This document contains a summary of key findings from HubSpot's 2013 State of Inbound Marketing Report. Some of the main insights include:
- Nearly 60% of marketers surveyed have adopted inbound marketing strategies, though 19% were unsure how to categorize their efforts.
- Inbound marketing has become the dominant approach, with twice as many marketers seeing below-average leads through inbound compared to traditional marketing.
- The top priorities for marketers in 2013 were reaching the right target audience and converting more leads to customers.
- While integration of inbound strategies has increased, opportunities still exist to better align marketing and sales teams through formal agreements.
- The biggest ongoing challenge for marketers is proving
2. Data to Grow Your Business
• HubSpot surveyed over 3,300 marketers across
the globe to study the inbound marketing
landscape.
• These slides contain critical charts from the
2013 State of Inbound Marketing Report.
• All contents are for public use. Please feel free to
use or cite the data to benefit your business.
3. “
“
Over the past five years, we’ve witnessed a tectonic shift in how people work
and live, and marketers have started to adapt. Engaging consumers is no
longer about pushing out interruptive messages. It’s about connecting with
people in the places and on the devices they prefer. It’s about integrating
content and context for a richer, relevant, and personalized experience, from
the time someone first hears about your brand to the point they’re buying your
product and telling their friends about it. It’s about creating marketing people
love: inbound marketing.
Every year since 2008, HubSpot has asked the marketing community to share
what inbound marketing means to them and their companies. This year’s
research sought to uncover insights on everything from inbound marketing
industry adoption (58% say “I’m inbound!”) to the resources marketers are
dedicating (inbound budgets have grown nearly 50%).
The 2013 State of Inbound Marketing Report highlights how the industry has
evolved and uncovers opportunities we still have for growth. We’re honored to
conduct this research and to track the transformation of marketing as it occurs.
And we’re pleased to share this report with you.
For the love of marketing,
Mike Volpe
A Letter from HubSpot’s CMO
5. Blog
Social Media
Keywords
Pages
Calls-to-Action
Landing Pages
Forms
Contacts
Email
Workflows
Lead Scoring
CRM Integrations
Social Media
Smart-Calls-to-Action
Email
Workflows
Attract Convert Close Delight
Strangers Visitors Leads Customers Promoters
• Inbound marketing is not a tactic, channel, or technology. It’s a way to approach to your
marketing to capitalize on the way consumers make buying decisions today.
• Inbound marketers understand that people value personalized, relevant content and
connections -- not interruptive messages -- at every stage of the marketing funnel.
• Inbound allows you to attract visitors, convert leads, close customers, and delight them
into promoting your business to others.
Inbound Marketing Methodology
6. Strangers
Top Ten Insights: 2013 Report
1. Inbound Marketing’s Rise: Nearly 60% practice
inbound.
2. Stronger ROI Than Traditional: Twice as many
marketers see below-average leads via inbound
3. Traditional Is Fading: Inbound grew around 50%for
the third straight year.
4. Definition and Data: Some marketers still struggle with
defining and analyzing inbound.
5. Capturing a Difficult Audience: Inbound cuts through
the cluttered internet to reach consumers at every
stage of their buying decisions.
7. Strangers
Top Ten Insights: 2013 Report
6. Smarter Marketing: Automation of certain tactics
allows marketers to focus on newer tasks like blogging.
7. Inbound Means Marketing: Successful marketers grasp
that inbound is not a channel or a technology but a
strategy.
8. Consumers Win: Inbound creates marketing people
love because it adds value at every stage.
9. Marketers Win, Too: No longer cost centers to
companies or nuisances to consumers, marketers are
more lovable (and important) than ever.
10. Content And Context: Content is just part of the
equation. Context systems like CRMs are still needed to
personalize the buyer journey and drive real ROI.
8. Strangers
Part One: Are You Inbound? Executive Insights Into Inbound Marketing (Slide 10)
1. Marketing’s adoption of inbound
2. How does inbound marketing integrate with your business?
3. Consumer-focused companies and ROI
4. Inbound’s ability to connect marketing to sales
5. What are marketers’ main goals in 2013?
6. What are marketers’ biggest challenges in 2013?
7. Internal support for inbound
8. Internal resistance to inbound
Part Two: Why Do Inbound? The Business Case for Adopting Inbound Marketing (Slide 51)
1. The ROI of inbound marketing
2. Cost per lead and cost per customer via inbound
3. Inbound vs. outbound lead sources
4. Average costs per lead
5. Conversions by channel
6. Budget allocation and inbound marketing
7. Budget comparison: inbound vs. traditional
8. What numbers do inbound marketers track?
Section Navigation Navigate to the Data You Need Most
9. Strangers
Section Navigation Navigate to the Data You Need Most
Part Three: How Do You Do Inbound? Critical Optimization, Testing, and
Technology Considerations (Slide 93)
1. Inbound lead scoring
2. Average site conversion rates
3. Testing and optization
4. Technology concerns
Part Four: Who Does Inbound? Building an Inbound Marketing Team (Slide 113)
1. Staffing considerations
2. Time allocation
3. Team growth
4. Growth by segment & region
10. 1 ARE YOU INBOUND?
Executive Insights on Inbound Marketing’s
Growth and Industry Saturation
This section looks at inbound marketing's current industry saturation,
the benefits of organization-wide alignment, and the need for
continued focus on larger business goals.
12. 58%
23%
19%
Inbound Adoption Reaches Majority, but
Educational Opportunities Remain
Nearly 60% of marketers have adopted inbound strategies, while
19% unsure how to categorize efforts
Yes
No
Don't know/not applicable
Q: Does your company do inbound marketing?
