Before new customers can buy from you, they need to learn about you. However, they need to discover you through direct mail, email, or on the web. To create this awareness, companies are developing sophisticated demand generation programs.
According to the third annual Demand Generation Survey from Annuitas, the top five goals of enterprises’ demand gen programs are to improve the following:
- Quality of leads (92%)
- Customer cross-sells/upsells (62%)
- Volume of leads (61%)
- Brand awareness (48%)
- Customer retention (33%)
The study shows that year over year, these efforts are becoming more effective. In part, this is because companies are developing a more holistic view of their customers. This year saw an 11% increase in the percentage of companies using buyer personas as a standard part of their demand generation programs.
According to the study, 65.5% of organizations now use buyer personas in the planning of their demand generation programs and activities. Additionally, twenty-two percent have them in the planning stages.
Among the criteria used to develop personas:
| Job function | 68.1% |
| Job title | 65.5% |
| Size/revenue of company | 56.6% |
| Core buyer pain points | 55.8% |
| Purchase authority/influence | 46.0% |
| Product interest | 32.7% |
| Buying processes | 30.1% |
| Content channel consumption | 26.5% |
| Demographic information (age, marital status, hobbies, etc.) | 20.4% |
| Obstacles that inhibit better engaging with the buyer | 10.6% |
Although some companies refresh their buyer personas more frequently, most companies (early two-thirds) refresh them annually. When was the last time you refreshed your buyer personas?
Want more information on developing buyer personas to improve your demand generation efforts? Let our business development experts help!
