Marketing Research Chart: Allocation of B2B marketing budgets

by Jen Doyle, Senior Research Manager

Allocation of B2B marketing budgets

Q. Approximately what percentage of your marketing budget is allocated to each of the following tactics – not including personnel?




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Website design requires the specialized skill set of an experienced Web designer and optimization expert. Such services can be costly to an organization.

This is reflected in the above chart, where website design, management and optimization represent a greater percentage of marketing budgets on average than any other tactic. Since this was also rated as the most effective tactic overall, it is apparent that organizations and prepared to invest in it.

A number of significant expenses are required when participating in trade shows, including travel, booth rental, marketing to drive booth traffic, etc., making this tactic a likely candidate to utilize a good portion of the marketing budgets of participating organizations.

Email marketing is commonly viewed as a cost effective marketing channel, however that should not imply that significant investments in this tactic are uncommon. Expenses in email marketing include list rental, email deployment programs, email deliverability services and list building initiatives, to name a few.

Now that you have an understanding of industry averages for the most effective B2B marketing tactics, and the average allocation of B2B marketing budgets, take a few minutes to evaluate your current situation.

How does your mix and budget allocation compare to industry averages? Are you happy with the revenue performance of all of your marketing channels? Which channels do you think you can improve? Which are you thinking about dropping, and which can you not live without?

For additional research data and insights about B2B marketing, download and read the free excerpt from the MarketingSherpa 2011 B2B Marketing Advanced Practices Handbook.

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Useful links related to this chart

MarketingSherpa B2B Summit 2011 - in Boston and San Francisco

Members Library -- New Chart: Changes to the Marketing Budget Landscape in 2011

Members Library -- New Chart: Chief requirements for B2B lead qualification