Survey
N =3,339
13. 54%
27%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Yes No
Majority of CEOs Report Inbound Marketing
Adoption
54% of CEOs focused on Inbound for 2013; 4% lower than overall
industry growth rates
Q: Does your company do inbound marketing?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
14. 58%
23%
19%
73%
14%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Yes No Don't know/not applicable
Agencies Implement Inbound Marketing
Strategies Ahead of Industry Averages
Nearly 75% of agencies use inbound marketing in 2013
Overall
Marketing Agency
Q: Does your company do inbound marketing?
*Chart shows just agency responses
Survey
Segment
N =412
15. 58%
23%
19%
65%
22%
13%
47%
28%
25%
61%
22%
17%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Yes No Don't know/not applicable
B2C Companies Lag in Inbound Marketing
Implementation
38% more B2B firms embrace inbound strategies than B2C
companies for 2013
Overall
B2B
B2C
B2B2C
Q: Does your company do inbound marketing?
*Chart shows responses segmented by business model
Survey
Segment
N =1,917
16. A WORD FROM THE WISE
Inbound marketing is global! I find it fascinating
that what was once a controversial idea
evangelized by a handful of us way back in 2007
has spread to smart marketers everywhere who
want to grow their business now.
David Meerman Scott, @dmscott
Author, The New Rules of Marketing & PR,
HubSpot Marketer in Residence
17. Where Does Inbound Fit?
Strategy integration between inbound and
other marketing initiatives
Section 2
18. 34%
47%
8%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Completely integrated Somewhat integrated Somewhat unintegrated Not integrated
Majority of Marketers Integrate Inbound
With Corporate Strategy
81% of inbound strategy is at least somewhat integrated with
broader goals
Q: How integrated is your company's inbound marketing strategy
with your larger marketing strategy?
Survey
N =3,339
19. 48%
32%
10%
9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Completely integrated Somewhat integrated Somewhat unintegrated Not integrated
Most CEOs Report Complete Inbound
Integration
Nearly half of CEOs link inbound with larger marketing goals
Q: How integrated is your company's inbound marketing strategy
with your larger marketing strategy?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey N
=195
20. 34%
47%
8%
5%
48%
38%
7%
3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Completely integrated Somewhat integrated Somewhat unintegrated Not integrated
Agencies Prioritize Integrating Inbound
Marketing With Broader Goals
Almost 50% of agencies fully integrate marketing and inbound
strategies
Overall
Marketing Agency
Q: How integrated is your company's inbound marketing
strategies with your larger marketing strategy?
*Chart shows just agency responses
Survey
Segment
N =412
21. 21%
55%
8% 8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Completely integrated Somewhat integrated Somewhat unintegrated Not integrated
Enterprise Firms Not Yet Fully Integrating
Inbound Marketing
Just 21% of enterprise companies completely assimilate inbound
marketing with larger strategy
Q: How integrated is your company's inbound marketing strategy with
your larger marketing strategy?
*Chart shows just enterprise responses [firms with 200+ employees]
Survey
Segment
N =560
22. Focus Shifts to the Consumer
Analyzing businesses' increasing focus on
the consumer in 2013
Section 3
23. 50%
15%
13% 14%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Customer-focused Product-focused Sales-focused Marketing-focused
Customer-Focused Companies Dominate
Half of marketers report their companies are primarily focused on
customers
Q: Do you you consider your company to be primarily customer-focused,
marketing-focused, product-focused, or sales-focused?
Survey N
=3,339
24. 50%
15%
13% 14%
48%
15% 14%
18%
58%
17%
12%
7%
48%
16%
15% 14%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Customer-focused Product-focused Sales-focused Marketing-focused
Customer Focus Central to B2C Strategy
58% of B2C companies primarily customer-focused
Overall
B2B
B2C
B2B2C
Q: Do you consider your company to be primarily customer-
focused, marketing-focused, product-focused, or sales-focused?
*Chart shows responses segmented by business model
Survey
Segment
N =1,917
25. 0%
20%
40%
60%
Customer-focused Product-focused Sales-focused Marketing-focused
Customer-Focused Marketers Lead in Proving
Inbound ROI
Marketers more likely to be customer-centric; still slightly lag in
proving the ROI of their results
Overall
No
Could not or did not calculate ROI
Don't know/not applicable
Q: Do you consider your company to be primarily/Did inbound
marketing demonstrate ROI for your company?
Survey
N =3,339
26. A WORD FROM THE WISE
For over 15 years, we have been advocating a
customer-centered approach for using data to
drive business decisions … In the past, you might
have thought that data-driven customer-
centricity was simply our particular marketing
shtick. Today, you ignore the data at your own
risk.
Bryan Eisenberg, @TheGrok
Author, Always Be Testing
Partner, Eisenberg Holdings
28. 42%
27%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
No Yes
Opportunities Exist for Better Marketing-Sales
Alignment
Less than one-third of firms have formalized marketing-sales
agreements
Q: Does your company have formal agreement between sales
and marketing teams to determine both teams' responsibilities?
Survey N
=3,339
29. Q: Do you do inbound marketing/Did inbound marketing
demonstrate ROI for your company?
73%$
14%$
12%$
50%$
34%$
17%$
0%$
20%$
40%$
60%$
80%$
100%$
$ No $ Don't$know/not$applicable$
The Likelihood of Formalizing a Marketing-
Sales Agreement Increases With Inbound
Adoption
Nearly 3/4 of companies with a formal sales-marketing agreement
implemented inbound in 2013
No
$
Survey N
=3,339
30. 36% 36%
28%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Yes No Don't know/not applicable
Enterprise Firms Show Near Even Marketing-
Sales Role Demarcation
Marketing-sales agreements in place at 36% of companies with
200+ employees
Q: Does your company have a formal agreement between sales and
marketing teams to determine both teams' responsibilities?
