Survey Shows Top Tools For B2B Demand Generation

In the fall of 2012, we posted a link from our site to participate in a survey on demand generation tactics for B2B companies.   Software Advice published the results of the 2012 B2B Demand Generation Benchmark Survey.    While every business has unique approaches to building leads, these results are a great guide to what works best.

Tools generating the highest quality results for lead generation
B2B Marketers identified digital tools such as search engine advertising and search optimization as highest in quality along with 3rd party lead generators, in-house email and trade shows. 


Spending Changes for 2013
When asked where B2B marketers will spend more time and money in 2013, several surprising tools rose to the top – retargeted advertising, social media and social media ads.  None of these tools were ranked highly in quality of leads generated. 
These results show a continued belief among B2B marketers that social media ads have value despite their lack of ability to generate quality leads.   This belief may be an attempt to lower overall costs or simply a misguided desire to not get left behind a popular digital trend. B2B marketers should continue to rely on search advertising and website optimization, along with trade shows and email marketing campaigns for quality demand generation.
What do the results mean for your business?  What tools do  you rely on most?