Business.com Small Business Pulse 2013 Lead Generation Insights

Small Business Pulse: 2013 Lead Generation Insights

Contents
Executive Summary - Pg.1
Methodology & Respondent Proﬁle - Pg. 2
Peaking Interest with Purchase Timeline - Pg. 3
Connecting with the Right Contact Information - Pg.5
Hot Transfer Leads Are A Hot Topic - Pg.7
Content Marketing Provides New Lead Generation
Opportunities - Pg.9
Overcoming Obstacles with Lead Nurturing - Pg.11
Business.com’s Bottom Line - Pg.12
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Timely data & analysis
for marketers looking
to reach & engage the
small to medium-sized
business market.

Executive Summary
Small and medium-sized business (SMB) buyers are one of the most
difﬁcult, yet lucrative, audiences to reach. Recent studies show
companies are increasingly turning to lead generation as a high volume
and cost-effective channel for engaging these decision makers.
of B2B (business-to-business) marketers participate in
lead generation practices.1
of B2B marketers plan to increase their lead generation
spending.2
of marketers cite ﬁnding new customers as their primary
lead prospecting aim. 3
In this month’s Small Business Pulse report, we share highlights from a
recent survey conducted by Business.com with our pay-per-lead
advertisers on what marketers want most from running lead generation
campaigns.
Select highlights from this report include:
In 2013, the majority of marketers (51.3%) cited purchasing time
horizon as the most valuable additional data element followed by
company size
The focus for many is shifting to content marketing.
of marketers are interested in leads generated through
white paper downloads.
of businesses are interested in webinars that feature their
business, products, and/or services.
Looking ahead, lead generation is on the path
towards greater alignment with the shifting
business-to-business (B2B) buyer purchase process. Buyers
are becoming more informed about the businesses they are
considering purchasing from and, more than ever, marketers
want to become more informed about who their individual
prospects are, where they are in the purchase process and
ways they can reach them online. Lead generation success
depends on a number of factors: the quality of the lead’s
information, response rate, and how effective businesses’
scoring, nurturing and sales strategies are.
This report will examine the needs of today's B2B marketers
and will highlight what marketers are increasingly expecting
from their lead generation campaigns.
74%
50%
50%+
40%
41.5%
1
“Lead Generation: A Fundamental Flourishes in The Digital Age,” BtoBOnline and InterCall, 2013.
2
“B2B Lead Generation Trends 2013,” Holger Schulze, Feb. 2013.
3
“Annual Prospecting Survey,” Chief Marketer, 2013.
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Methodology
This report summarizes the ﬁndings of a survey conducted by Business.com
in May, 2013 to over 500 of our active pay-per-lead advertisers, across ten
product and service verticals (e.g. Telecom, Marketing, Financial Services,
Software, etc.). Many of the respondents are in management positions,
ranging from CEO and owner to marketing and sales managers. 58% of the
respondents are also in companies with less than 50 employees.
To gather feedback regarding enhancements to our suite of advertising
products, we asked about expanding our qualifying question set, lead
scoring lead time delivery, and what insights from leads would be of most
interest to advertisers for outreach and follow-up purposes.
This report features a methodology that analyzes the pay-per-lead insights
B2B marketers seek. It includes actionable advice on using this research to
make lead generation campaigns more successful through sales funnel
evaluation, company size and location based lead nurturing and bottom of
the funnel content marketing initiatives.
Throughout this report, we’ll feature internal insights
and tips as well as expert insights from third-parties,
including Phil Branon. Branon is a digital media
consultant, a former VP of Online Media at QuinStreet,
and held the role of President at IT Business Edge, a
company he co-founded.
Respondent Proﬁle
This research report has been provided for your use. The
charts and graphics may be copied to your own strategy
planning and presentation materials, blog content and
social media posts; credited as published.
Pg. 2 - © Business.com Media, Inc. All rights reserved. | 888.441.4466
Respondent Title
Respondent Industry
Company Size
Executive Level 20.24%
Owner / Founder 23.81%
Director Level 5.95%
Manager Level 14.29%
Other 8.33%
Not Provided 25%
1 - 10 34.52%
11 - 50 23.80%
51 - 200 13.10%
201+ 9.53%
N/A 16.67%
Telecommunications
Credit Card Processing
Marketing
Call Center
GPS Software
Financial Services
25%
3.57%
8.33%
5.95%
3.57%
8.33%
POS Systems
Web Design
Human Resources
IT Services
Other
11.90%
11.90%
4.75%
4.76%
11.94%

