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(Objectives of) the most used and best evaluated marketing campaigns
The main marketing objectives of B2B SMEs are: to obtain new customers, to increase brand
awareness and to increase sales (see Table 4).
Table 4. Main goals to 'do marketing' (0=not at all a purpose, 1=rather no purpose, 2=neutral, 3=rather a
purpose, 4=main purpose)
Mean
to obtain new customers 3,07
to increase awareness 3,02
to increase sales 2,98
for profiling compared to competitors 2,51
for loyalty of existing customers 2,40
goodwill (sponsoring) 1,43
The most commonly used marketing opportunities were: e-mail, Word of Mouth,
Networking, Facebook, website, investing in SEO, brainstorming with customers, LinkedIn,
investing in SEA / online advertising / advertising on websites, and actively respond to
comments on social media. The least used techniques in the B2B sector were mass media
(TV and radio) or ‘trendy actions’ like flash mobs, pop-up stores or online games and apps.
Using gifts, free trials, coupons, tryouts, incentives or loyalty programs, were also not
commonly used techniques in these kinds of SMEs. Going to conferences, events, fairs, or
festivals, were situated in between. Note that 1 means ‘yearly’ and 3 means ‘monthly’ (see
Table 5).
(Wanting to) track ROI?
114 (72%) SMEs do not track any kind of ROI or rely on gut feeling, 43 (27%) has one or
another method in order to measure it. Table 6 illustrates which techniques are most
frequently used by these 43 SMSs. Online calculations (click-through rates) is the top
technique, followed by the measurement of pre-determined KPIs and interviewing
customers. Calculating ROI is seldom outsourced to specialists and since couponing or giveaways
were hardly used, the B2B SMEs do not use this technique very often either (between
never and yearly).
The other 114 SMSs who said not to track the ROI nevertheless registered their new
customers (2.63/4) and/or recorded their marketing expenses (2.38/4). However, this group
was on average not interested in a ROI tool if we would offer one (1.97/4) (0=not at all,1=
rather not, 2=neutral, 3= a little, 4=very much).
There was a significant positive linear correlation between size of the SME and interest in a
ROI tool: SMEs with more employees were more interested in such a tool [p=.008]. SMEs
with (more) marketing personnel were significantly more interested [p=.003] and the more
frequently a marketing plan was used by an SME, the greater the interest in such a tool
[p=.04]. See Table 7 for the correlation values.
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