B2B Barometer is on the sunny side

B2B industry confidence is high, despite the poor financial climate

The B2B Barometer – the bi-annual ‘state of the nation’ survey for B2B marketers – has just launched its sixth wave, reporting client-side marketers and agencies are feeling positive about business over the coming year, and that marketing priorities will focus around generating more and better quality leads.

The Barometer, sponsored by Circle Research, The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing and the Association of B2B Agencies is now in its sixth wave. Backed by three years of historical data on B2B marketing the survey collates the views of client and agency side marketers, and gives a bird’s eye view on what’s important in the world of B2B.

Results of this wave were surprisingly positive given the tough economic climate. A massive 80% of respondents interviewed (client and agency side) expressed confidence in their organisations’ outlook for the next 12 months – the highest figure ever recorded in the Barometer.

This confidence is being driven by positive performance over the last year as well as signs of life for the next six months, with 61% of agencies reporting rising revenues and 63% seeing more new business enquiries during the past 12 months. 48% of client side marketers expect their B2B marketing budgets to rise in the next 12 months – only serving to spur on this positive feeling within the industry.

Given the expected growth to come there is a serious focus on generating leads – 41% of client side marketers selected generating more leads as their top priority over the next 12 months, followed by increasing upselling and cross-selling (38%) and raising brand awareness (28%). Leads also come up as a top focus for agencies, with 45% of respondents predicting generating better quality leads will be a top priority for clients.

In order to achieve these goals of more and better quality leads, client side marketers have indicated a range of tactical activity that will form the basis of their marketing budgets, the top three being:

– Trade shows – 15%
– Direct mail – 12%
– Email communications – 11%

Wave 6 of the Barometer also highlighted the use of content in B2B marketing as widespread but mostly traditional and tactical – 48% of marketers use content in most or all of their communications, while 86% of client side teams used content in at least some of their activity.

The two most frequently used types of content are case studies (45%) and white papers (31%), with 48% of people questioned choosing case studies as the most effective.

To see the full report please go to www.b2bbarometer.co.uk