The Purchase Timeline
Peaks Marketer Interest
Understanding the buyer process, and the way in which they move down
the marketing and sales funnels, is more important than ever. Delivering
timely, relevant content is at the forefront for most B2B companies.
According to reports from global research ﬁrm IDC, the average
purchase timeline for B2B buyers has increased from 4.5 months in 2009
to 5.4 months in 2012.4
Not only has the buyer’s purchase timeline
lengthened, buyers are doing their own research – and lots of it. A CEB
study of more than 1,400 B2B customers revealed that 57% of purchase
decisions are made before buyers even talk to a company.
This year, companies
indicate a clear
interest in more
qualifying questions
The top qualifying questions companies want added to registration
or lead generation forms: purchase timeline. Some even indicated
they would pay more for this additional information.
56.1%
23.2%
9.8%
3.7%
7.3%
Response %
An Expanded Set of Qualifying Questions Peaks Companies’ Interest
(Currently Collect Name, Company, Phone, Email, Zip)
4
“2012 EAG Buyer Experience Survey,” October 2012, IDC.
Extremely Valuable
Valuable
Somewhat Valuable
Least Valuable
Not Valuable At All

The majority of companies (51.3%) cited purchasing time horizon as the
most valuable additional data element. The size of the business, as
measured by employee base, is cited as the second most valuable additional
data point followed closely by type of industry.
The number of employees is important because it can determine the
packages, offers, features, and price points that sales and marketing teams
can offer the prospective company.
Additional Data Fields Companies Want
The process isn't that someone is going
to make a decision right then. There may
be two or three or more people involved
in the purchase decision, so you can't
narrow it down to that one individual in
the first few minutes after they express
an interest in a topic. - Phil Branon
51.3% of marketers believe
purchasing time horizon is the
most valuable additional lead
data point.
Company size, in terms of
employees, is the second most
valuable additional data point
for marketers.
Job title 1.3%20.3% 27.8% 29.1% 8.9% 12.7%
Job function 2.5%17.3% 25.9% 34.6% 7.4% 12.3%
Industry 0.0%29.1% 22.8% 22.8% 15.2% 10.1%
Size of company
(employees) 0.0%30.5% 20.7% 30.5% 9.8% 8.5%
Size of company
(revenue) 3.8%18.8% 22.5% 27.5% 11.3% 16.3%
Purchasing
time horizon 0.0%51.3% 31.3% 10.0% 2.5% 5.0%
N/A
Extremely
Valuable Valuable
Somewhat
Valuable
Least
Valuable
Not
Valuable
At All

Companies’ Interest Level In Receiving a Score with Each Lead
(based on intent to purchase)
Connecting with the
Right Contact Information
When it comes to contact information, B2B companies seek the physical
addresses and business emails of leads. Of the qualitative feedback we
collected, 10% of respondents indicated they would like physical addresses
for leads and another 5% expressed interest in receiving only leads that were
connected with a business email address. Some may be willing to pay more
for this information as a ﬁlter.
Since marketing materials can be delivered in a number of ways, including
direct mail, companies who have strong direct marketing campaigns
perceive physical addresses as a competitive advantage in closing leads and
generating sales.
Adding another layer that helps you
further refine the leads that you're
collecting. You're able then to buy higher
quality leads, acquire higher quality
leads and have a better chance of
converting those leads to actual sales in
your organization. - Phil Branon
10% of companies want
a lead’s physical address.
5% of survey respondents only
want leads that provide a
business email address.
50.0%
18.3%
17.1%
7.3%
7.3%
Response %
Extremely Valuable
Valuable
Somewhat Valuable
Least Valuable
Not Valuable At All

Responsiveness is a major
factor in terms of lead quality.
A business-related email and
physical address provide
marketers with a greater
opportunity to connect with
the prospect.
60%of those polled responded that they would
be very interested in a score attached to
leads based on the likelihood of their
business receiving a response.

