Dive Brief:

• Content marketing was cited by 85% of respondents as the most important technology for B2B marketers in a Spear Marketing report.
• The next three technologies listed in the survey were SEO, CRM and marketing automation.
• The study also asked respondents about the future importance of marketing technologies, and almost every one was seen as less important in the next 12 to 18 months.

Dive Insight:

Content is still king, at least in the eyes of Spear Marketing’s survey on B2B marketing technology. Content marketing topped the list at 85%, followed by SEO at 70% and CRM at 68%. The research also asked the future importance of marketing tech, and the top three all fell in that estimation – content dropped to 60%, SEO to 41% and CRM to 29%.

Marketing technology that is on the rise according to the survey includes predictive analytics, big data, lead lifecycle and programmatic. In terms of ROI, marketing automation and content marketing led the way. Respondents found click-to-call, programmatic advertising and database health and optimization having the least ROI.

Overall, the report indicates that technology is important to B2B marketers, but there’s a level of uncertainty about what is most effective. Further, based on the findings, almost all categories were seen as less important over the next year to year and a half.