41% of marketing automation technology is in the domain of B2B, but B2C is on the move
Although B2B marketers are increasingly reliant on marketing automation technology, consumer-oriented businesses increasingly see the need to adopt automation technology, despite the cost.
According to eMarketer, which cites recent data from agency Bold Digital and marketing tech firm SimilarTech, enterprise companies account for 41% of all brands using marketing automation worldwide in 2016 because business-to-consumer (B2C) sales cycles tend to be much shorter. However, B2C marketers are increasingly looking to automation, particularly in the internet and telecom space, which now accounts for almost ten per cent of those using automation.
Other industries using marketing automation include retail (shopping) brands which accounted for five per cent of users, and travel companies which make up two per cent, according to the study.
The adoption of automation technology could be even greater if it were not for tight budgets and other obstacles. According to a February 2017 survey from email marketing provider GetResponse, 36.1% of B2B and B2C email marketers said securing funds for marketing automation technology is a challenge.
On of the issues, particularly for B2C and B2B customers is bad data as 35% of marketers in the survey named the quality of customer data as a top challenge.
As the marketing technology landscape continues to grow, the increasing number of available automation tools can be also be overwhelming for marketers. More than one third (35%) of marketers said having the knowledge to set up different types of automation was an issue, according to GetResponse.