Hot Transfer Leads
Are A Hot Topic
Real-time delivery of leads has been a hot topic of debate in 2013. "Hot
transfer" refers to connecting companies directly with leads as they come in.
The lead fee is charged once a conversation between the lead and the
company is initiated. Spending on hot transfer leads is expected to increase.
41.8% of companies expressed strong interest in hot transfers and would pay
more for this option.
It’s clear that responsiveness from the buyer is a major factor for companies
when it comes to their lead generation spending and what they deem a
high-quality lead. With hot transfer leads, companies ensure a 100%
contact rate.
Companies’ Interest in Hot Transfer Leads
41.8%
22.8%
11.4%
11.4%
12.7%
Response %
Extremely Valuable
Valuable
Somewhat Valuable
Least Valuable
Not Valuable At All

To dig into this further, we asked about the importance of delivery time to
survey participants. 39.6% of those who responded indicated that receiving
leads in less than ﬁve minutes is of high importance. Another critical
component for those in a shared lead program is receiving the lead at the
same time as competitors.
The early days of lead gen was the
classic buyer-seller relationship, but
various tools are coming in to the
process that could take it more toward
an exchange or real-time bidding model.
It makes it a little quicker and easier to
do business that way. - Phil Branon
41.8% of marketers are
interested in hot transfer lead
programs and would pay more
for this option.
39.6% of participants in lead
generation programs cite
delivery of leads in less than 5
minutes as highly important.
Companies’ Interest in Faster Faster Lead Turn Around
(leads sent in less than 5 minutes)
39.5%
19.8%
27.2%
7.4%
6.2%
Response %
Extremely Valuable
Valuable
Somewhat Valuable
Least Valuable
Not Valuable At All

Content Marketing
Provides New Lead
Generation Opportunities
Content marketing has been a buzzword in both the B2B and B2C
marketing landscapes and continues to grow in terms of popularity with
each passing month. Recent numbers show that content marketing spend
rose to over $40 billion in 2013.6
As a further indicator that content is sought after by buyers, consider the
results from a recent CMO Council and NetLine study. The study found that
87% of buyers say online content has a major or moderate inﬂuence when
selecting a company.7
Content lead generation exists in many forms: infographics, whitepapers,
case studies, videos, webinars, and more. This type of information, ranging
from educational, introductory pieces to detailed research studies, is not only
soughtafter by prospective buyers, but is becoming a favored tactic for
marketers.
As with many marketing trends, this inbound marketing tactic has migrated
from business-to-consumer companies into the B2B lead generation space.
Buyers (35%) believe that online content helps them to identify companies
that best meet and understand their needs. Companies are taking note.
Our survey found signiﬁcant interest in leads generated through content
marketing campaigns. Over 50% of companies are interested in whitepaper
leads and nearly 40% are interested in hosted webinars that feature their
company or products.
6
Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume & Type of Content Marketing in America for 2013
Custom Content Council and ContentWise, 2013
7
Better Lead Yield in the Content Marketing Field,” CMO Council and NetLine, June 2013
Companies Show Strong Interest in Whitepaper Leads
25.3%
25.3%
10.1%
20.3%
19.0%
Response %
Extremely Valuable
Valuable
Somewhat Valuable
Least Valuable
Not Valuable At All
Webinars Drive Interest in Content Marketing Leads
17.7%
16.5%
26.6%
15.2%
24.1%
Response %
Extremely Valuable
Valuable
Somewhat Valuable
Least Valuable
Not Valuable At All