*Chart shows just enterprise responses [firms with 200+employees]
Survey
Segment
N =560
31. Defining Marketing-Sales Roles Dramatically Reduces
Customer Acquisition Costs
Average CPA reduced by $197 for enterprise companies with formal marketing-
sales agreements
*Shows average cost per customer for U.S. companies with 200+ employees
With a formal sales-marketing agreement Without a formal sales-marketing agreement
$291 $486
Survey
Segment
N =560
32. 28%
44%
20%
45%
34%
42%
0%
20%
40%
Yes No
Slightly More B2B Companies Detail Marketing-
Sales Obligations
8% more B2B firms formalize mutual responsibilities than their
B2C peers
B2B
B2C
B2B2C
Q: Does your company have a formal agreement between sales
and marketing teams to determine both teams' responsibilities?
*Chart shows responses segmented by business model
Survey
Segment
N =1,917
33. A WORD FROM THE WISE
Inbound marketing is no longer a convenient add-on or
experimental area for companies. It is a required method of
doing business in today's more consumer-focused world…
Inbound is often more cost efficient than old-school, outbound
marketing. Inbound is often better at building long-term
customers rather than short-term sales … Understanding how
and why companies are using inbound vs. outbound marketing
is critical to building these more effective approaches for your
own business.
Jason Falls, @JasonFalls
Founder, Social Media Explorer,
Vice-President of Digital Strategy, CafePress, Inc.
35. 23% 23%
20%
18%
14%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Reaching the right
audience
Converting leads to
customers
Increasing total lead
volume
Creating quality content Proving the ROI of our
marketing activities
Targeting, Lead Conversion Cited as Top
Inbound Goals
23% of marketers focused on both reaching the right audience
and converting leads
Q: What are your company’s top marketing priorities?
Survey N
=3,339
36. 25%
22%
20%
19%
12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Reaching the right
audience
Converting leads to
customers
Increasing total lead
volume
Creating quality content Proving the ROI of our
marketing activities
Reaching Target Market Top Priority Among
CEOs
CEOs specifically care about reaching their target markets
Q: What are your company’s top marketing priorities?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
38. 25%
20%
16%
11%
9% 8%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Proving the ROI
of our marketing
activities
Securing enough
budget
Controlling my
technology or
website
Targeting content
for an international
audience
Hiring top talent Training my team Finding an
executive sponsor
Marketers Still Face the Challenge of Proving
ROI for Marketing Activities
25% of marketers concerned with proving bottom-line results
Q: What are your company's top marketing challenges?
Survey N
=3,339
39. Q: What are your company's top marketing challenges?
*Chart shows just agency responses shown
Survey
Segment
N =412
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Proving ROI Securing budget Hiring top talent Controlling
technology
Training my team Targeting content
for an
international
audiences
Finding
executive
sponsors
Inbound Marketing Agencies Struggle to Prove
ROI, Control Technology
30% of agencies say top concern is demonstrating ROI
Overall$
Agency$
25%
29%
20% 21%
9%
13%
16%
12%
8% 10% 11%
8%
5% 4%
40. 25%
20%
5%
8%
16%
11%
9%
28%
20%
3%
8%
15%
11% 11%
22% 21%
7% 8%
19%
11%
7%
24%
19%
6%
9%
16%
12%
8%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Proving the ROI
of our marketing
activities
Securing enough
budget
Finding an
executive
sponsor
Training my team Controlling my
technology or
website
Targeting
content for an
international
audience
Hiring top talent
B2B, B2C Firms Report Similar Inbound
Marketing Challenges
Proving ROI and securing budgets top both B2B and B2C firms’
concerns
Overall
B2B
B2C
B2B2C
Q: What are your company's top marketing challenges?
*Chart shows responses segmented by business model
Survey
Segment
N =1,917
41. 23%
19%
16%
14%
9% 9%
6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Proving the ROI of
our marketing
activities
Securing enough
budget
Controlling my
technology or
website
Targeting content
for an international
audience
Hiring top talent Training my team Finding an
executive sponsor
International Marketing Challenges Focus on
Analytics
23% of international firms concerned with proving ROI of inbound
Q: What are your company's top marketing challenges?
*Chart shows just international responses
Survey
Segment
N =1,565
42. A WORD FROM THE WISE
The fact that only 18% are focused on creating quality content
doesn't surprise me (perhaps that they admit it does) -- the
fact is, creating quality content is hard work, and it takes a
commitment on the part of marketing leadership to pour the
time, energy, and journalistic resources into it. But, like all
things, when you see the payoff you make it a priority. I find
that if I can get organizations excited about content through
analytics and SEO results they get pretty committed to
blogging.
John Jantsch,
Duct Tape Marketing
http://ducttapemarketing.com/
43. Internal Support for Inbound
Who supports inbound marketing
around the company?
Section 7
44. 38%
17%
13%
11%
9%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Marketing team Sales team Marketing operations C-suite/company
executives
IT team
While Marketing Is Primarily Responsible
for Inbound, Other Teams Provide Some
Organizational Support
Marketing is 125% more likely to provide inbound resources than
sales
Q: Which teams/operational groups provide the most support to
your company's inbound marketing efforts?
