BtoB Magazine: Lead-gen budgets set to rise

Business-to-business marketers plan to increase spending on lead-generation programs in the second half of this year, according to the results of an email survey carried out this month.

by Helen Leggatt

The joint survey was carried out by BtoB magazine and the Sales Lead Management Association. They found that almost half (45.4%) of the 273 corporate marketers that responded plan to increase their lead-generation budgets during Q3 and Q4 2008. Concentrating on such marketing activities that are more quantifiable in terms of actual sales is not unusual in times of economic slowdown.

Other findings from the survey include:

- 39.4% of marketers plan to increase lead-gen spending by between 11% and 20%.
- Lead-gen activities are a top priority for 49.9% of marketers.
- 10.3% of marketers plan to spend less on lead-gen during the second half of 2008.

Lead-generation should not be used in a vacuum or as part of a “leads at all costs” strategy. “Balancing lead generation with activity to build loyalty and adoption will let b-to-b marketers learn who their best customers are, how they became their best customers, how they journeyed through the buying process and how to find more like them,” says Laura Ramos, a VP at Forrester Research, in an article contained within BtoB magazine’s “Lead Generation Guide”.