You, as the selling organization, have to
figure out how to get in front of them in their
research process, before they will engage
with a live human being. - Phil Branon
Over 50% of marketers are
interested in whitepaper leads.
Nearly 40% of those
participating in lead generation
programs are interested in
hosted webinar leads.
Aside from white paper and webinar leads, there is strong interest in
sponsored email (38.2%), video (34.6%), and case study leads (38.2%).
Some companies expressed concern with content creation while others
indicated that these leads may deliver buyers that are too early in the
purchase process.
Lead nurturing campaigns can address this concern, however, assuming
companies have them in place (see next section). White paper and webinar
content, depending on the title and copy, can reach buyers mid-funnel, as
they focus on education and research. Lead nurturing campaigns act as
supplemental education to shepherd leads through the sales funnel and
ultimately close a sale.
Videos
Sponsored
emails
Case
studies
Product feature
guides
Interactive
product demos
14.1%
14.5%
15.6%
14.3%
15.6%
20.5%
23.7%
18.2%
20.8%
15.6%
21.8%
26.3%
32.5%
27.3%
27.3%
20.5%
14.5%
16.9%
15.6%
18.2%
17.9%
18.4%
15.6%
19.5%
19.5%
5.1%
2.6%
1.3%
2.6%
3.9%
Content Marketing Opportunities and Interests
N/A
Extremely
Valuable Valuable
Somewhat
Valuable
Least
Valuable
Not
Valuable
At All

What Other Companies Are
Implementing Along with Purchasing Leads
Overcoming Obstacles
with Lead Nurturing
Lead generation isn’t a one or two step process. Companies must acquire
the lead’s information, make contact and then help move the lead down the
conversion funnel. Our study indicates an opportunity for companies to
improve their nurturing efforts for the leads they receive. Nearly 80% of
respondents do not use third-party tools or services with lead nurturing,
scoring, data appending or appointment setting.
Similar studies conducted by BtoB Online show the same results. They
found that 74% of highly-effective companies use lead nurturing, compared
with just 26% of low-effectiveness marketers1
.
Note to marketers: Implementing a lead scoring system can increase
lead conversion by 79%. One company found that revenue from reengaged
leads increased by 21% with a lead scoring system in place8
.
If you try to shorten a sale from a lead,
where they’re just showing some
interest to they’re going to buy that same
day, that’s not likely. It shouldn’t be
expected; that’s not the way the world
works in B2B. You are a facilitator in the
process, as much as a seller. - Phil Branon
Nearly 80% of lead generation
participants do not use
third-party tools or services to
nurture leads.
Implementing a lead scoring
system can increase converted
leads by 79%.
13.3%Lead Nurturing
9.3%Lead Scoring
10.7%Data Appending
10.7%Appointment Setting
76.0%We Just Buy &
Process Internally
Response %

Our Bottom Line
The continued year over year growth of lead generation programs
demonstrates that companies continue to seek new tactics for reaching and
connecting with potential buyers.
The bottom line is that even with additional buyer information or score cards
for leads purchased, companies' top opportunity is to more effectively
nurture prospects through the conversion funnel. This is best accomplished
by evaluating sales funnels and using CRM (customer relationship
management) software to understand average purchase timeline from lead
generation to purchase campaign leads.
The timeline of a lead generated through a third party may differ from the
purchase timeline of other lead sources. More insight can lead to more
opportunities for successful nurturing and content driven campaigns for
marketers.
If you’re interested in ﬁnding out more about lead generation campaigns or
want to get started with your own today, visit: business.com/info/advertise

Business.com is dedicated
to helping people grow
their businesses.
This is why over 20 million buyers, from small to medium-sized businesses
turn to Business.com to discover, compare, and purchase the products and
services they need to run and grow their businesses.
It’s also why over 10,000 advertisers use Business.com to reach these
valuable buyers, generating well over $1 billion in incremental annual
revenues. To assist with lead nurturing, Business.com provides benchmark
reports to our advertisers allowing them to see how their follow up process
compares to like competitors. The Business.com Small Business Pulse
delivers timely data & analysis for marketers looking to reach the small to
medium-sized business market.
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Business.com Small Business Pulse 2013 Lead Generation Insights

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