At the end of 2016, DemandWave surveyed a group of 179 B2B marketers to see which channels and platforms they were using to generate leads. It may not be a total surprise, but email was easily the top channel for new leads, white papers were the top form of content for attracting new leads, and LinkedIn was far and away the top social network for driving leads. Here’s a closer look at some of the data…
The top content types for driving leads
White papers: 53%
Webinars: 50%
Case Studies: 44%
Blogs: 39%
Videos: 35%
Infographics: 31%
Other: 18%
Mobile: 6%
According to the 179 B2B marketers, white papers and webinars were the clear winners. They may be the old standby options, and for good reason: they work. It’s possible to see a secondary tier of offerings – case studies, blogs and video – that are also gaining traction. The appeal of white papers and webinars is how precisely they can be targeted to certain groups of B2B buyers. They’re easy to download – all you typically have to provide is your email address – and, thus, represent a low-risk way for prospects to learn about new products.
The top channels for new leads
Email: 73%
Organic Search: 70%
Social Media: 55%
Paid Search: 54%
Display Ads: 37%
Perhaps the only surprise here is how dominant email and organic search are. What makes them popular, no doubt, is that they’re essentially free. That almost guarantees a positive ROI. Once you have a big enough mailing list, you’re going to generate some leads, no matter what type of content you are sending out.
The big challenge for B2B marketers will be coming up new and unique angles that keep their email strategy fresh for customers and prospects. For example, the purely text-based email appears to be on the way out, replaced by emails that feature images and video links (and even GIFs).
The most actively used channels
Social Media: 95%
Email: 93%
Organic Search: 91%
It’s a positive sign that all three of these channels are nearly ubiquitous. Perhaps the only surprise is that more B2B marketers appear to be using LinkedIn or Facebook than email!
The top social networks for driving leads
LinkedIn: 62%
Facebook: 37%
Twitter: 34%
YouTube: 17%
Instagram: 5%
Pinterest: 2%
Far and away, LinkedIn remains the social platform of choice for generating new leads. Facebook, though, is gaining ground, and that’s primarily due to the wealth of advertising options that Facebook offers. If you’re looking to hyper-target a certain group of potential buyers, Facebook is far superior to LinkedIn.
In 2017, the big question is if these top channels and platforms can maintain their top status among B2B marketers. For example, with so much saturation of LinkedIn by B2B marketers, it’s possible to speculate that they will begin to look for a competitive advantage elsewhere. And it’s likely that both video and mobile will see big bumps in 2017.
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Dane
Dane Cobain is a published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and (occasional) musician from High Wycombe, UK. Before going freelance, he worked as a social media marker, now specialising in writing about publishing, technology and marketing.