Mark Twain once said, “Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.” Well, it’s a good thing he wasn’t in marketing because almost all marketers find the use of analytics to be a boon.
That’s according to a survey from webinar marketing solutions provider ON24. In fact, 97% of marketing respondents say that the use of analytics has behooved their company, and 87% say they plan to increase their marketing analytics spend this year. Also, more than half (56%) of survey respondents say that marketing analytics tools enable them to make more strategic decisions.
The survey, which polled 221 U.S.-based B2B marketers, also says that 65% of respondents claim to have just the right amount of data to be useful. Big data, however, remains elusive, with 77% of respondents stating that it remains a promise as opposed to a reality. These responses, according to ON24, indicate that marketers are relying more on small, manageable chunks of data and steering clear of the big data movement.
“As marketers continue to rely on increasingly sophisticated tools, the integral role of data on all facets of marketing becomes more evident,” says Tricia Heinrich, senior director, strategic communications, ON24. “The results of our latest survey underscore the opportunity for all marketers to tap into the data available to them for enhanced lead generation programs that positively impact their bottom line.”
In addition to scrutinizing analytics usage, the study looks at how marketers are using data and what their priorities are in terms of marketing technology investment. Consider the following:
How marketers are using data
- Thirty-five percent of respondents say webcasts deliver higher-quality customer data, compared to 31% who say the same for email marketing or social media.
- Eighty-six percent of marketers are able to measure how customers interact with their content.
Priorities in marketing technology investments
- Marketers are less concerned with getting the most sophisticated technology (36%) and more focused on getting easy-to-understand data (60%) and a solution that’s easy to implement and use (53%).