Survey N
=3,339
45. 32%
19% 19%
13%
10%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Marketing team Sales team C-suite IT team Marketing operations
CEOs Report Mixed Support for Inbound Efforts
19% of CEOs offer significant support for inbound marketing
initiatives
Q: Which teams/operational groups provide the most support to
your company's inbound marketing efforts?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
46. 45%
17% 16%
9%
8%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Marketing team Marketing operations Sales team C-suite/company
executives
IT team
Enterprise Teams Allocate Predominantly
Tactical Resources to Inbound Marketing
Large companies report more operational support, less C-suite
sign off for inbound strategies
Q: Which teams/operational groups provide the most support to your
company's inbound marketing efforts?
*Chart shows just enterprise responses [firms with 200+ employees]
Survey
Segment
N =560
48. 24%
12%
12%
5%
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
IT team Sales team C-suite/company
executives
Marketing team Marketing operations
Although Marketers Leverage More Technology
Every Day, IT Team Support Remains
Challenging
IT teams offer minimal inbound support, reports 24% of marketers
Q: Which teams/operational groups provide the least support (in terms of budget,
personnel, or sponsorship) to your company's inbound marketing efforts?
Survey N
=3,339
50. Q: Which teams/operational groups provide the least support (in terms of budget,
personnel, or sponsorship) to your company's inbound marketing efforts?
*Chart shows responses segmented by business model
24%
12%
12%
5%
2%
26%
14%
11%
4%
1%
20%
10%
11%
7%
4%
23%
12% 12%
6%
4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
IT team Sales team C-suite/company
executives
Marketing team Marketing operations
B2C Sales, Tech Teams Lag B2B Company
Inbound Marketing Support
IT teams 30% less likely to be supportive of B2B inbound efforts
Overall
B2B
B2C
B2B2C
Survey
Segment
N =1,917
51. WHY DO INBOUND?
The Business Case for Adopting Inbound
Marketing
The second section covers how marketers are calculating the ROI
of their inbound efforts, measures how inbound stacks up against
traditional marketing in terms of value and cost, and examines key
factors that impact marketing budget decisions.
2
52. The ROI of Inbound Marketing
Is inbound a worthwhile strategy?
Section 1
53. Q: Did inbound marketing demonstrate ROI for your company?
41%
9%
34%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Yes No Could not/did not calculate ROI
Inbound Marketing Delivers on ROI, but
Marketers Face Calculation Struggles
41% of marketers confirmed inbound's ROI, but 34% could not
calculate ROI in 2013
Survey N
=3,339
55. 41%
15%
36%
8%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Yes No Could not or did not calculate
ROI
Don't know/not applicable
CEOs’ Perception of Marketing ROI Tracks
Industry Trends
41% of CEOs report inbound delivered ROI, though 15% still not
convinced
Q: Did inbound marketing demonstrate ROI for your company?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
56. 41%
9%
34%
16%
51%
8%
28%
13%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Yes No Could not or did not calculate
ROI
Don't know/not applicable
Agencies Lead Industry in Proving Inbound
Marketing ROI
Agencies report 24% more ROI than general marketers
Overall
Agency
Q: Did inbound marketing demonstrate ROI for your company?
*Chart shows just agency responses
Survey
Segment
N =412
57. Q: Does your company publish a blog?
62%
34%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Yes No
Blogging Remains a Key Inbound Marketing
Element
62% of marketers published a blog in 2013
Survey N
=3,339
58. A WORD FROM THE WISE
Tracking ROI on inbound marketing is hard, and the ones who
do are looking at inbound marketing like they do other "point
of impact" campaigns, i.e., campaigns designed to generate
ROI in a short amount of time. Inbound marketing will over time
be the top producer in your marketing mix, but the results don't
start pouring in until you are committed to ROI over the course
of multiple quarters. Volume is another early issue that is
solved with time and commitment. Net-net, they are the best
leads -- who doesn't want someone to walk into their store?
Craig Rosenburg
Editor
www.funnelholic.com
59. Cost per Lead and Cost per Customer
How efficient is acquisition through inbound?
Section 2
60. Inbound vs. Traditional
Do you do inbound marketing? Average Cost per Lead Average Cost per Customer
Yes $36 $254
No $41 $268
Survey N =3,339
B2B Cost per Lead 53% Higher Than B2C Companies
Sales Channel Average Cost per Lead Average Cost per Customer
B2B $43 $264
B2C $15 $149
Defining Marketing-Sales Objectives Dramatically Reduces Lead, Customer Acquisition Costs
Enterprise Companies
(with more than 200 employees)
Average Cost per Lead Average Cost per Customer
U.S. companies with a
marketing-sales agreement
$16 $291
U.S. companies without a
marketing-sales agreement
$36 $486
Inbound Marketing Improves Lead Acquisition Margins
Survey Segment N =1,917
Survey Segment N =560
61. Q: What percentage of your company's leads come from each of
the following sources?
14% 14%
13%
8% 8%
7%
6% 6% 6%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Social Media SEO Email
Marketing
Trade Shows Direct Mail Blogs Telemarketing Traditional
Advertising
PPC
Inbound Marketing Dominates Marketers' Top
Lead Sources
Social media, SEO each produce 14% of all marketing leads
Survey N
=3,339
63. 34%
22%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Inbound Outbound
Inbound Marketing Channels Are Lowest in
Cost for Generating Leads
Inbound marketing delivers 54% more leads in the 2013
marketing funnel than outbound sources
Q: What percentage of your company's leads come from each of the following sources?
*Chart excludes “email” and “don’t know/not applicable answers”
Survey N
=3,339
64. 14% 14%
13%
8% 8%
7%
6% 6% 6%
12%
14%
12%
10%
8%
9%
5%
8% 8%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Marketing Spending Closely Tracks Lead
Generation Rates
Social media, SEO top both lead sources and 2013 budget
allocations
Lead sources
Marketing budget
Survey N
=3,339
Q: What percentage of your company's leads come from each of the following sources/Specific
to inbound marketing, how does your company's 2013 budget compare to the 2012 budget?
