Are you in the process of developing your 2019 marketing plans? Developing a plan sounds simple but with a myriad of marketing options available to you, what does an effective digital marketing strategy look like in 2019?
To find out, Ascend2 conducted a research study and published the results in the 2019 Digital Marketing Strategies Survey Summary Report.
The survey was fielded in October 2018, and a total of 190 marketing professionals participated. The report provides valuable data to help marketing professionals with 2019 budget planning.
Here are a few noteworthy findings that will help you plan your digital marketing for the new year.
1. How Digital Marketing Budgets Are Changing
With a total of 88% of marketing professionals planning to increase digital marketing budget to some extent in 2019, the message is clear: companies are standing behind digital marketing. If you want to meet your goals and compete with your competition, build your case to increase your budget. How do you get more budget? Show your leadership team specific tactics and a detailed strategy on how you will use your increased budget to meet precise business goals.
88% of marketing professionals planning to increase digital marketing budget to some extent in 2019, a study by @Ascend2research found. Click To Tweet
2. Tactical Effectiveness: Content Marketing Tops the List
So want digital marketing tactics should you invest in? Content marketing is the most successful tactic for a 58% majority of marketing professionals, while search engine optimization and email marketing follow with 50% and 47% respectively.
Content marketing is the most successful tactic for a 58% majority of marketing professionals. Click To Tweet
Developing high-quality content, like original research, provides the foundational piece for your content marketing, SEO, email marketing, paid advertising, personalization, and more. As you plan for 2019, consider what content pieces you need to create to fuel your content marketing machine.
3. Top Strategic Priorities: Increasing Sales Prospects and Acquiring More Customers
Increasing sales prospects or leads, and acquiring more customers, will be top priorities for marketing professionals (64% and 55% respectively) in 2019. This emphasizes the importance of marketing’s support of and alignment with the sales process.
Increasing sales prospects or leads is the top priority for 64% of marketing professionals. Click To Tweet
4. Challenging Barriers to Success: Engaging Customers Online and Measuring Results
Engaging customers online and measuring digital marketing results are challenging barriers to success for 49% and 47% of marketing professionals respectively. The sales-related goal of increasing customer acquisition is also a barrier to success for marketers.
Engaging customers online is a challenging barrier to success for 49% of marketing professionals. Click To Tweet
5. How Digital Marketing Effectiveness is Changing
The good news is the effectiveness of online tactics is increasing for an impressive total of 89% of marketing professionals. So the investment that you make in digital marketing in 2019 is likely to provide results that you need to meet your goals.
Good news! The effectiveness of online tactics is increasing for an impressive total of 89% of marketing professionals. #yay Click To Tweet
For more research to help you determine your marketing strategy for 2019, visit the Ascend2 Research Library for research on content marketing, email marketing, marketing technology, data-driven marketing, marketing automation, personalization, account-based marketing, SEO, and more.