LEAD GENERATIONTO INCREASECONVERSIONS
Survey Summary Report

Research Series Conducted inPartnership with Leading
Marketing Solution Providers

TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions

4.

Most Important Objectives

5.

Lead Generation Strategy Success6.

Critical Challenges to Success7.

Sales Cycle Encountered8.

Analyzing Objectives and Challenges

9.

Source of the Best Conversion Rates

10. How Conversion Rate is Changing
11. Content Generating the Most Conversions
12. Content Development Resources Used
13. About Ascend2
14. Research Partner Programs

Methodology
Ascend2 benchmarks theperformance of marketingtechnology, strategies and tactics
using a standardized online
questionnaire and a proprietary
3-Minute Survey format.
This survey was fielded to a panelof marketing influencers andresearch subscribers during theweek of August 7, 2017.

2LEAD GENERATION TO
INCREASE CONVERSIONS
Generating high-value leads that are ready to convert
requires an effective strategy with proven tactics tosucceed.
But how does an effective lead generation strategy turnmore leads into more customers, faster?
To find out, Ascend2 and our Research Partners fieldedthe Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey. We
thank the marketing influencers responding to this survey
for sharing their valuable insights with us, and you.
The market segment for this study, which is titled the Lead
Generation to Increase Conversions Survey Summary
Report, represents the average of all market segments
responding to the survey. Specific market segments fromthe survey are reported on separately and exclusively by
our participating Research Partners.
This research has been produced for your use. Put it towork in your own marketing strategy. Clip the charts andwrite about them in your blog or post them on social
media. Please share this research credited as published.
Enjoy!

Survey Respondents & Profiles
N=255
Number of Employees
More than 500
50 to 500
Fewer than 50

31%
36%
33%

Role in the Company
Owner / Partner / CXO
VP / Director / Manager
Non-Mgmt Professional

40%
43%
17%

Primary Marketing Channel
B2B Business-to-Business 46%
B2C Business-to-Consumer 31%
B2B and B2C Equally
23%
3

MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES
Clearly, a most important objective for 71% of marketing influencers toachieve with their lead generation strategy is to increase lead-to-customer
conversions. This requires improving the quality of lead data – an important
objective for half (50%) of marketing influencers.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 2017

4

LEAD GENERATION STRATEGY SUCCESS
49% of marketing influencers consider their lead generation strategy very
successful, describing it as best-in-class, while another 42% consider itsomewhat successful. The remaining 9% have yet to successfully achieve theimportant objectives of their lead generation strategy.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 20175

CRITICAL CHALLENGES TO SUCCESS
Two of the critical challenges to lead generation success for half (50%) ofmarketing influencers are increasing lead-to-customer conversions andimproving lead data quality. In order to achieve lead generation success,tactics must be formulated to overcome these top challenges.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 2017

6

SALES CYCLE ENCOUNTERED
Regardless of the type of sales cycle encountered most often, a successful
strategy is key to increasing the lead-to-customer conversion rate.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 20177

ANALYZING OBJECTIVES AND CHALLENGES
Increasing lead-to-customer conversions is not only a most important
objective for the most marketing influencers (71%), it is also a most criticalchallenge to lead generation success for 50%. A key consideration in thedevelopment of a successful strategy.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 20178

SOURCE OF THE BEST CONVERSION RATES
Content download forms generate leads with the highest conversion ratefor 57% of marketing influencers. The type of content downloaded also
impacts the rate of lead-to-customer conversions. Webinar registration isanother top type of lead generation form for 42%.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 20179

HOW CONVERSION RATE IS CHANGING
The lead-to-customer conversion rate is increasing for a total of 85% ofmarketing influencers, with 36% describing the increase as significant. For
the remaining 15%, conversions are decreasing to some extent.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 201710

CONTENT GENERATING THE MOST CONVERSIONS
Research reports and video or motion graphics are the types of content
generating the highest rate of lead-to-customer conversions for 46% and44% of marketing influencers respectively. These tactics are helping
marketers overcome critical challenges to lead generation success.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 201711

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES USEDThe types of content generating the highest conversion rates often require
specialized skills and capabilities not available in-house. That’s why 87% of
marketing influencers outsource all or part of their content development forlead generation purposes.

Lead Generation to Increase Conversions Survey
Ascend2 and Research Partners, August 201712

Research-Based Marketingfor Marketing Solution Providers
Marketing technology and data companies, and digitalmarketing agencies, partner with Ascend2 to reliably
generate demand and supplement marketing content
for their firms. Our Research Partner Programs aretransparent – focusing on your brand and the interestsof your target audience.
Learn more about us at Ascend2.com
Below are just a few of the leading marketing solution
providers that Partner with us on research-based
marketing programs.

As a marketing technology ordata company, or digitalmarketing agency, yourprospective customers aremarketing influencers with aninterest in the facts about
improving marketingperformance.
Research-Based Demand
Generation is a process wedeveloped to generate leads
using factual content of interest
to your target customers, andnurture those leads to marketingqualified status in the name ofyour brand.
13Research Partner Programs
Research Partner Programs rapidly deliver factual content ofinterest to marketers and a guaranteed number of leads tomarketing solution providers, in two simple steps:
1. Choose marketing topics of interest to your audience.
▪

A new marketing topic is surveyed every month

2. Choose an exclusive data segment for each topic.

▪

Successful Strategy Benchmarks▪

Leadership Benchmarks▪

B2B Benchmarks▪

B2C Benchmarks▪

Enterprise Benchmarks▪

SMB Benchmarks▪

Agency Benchmarks▪

Complex Sale Benchmarks▪

And more!

Learn more about Ascend2 Research-Based Marketing bycalling 800-762-1595 extension 703 or visit Ascend2.com.

This Survey Summary Report ispart of a monthly research series
conducted in partnership withmarketing solution providers.
You may adapt, copy, distributeand transmit this work. However,
you must attribute the work as
produced by Ascend2 and its
Research Partners but not in any
way that suggests that theyendorse you or your use of thework.
When you share this content,
please provide a link back to
http://ascend2.com
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