65. Q: Please estimate your company's cost per lead for each of the
channels listed below versus your overall average cost per lead.
*Chart shows above average cost per lead ratings shown
Survey N
=3,339
0%$
2%$
4%$
6%$
8%$
10%$
12%$
14%$
16%$
18%$
Trade$Shows$ SEO$ Social$Media$ PPC$$ TradiNonal$
AdverNsing$
Direct$Mail$ Email$MarkeNng$ Blogs$ TelemarkeNng$
Trade Shows Top Average Cost per Lead
Numbers
16% of marketers see high CPLs from trade shows, 14% of
marketers for SEO and search strategies
16%
14% 14%
12%
12% 12%
11%
9%
8%
66. Average Cost per Lead
Marketers compare their acquisition costs
Section 4
67. 8%
4%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
Inbound Outbound
Inbound Delivers Below Average Cost per Lead
Marketers 100% more likely to see below average inbound cost
per lead vs. outbound
Survey N
=3,339
Q: To the best of your ability, please write in your average cost per lead:
*Chart shows just below-average cost per leads, segmented by inbound and outbound only
68. 27% 27%
25%
24%
16%
15%
12% 12% 12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Social Media Email
Marketing
SEO Blogs PPC Direct Mail Traditional
Advertising
Telemarketing Trade Shows
Social Media, Email Deliver Lower Average
Cost per Leads
27% of marketers report below average cost per leads for both
email and social media
Survey N
=3,339
Q: Please estimate your company's cost per lead for each of the
channels listed below vs. your overall average cost per lead.
*Chart shows just below-average cost per leads
70. Q: What is the average percentage of leads your company converts to sales?
*Chart shows just above-average lead conversion rates
15%
13%
12%
11%
9%
8%
7% 7%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
SEO Social Media Email Marketing Trade Shows PPC Telemarketing Direct Mail Blogs
Social Media Plays a Key Role in Customer
Acquisition
15% of marketers say SEO delivers above-average sales
conversions; 13% say the same for social media
Survey N
=3,339
71. 16%
14%
11%
12%
10%
8% 8%
5%
17%
12%
11%
13%
8% 8%
6%
4%
15%
13%
11%
10%
9%
8%
7% 7%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
SEO Social Media Email
Marketing
Trade Shows PPC Telemarketing Blogs Direct Mail
SEO Produces Solid Annual Lead Conversions
15% of SEO, 13% of social media leads converted at above-
average rates in 2013
2011
2012
2013
Survey N
=3,339
Q: Please estimate your company's cost per lead for each of the
channels listed below vs. your overall average cost per lead?
*Chart shows just above-average lead conversion rates
72. Q: What percentage of your company's leads generated in the channels
listed below convert to sales versus your total lead conversion?
*Chart shows just above-average lead conversion rates, segmented by agency responses
Survey
Segment
N =412
Agencies See Increased Conversions
With Inbound vs. Outbound Channels
Agencies' overall inbound conversion rates slightly
outpace industry averages
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
SEO Social Media Email
Marketing
Trade Shows PPC Telemarketing Direct Mail Blogs
Overall
Agency
16% 16%
13%
9%
9% 9%
10%
5%
5%
7%
8% 8%
7%
1 %
1 %
1 %
73. 52%
43% 43%
36%
15%
9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Facebook LinkedIn Company Blog Twitter Google+ Pinterest
Facebook Top Channel to Acquire a Customer
52% of all marketers sourced a lead from Facebook in 2013
Survey N
=3,339
Q: What percentage of your company's leads come from each of
the following sources?
75. 23%
19%
14% 14%
8%
6%
4% 4%
24%
20%
15%
13%
8%
5%
4%
3%
21%
16%
15%
13%
8%
6% 6%
4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Social Media SEO Email Blogs PPC Trade Shows Direct Mail Telemarketing
Social Media and SEO Continue to Be
Critical Channels in 2013
21% say social media grew more important in the past six months
2011
2012
2013
Q: Which sources of leads have become more important to your
company over the last six months?
Survey N
=3,339
76. 25%
16%
19%
12%
6%
5%
3%
25%
18%
19%
12%
6%
3% 3%
17% 17%
13%
14%
9%
6%
4% 4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Traditional Direct Mail Telemarketing Trade Shows PPC Blogs SEO Social Media
Interruptive and Outbound Marketing Tactics
Losing Market Share
Traditional advertising, direct cede more ground in 2013
2011
2012
2013
Survey
Segment
N =195
Q: Which sources of leads have become less important to your
company over the last six months?
78. 49%
9%
28%
14%
Inbound Marketing Budgets Are on the Rise
Nearly 50% of marketers plan to increase their inbound budgets
for 2013
Higher
Lower
No Change
Don't know/not applicable
Q: Specific to inbound marketing, how does your company's 2013
budget compare to the 2012 budget?
Survey N
=3,339
79. 54%
11%
35%
47%
11%
42%
48%
9%
28%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Higher Lower No Change
Annual Inbound Marketing Budget Growth
Remains Strong
48% of marketers increased their 2013 budget, slowing slightly
from 2012 levels
2011
2012
2013
Q: Specific to inbound marketing, how does your company's 2013
budget compare to the 2012 budget?
