B2B Marketers Use Broader Range of Channels Than B2C

B2B companies use a broader range of marketing channels and data sources than B2C companies, according to a survey of marketers worldwide by Salesforce.

In the 11 channels asked about, B2B companies report a higher usage for ten. For example, while 88% of B2C companies say they use digital advertising, this rises to 93% of B2B companies. Video is the only marketing channel that is more popular with B2C companies.

This gap is largest for direct mail/print advertising – 64% of B2C companies use this channel but this rises to three-quarters (73%) for B2B companies. Audio channels also show a notable gap, between 62% for B2C and 69% for B2B.

Salesforce also finds B2B companies are using data from a wider range of sources. In 2021, B2B marketers on average say they use 12 sources of data, with B2C marketers using just nine. Additional research suggests B2B companies struggle with marketing attribution and reporting, potentially as a result of the complexity of data being used.

Overall, 19% of B2B marketing budgets go towards advertising, with growing opportunities in new channels like digital video and audio. Building mental availability is also proving a critical task for B2B marketers.

Credit: WARC