A good B2B marketer knows that their marketing automation platform (MAP) is only as effective as the people operating it, and organizations are continuing to pivot their MAP implementation to reach their full potential. Research from Demand Spring showed that 96% of marketers have implemented MAP technology over the last year, and that 36% are taking six to 12 months to operationalize their solutions for daily marketing efforts.
The “Marketing Automation Platforms Insights” report provides insights into MAP implementation in 2021, focusing on how B2B marketers are using the solutions to enhance their daily departmental operations and scale their marketing strategies for new channels. The research also explores the most common implementations of MAPs, and organizations’ increased focus on learning how the platforms work and factor into their marketing initiatives.
“At Demand Spring, we see the huge value in utilizing MAPs, but we wanted to know if other organizations see similar value and are using these MAPs effectively,” said Derek Boshkov, Director of Marketing Technology at Demand Spring, in a statement. “This report outlines the feedback and results we gathered from marketing professionals across a variety of industries, and provides insights on the most desired MAP features, usage challenges, and the metrics that are viewed by marketers as the most important.”
One standout stat from the report is that more than 50% of respondents reported less than 9% of their employees understand how their MAPs are implemented. Additionally, 47% report being unable to attribute their ROI to individual MAPs, presenting organizations with an opportunity to bridge the gap between their MAPs and individual processes.
As a result, organizations are increasing their focus on MAP expertise within their individual teams, educating their employees on how to use their MAPs for greater departmental efficiency. Sixty-eight percent of respondents who focused on operationalizing their MAP usage for individual departments reported a positive impact, with employees learning how to better operationalize their MAPs for enhanced customer experience (CX), personalization and lead nurturing strategies.
Additional takeaways from the report include:
- Email marketing strategies remain the number one reason organizations implement MAPs implementation (79%);
- 52% of marketers are implementing MAPs to enhance their customer experience (CX) strategies;
- After using MAPs for two to three months, 56% saw an increase in conversion rates; and
- 52% prioritize implementing MAPs that can integrate into other solutions within their organization’s tech stack to enhance their marketing efforts.
For more insights into MAP implementation, check out the full report.