Survey N
=3,339
80. Q: Specific to inbound marketing, how does your company's 2013
budget compare to the 2012 budget?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
53%
11%
28%
8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Higher Lower No Change Don't know/not applicable
CEOs Show Faith in Inbound by Investing More
53% of CEOs raised 2013 inbound budgets
Survey
Segment
N =195
81. A WORD FROM THE WISE
All of 2012 was inbound marketing,
too -- we just have more budget in
2013.
Marketer insight
2013 State of Inbound Marketing Survey
82. Inbound vs. Outbound Budgets
Comparing spend on inbound to more traditional
marketing tactics
Section 7
83. 24%
23% 23%
32%
35%
34%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
2011 2012 2013
Inbound Marketing Sees a Decent Share of
Budget Spend
Marketers allocate 34% of overall budgets to inbound tactics
Outbound
Inbound
Q: What percentage of your company's lead generation 2013
budget will be spent on the following?
*Chart excludes “email” and “don’t know/not applicable answers”
Survey N
=3,339
84. Q: What percentage of your company's lead generation 2013
budget will be spent on the following?
*Chart excludes “email” and “don’t know/not applicable answers”
13% 13% 13%
14%
11%
9%
15%
19%
21%
23%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Blogs, Social Media Lead Inbound Marketing
Outlays
Marketers spend 23% of overall budgets on blogging and social
media
SEO
Blogs &
Social Media
Survey N
=3,339
85. 10%
6%
5% 5% 5%
11% 11%
13%
12%
10%
9%
7%
6% 6%
8%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Outbound Budgets Shrinking
Marketers spend less than 1/3 of total budgets on outbound lead
gen
Telemarketing
Trade Shows
Direct Mail
Q: What percentage of your company's lead generation 2013
budget will be spent on the following?
*Chart shows only traditional outbound tactics
Survey N
=3,339
86. Q: What drove the decision to change your 2013 inbound
marketing budget from the 2012 budget?
*Chart shows responses segmented by business model
Survey
Segment
N =1,917
B2B Budgets Most Likely to Be Influenced by
Past Inbound Marketing Success
45% of B2B companies increased inbound budgets due to past success
41%
45%
37% 37%
23%
21%
29%
24%
14% 14% 14% 14%
6%
5%
9%
7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Overall B2B B2C B2B2C
Past inbound success
Economy
Change in management
Past outbound success
87. 41%
23%
14%
11%
6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Past success with
inbound marketing
Economy Change in management Other: Please describe Past success with
outbound marketing
Past Success With Inbound Marketing a
Determining Factor in Planning Budget
Changes
Inbound’s proven success was the primary rationale for 41% of
2013 budget changes
Q: What drove the decision to change your 2013 inbound
marketing budget from the 2012 budget?
Survey N
=3,339
88. 48%
21%
14% 14%
54%
18%
17%
11%
46%
18%
13%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Past success with Inbound Economy Change in Management Other
Inbound Success Continues to Drive 2013
Budget Increases
Inbound success continues to drive yearly budget increases
2011
2012
2013
Q: What drove the decision to change your 2013 inbound
marketing budget from the 2012 budget?
Survey N
=3,339
89. A WORD FROM THE WISE
We want to move where the market
is going; not just where it has been.
Marketer insight
2013 State of Inbound Marketing Survey
91. 15% 15%
14%
13%
12% 12%
9%
4%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Revenue Customers/Wins Traffic Total leads
generated
Qualified leads
generated
Brand
Awareness
Opportunities Different
stakeholders
different
metrics
No Single Variable Dominates How Marketers
Define Success
While 15% of marketers track revenue or wins, no clear pattern
emerged to measure success
Q: How is your marketing team's success evaluated?Survey N
=3,339
92. Q: How is your marketing team’s success evaluated?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
17%
16%
14%
12%
12% 11%
10%
3%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Revenue Customers/Wins Traffic Total leads
generated
Brand
Awareness
Qualified leads
generated
Opportunities Different
stakeholders =
different metrics
Opportunities Remain to Standardize How
CEOs Measure Marketing Success
17% of all CEOs evaluate inbound marketing by ROI
Survey
Segment
N =195
93. HOW TO DO INBOUND
MARKETING
Critical Optimization, Testing, and Technology
Considerations
The third section reviews the core optimization techniques,
campaign testing, and technology you need to execute inbound
marketing, as well as how to set lead scores and benchmark
website conversion goals.
3
95. 67%
14%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Very important and somewhat important Somewhat unimportant and not important
A Clear Understanding of Incoming Leads
Matters to Marketers
67% of marketers rate lead scoring important to their strategic
success
Q: How important is lead scoring to your marketing strategy?
*Chart excludes “don’t know/not applicable answers”
Survey N
=3,339
96. 39%
32%
4%
6%
18%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Very important Somewhat important Somewhat unimportant Not important Don’t know/not applicable
Execs Say Lead Scoring Critical to Results
Scoring leads rated very important by 39% of CEOs
Q: How important is lead scoring to your marketing strategy?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
97. 41%
34%
5% 6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Very important Somewhat important Somewhat unimportant Not important
International Firms' Lead Scoring Practices
Outpace Industry Average
75% of international marketers report lead scoring somewhat
important
Q: How important is lead scoring to your marketing strategy?
*Chart shows just international responses
Survey
Segment
N =1,565
99. Marketers Report a 10% Average Website Conversion Rate
Average of website conversion rate: 10%
Companies Implementing Inbound See 100% Improvement in Site Conversion
Inbound? Average Website Conversion
Yes 12%
No 6%
Inbound Marketers See Above-Average Website
Conversion Rates -- Far Surpassing Those Marketers
Who Aren’t Inbound
Q: To the best of your ability, please write your company's following average
website conversion rate/Does your company do inbound marketing?
