growth.
The State of B2B Marketing Automation report underscores the resounding success of marketing automation within the B2B sector, with a staggering 96 per cent of respondents reporting positive outcomes. This success is driving significant investment, with 75 per cent of companies planning to increase their marketing automation budgets. This investment is not misplaced: the report demonstrates that marketing automation is crucial for driving revenue growth, improving lead quality and enhancing customer experiences.
This aligns perfectly with Peter O’Neill’s research, which emphasises the shift from contact-based lead management to leveraging insights for engagement with buying groups. O’Neill’s report highlights the emergence of “revenue marketing automation” platforms, designed to provide a more holistic view of the customer and to automate tasks throughout the entire revenue lifecycle. This shift, from simply generating leads to orchestrating meaningful customer relationships, is a key factor in driving revenue growth and maximising marketing ROI.
O’Neill’s research delves deeper into the evolving role of marketing technology, emphasising the limitations of traditional marketing automation platforms (MAPs) in today’s complex B2B landscape. He observes that many companies are “reassessing their current marketing automation platform”, as a result of limitations in omnichannel personalisation, campaign workflow management and predictive content capabilities. This dissatisfaction stems from a growing need for more sophisticated solutions that can address the evolving demands of modern B2B buyers.
Furthermore, O’Neill’s report highlights the increasing importance of account-based marketing (ABM) within the context of revenue marketing automation. He notes that 81 per cent of companies are reassessing their current ABM systems, recognising the need for more effective strategies to engage with target accounts. RMA platforms are uniquely positioned to address these evolving needs by integrating ABM capabilities with broader marketing automation functionalities, enabling businesses to personalise their outreach to specific accounts and decision-makers.
The B2B State of Marketing Automation report also emphasises the critical role of data quality in successful marketing automation initiatives. Accurate and reliable data is essential for effective segmentation, personalisation and campaign performance. This aligns with O’Neill’s observation that “Revenue marketing is a new discipline requiring powerful customer data management.” Leveraging customer data to understand buyer behaviour, identify key influencers and personalise the customer journey is paramount for achieving revenue marketing success.
Both reports underscore the importance of customer journey orchestration. The B2B State of Marketing Automation report highlights the need to fully automate customer journeys to improve efficiency and outcomes. O’Neill’s research further emphasises the importance of buyer journey engagement and the orchestration of buyer behaviour across all touchpoints. By leveraging data insights, businesses can tailor their marketing messages and interactions to each stage of the buyer’s journey, building stronger relationships and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
“In the dawn of AI-powered marketing, we need to focus AI on delivering more personalised interactions, delivering value to the customer’s individual buyer journey and helping marketers focus on identifying ‘good fit’ market segments and improving engagement with buyers therein,” says Jeff Day, CMO at Act-On Software. “AI should not be a tool to increase volume, but to deepen customer relationships, accelerate pipeline development and, therefore, predictable revenue and sustainable growth.”
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing automation is also a key theme in both reports. The B2B State of Marketing Automation report highlights the growing importance of AI in areas such as audience targeting, analytics and personalisation. O’Neill’s research suggests that AI-powered capabilities are essential for effectively managing the complexities of revenue marketing, enabling businesses to:
- Personalise customer experiences at scale: AI can analyse vast amounts of data to identify individual customer preferences and tailor messaging accordingly.
- Improve campaign performance: AI-powered predictive analytics can help identify the most effective channels and messages for reaching target audiences.
- Optimise resource allocation: AI can help businesses identify and prioritise the most promising leads and opportunities, enabling sales and marketing teams to focus their efforts on the most likely to convert.
- Gain deeper customer insights: AI can analyse customer interactions across multiple channels to uncover valuable insights into buyer behaviour and preferences.
In conclusion, both reports provide invaluable insights for B2B marketers seeking to maximise the return on their marketing automation investments. By embracing the principles of revenue marketing automation, prioritising data quality, leveraging AI-powered capabilities and focusing on customer journey orchestration, businesses can unlock the full potential of their marketing automation efforts and drive significant revenue growth.
//CTA
Download the full B2B State of Marketing Automation report today to learn more and discover how to leverage the power of marketing automation to drive your business forward.
To further deepen your understanding of revenue marketing automation, we encourage you to also explore Peter O’Neill’s Revenue Marketing Automation Solutions report. This comprehensive research provides valuable insights into the key vendors and their capabilities in supporting your revenue marketing initiatives.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the provided report summaries and aims to provide a compelling overview. For the most accurate and comprehensive information, please refer to the full reports.