Survey N
=3,339
100. Medium-Sized Companies Lead Small, Enterprise Site Conversion Rates
Employee Size Average Website Conversion
Small (1-5) 8%
Medium (6-200) 13%
Enterprise (200+) 10%
B2B Websites Net Higher Conversions Than B2C Sites
Sales Channel Average Website Conversion
B2B 9%
B2C 8%
Website Conversion Rates Fall Within the 8% to 13% Range
Q: To the best of your ability, please write your company's
following average website conversion rate.
Survey N =3,339
Survey Segment
N =1,917
101. A WORD FROM THE WISE
Have you been looking for that secret formula to lift your
conversion rates? Sorry, but this report shows that inbound
marketers who focus on developing content that meets their
customers needs and invest in doing so for the long term
nearly double their conversion rate. As they continue to keep
rolling out quality content over time, that conversion rate will
continue to rise. Just as Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon has
proven in ecommerce, HubSpot shows in this report
that conversion rates are a long term, customer-driven
exercise.
Bryan Eisenberg, Partner
Eisenberg Holdings
http://www.bryaneisenberg.com/ @TheGrok
103. 20%
3%
10%
45%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
A/B testing Multivariate testing A/B testing and multivariate
testing
We do not test
A Surprisingly Large Percentage of Marketers
Aren’t Using Testing to Support or Improve
Their Efforts
Just 33% of marketers implement any inbound marketing testing
Q: What kind of testing does your company use to support your
marketing efforts?
*Chart excludes “don’t know/not applicable answers”
Survey N
=3,339
104. 36%
5%
17%
32%
20%
4%
14%
38%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
A/B testing Multivariate testing A/B testing and multivariate
testing
We do not test
A/B Testing Improves Bottom-Line Performance
Marketers conducting A/B tests 80% more likely to show inbound
ROI
Yes
No
Q: What kind of testing does your company use to support your
marketing efforts?
Survey N
=3,339
105. Q: What kind of testing does your company use to support your
marketing efforts?
*Chart shows just agency responses
20%
3%
10%
45%
21%
29%
4%
16%
35%
16%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
A/B testing Multivariate testing A/B and multivariate
testing
No testing Don't know/not
applicable
Agencies Adopt Testing Ahead of Peers
31% of agencies A/B test inbound strategies
Overall
Agency
Survey
Segment N
=195
106. 3%
6% 7%
18%
36%
28%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Multiple times a day Daily 2-3 times a week Weekly Monthly Less than monthly
Marketers Primarily Support Monthly Testing
36% of marketers testing inbound strategies roll out variations
monthly
Q: How frequently do you use A/B testing and/or multivariate testing?
*Chart shows just those who replied they do implement testing
Question N
=468
107. 0%
8%
5%
15%
51%
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Multiple times a day Daily 2-3 times a week Weekly Monthly Less than monthly
CEOs Are Proponents of Monthly Testing
Monthly tests the norm for 51% of executives who optimize their
results
Q: How frequently do you use A/B testing and/or multivariate testing?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
109. 6%
8%
9%
10%
11%
14%
15%
18%
Allocating bandwidth
Getting team using the same tools
Ensuring flexibility in our CRM/Reporting
Getting systems to talk
Training our team
Securing executive support/budget
Tracking our data
Finding tools to guage ROI
Among Many Tech Challenges, Trouble
Calculating ROI Could Be the Result of Lacking
the Right Tools
18% of marketers report identifying ROI tracking systems a primary
challenge
Q: Which of the following statements, if any, describe the major challenges
your company faces in using your marketing technology solutions?
Survey N
=3,339
110. 19%
16%
14% 14%
9%
8%
7%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Finding tools to
gauge ROI
Tracking our
data
Securing
executive
support/budget
Training our
team
Getting team
using the same
tools
Ensuring
flexibility in our
CRM/Reporting
Getting systems
to talk
Allocating
bandwidth
CEO Report Gauging ROI and Tracking Data
Are Their Top Technology Challenges
Nearly 20% of C-suite marketers name gauging ROI the principle
technology concern
Q: Which of the following statements, if any, describe the major challenges your
company faces in using your marketing technology solutions?
*Chart shows just CMO/CEO responses
Survey
Segment
N =195
111. Q: What marketing software does your company use?
Survey N
=3,339
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Google Analytics Tops Marketers Software
Resources
46% of marketers used Google Analytics in 2013
2011
2012
2013
112. A WORD FROM THE WISE
New technologies (mobile devices of all shapes
and sizes and location-based services) will
continue to grow, but the best marketers will
realize it's not about how to jam more ads into
new platforms -- it's about how to use the new
technologies to enhance your inbound powers of
attraction.
Dharmesh Shah
CTO of HubSpot
113. WHO DOES INBOUND?
BUILDING AN INBOUND MARKETING TEAM
This section looks at key personnel decisions that allow marketers
to build a world-class inbound marketing team. It identifies how
resources should be deployed in order to best achieve business
goals.
4
Building an Inbound Marketing Team
115. 29%
51%
8%
4%
5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Less than one 1-5 5-10 10-25 More than 25
Inbound Marketing Teams Average One to Five
Members
51% of all inbound teams contain fewer than six people
Q: How many full-time marketers does your company have?
Survey N
=3,339
116. 67%
70%
65%
51%
33%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
6-25 26-50 51-200 201-500 500+
Despite Their Larger Size, Enterprise Firms Also
Report Relatively Small Marketing Teams
31% of firms with 200+ employees still work in five-person teams
Q: How many full-time marketers does your company have?
*Chart shows just those firms reporting they have 1 – 5 full time marketers
Survey
N = 3,339
117. 30%
50%
9%
3% 4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Less than one 1 – 5 5 – 10 10 - 25 More than 25
International Marketers Work in Smaller Teams
Half of international marketers work with one to five people
Q: How many full-time marketers does your company have?
*Chart shows just international responses
Survey
Segment
N =1,565
118. A WORD FROM THE WISE
The fact that only a small percentage of marketers are focused
on content creation is not surprising. It requires a significant
amount of 'sweat equity,' and it's often very bespoke. I expect
this figure to rise over time as content strategy moves into
greater focus, in part, because of the media's willingness to
feature it as the economics of their business shift dramatically
due to programmatic buying.
Steve Rubel
Chief Content Strategist, Edelman
http://edelman.com
120. 4%
5%
6%
6%
6%
9%
9%
10%
11%
16%
PPC (paid search / AdWords)
Telemarketing
Traditional Marketing (radio, print, TV)
Direct Mail
Trade Shows
Blogs
SEO (organic search)
Content
Email Marketing
Social Media
Companies Focusing Energy and Personnel
Time on Channel-Specific Marketing
16% of marketers allocate a full-time marketer to the social media
channel
Q: How does your company dedicate its full-time marketers to the
following channels (as a percent of total time)?
Survey N
=3,339
121. Q: How does your company dedicate its full-time marketers to the following channels (as a percent of total
time)/Specific to inbound marketing, how does your company's 2013 budget compare to the 2012 budget?
Survey N
=3,339
Blogs, SEO Cost Marketers Time, Not Money
Marketers spend 55% more time than budget on blogging
16%
11%
9% 9%
6% 6% 6%
5%
4%
14%
13%
7%
14%
8% 8%
6% 6%
6%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Time Allocation
Budget Allocation
122. Q: How does your company dedicate its full-time marketers to the following channels (as a
percent of total time)/To the best of your ability, please write in your average cost per lead?
16%
11%
9% 9%
6% 6% 6%
5%
4%
27% 27%
24%
25%
15%
12% 12% 12%
16%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Inbound Strategies Show Positive Cost per
Lead vs. Effort
Inbound, social media, SEO require effort, but generate low cost
per leads
Time Allocation
Below-Average
C
Survey N
=3,339
123. Q: How does your company dedicate its full-time marketers to the following channels (as a percent of
total time)/What is the average percentage of leads your company converts to sales?
*Chart shows just above-average conversion rates
Survey N
=3,339
SEO Leads Inbound Strategies at Averaging High Sales Conversions
to Budget Outlay
15% of marketers reported above-average SEO conversions in 2013
16%
11%
9% 9%
6% 6%
5%
4%
13%
11%
7%
15%
7%
10%
8%
9%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Time Allocation
Above average sales conversion
125. Inbound? Average # of Marketers to Hire This Year
Yes 9.3
No 4
Inbound Marketing Teams Plan
For Significant Growth
Average inbound teams will grow by nine
employees in 2013
Q: How many full-time marketers does your company plan to hire this year?Survey N
=3,339
126. Employee Size Average # of Marketers to Hire This Year
Small (1-5) 1.1
Medium (6-200) 2.5
Enterprise (200+) 18.6
Enterprise Teams Expanding
Large companies plan to hire an average of
18.6 marketers this year
Q: How many full-time marketers does your company plan to hire this year?
Survey N
=3,339
127. Growth by Segment & Region
Who is embracing inbound marketing?
Section 4
128. 43%
19%
8%
12%
6%
12%
Small Companies Lead Inbound Marketing
Adoption
43% of inbound companies have one to five employees
1 - 5
6 - 25
26 - 50
51 - 200
201 - 500
More than 500
Q: How many full-time employees does your company have?
Survey N
=3,339
129. 46%
23%
24%
7%
B2B Companies Embrace Inbound Marketing
Nearly half of companies surveyed sell primarily B2B
B2B
B2C
B2B2C
Don't know/not applicable
Q: Which best describes your company's primary sales channel?
Survey N
=3,339
130. INTL MASSIVE CHART?!?!
44%
7%
5%
4%
3%
2%
2%
2% 2%
U.S. Remains the Frontrunner of
Inbound Marketing Adoption
U.S.-based companies comprise 63% of survey respondents
United States
India
United Kingdom
Canada
Spain
Italy
Australia
Germany
France
Q: In which country is your company primarily based?
*Chart shows countries with greater than 1.5% participation
Survey N
=3,339
131. 34%
1%
6%
2%
8%
16%
11%
5%
3%
14%
Business Owners, Marketing Managers the
Most Invested in Inbound
Survey responses led by 34% business owners and 16%
marketing managers
Business Owner / Partner
CMO
CEO / Executive Management
Vice President
Director of Marketing
Marketing Manager
Marketing Operations
Sales
IT
Other: Please describe
Q: What best describes your role?
Survey N
=3,339
132. 4%
8%
3%
3%
15%
1%
10%
11%
5%
2%
8%
2%
12%
2%
14%
Inbound Marketing Touches Nearly Every Major
Industry
Survey shows a broad mix of business types, led by agencies
Banking/Insurance/Financial Services
Communications/Media
Healthcare/Pharmaceutical
Manufacturing
Marketing Agency
Mining/Construction/Energy
Nonprofit/Education
Professional Services/Consulting
PR/Communications/Media
Real Estate
Retail/Wholesale/Consumer Goods
Technology (Hardware)
Technology (Software)
Transportation/Auto/Travel
Other: Please describe
Q: What industry best describes your company?
Survey N
=3,339