Research

How to Gain a Competitive Advantage for Your Agency

Ascend2

Research Based Marketing

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What differentiates your agency from other agencies? 

The best way to gain a competitive advantage is to understand the primary issues that marketers are facing and help them solve those issues. 

The State of MarTech report, by the research firm Ascend2, surveyed 187 marketing professionals and uncovered the primary challenges that marketing professionals face. 

Here are five areas you can fix for marketers and differentiate yourself from the competition:

  • Fix their data problem. Insufficient data and utilization are holding marketers back from having a competitive advantage. Marketing teams are having trouble utilizing distinct types of data collected to deliver that 1:1 experience that a customer craves.

    59% of marketers feel that they DO NOT have the data they need to feel confident about which marketing campaigns are working and which are not. A major part of the problem is not the lack of data but having all the data together and accessible, so you can create better customer experiences. Providing a 1-1 customer experience requires that a company CRM, marketing automation, email, sales engagement, social media, and ads data all work together.
  • Fix their attribution problem. Over one-quarter (26%) of marketers are having difficulty attributing campaign results to marketing efforts. Without a clear understanding of what is working and what isn’t working, you cannot manage your budget and programs.

    Demonstrating the value of your marketing spend is critical, and it starts with understanding your end-to-end conversion cost Demonstrating the value of your marketing spend is critical, and it starts with understanding your end-to-end conversion cost and revenue. Attribution can transform a good marketing strategy into a game-changer for your business by letting you know which campaigns drive conversions, so you can invest in the efforts that work best.
  • Fix their time and people problems. What is keeping companies from success and that competitive advantage they desire? Nearly half (47%) of marketers are plagued by a lack of time and 39% say they need more people to perform the work.
47%
Lack of time
39%
Lack of people to perform work

There are only 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so you can’t generate more time, so you must be more efficient with the time and people you have available. As an agency, you can introduce to them the power of automation. Marketing automation will help combat their time and people issues and clear the way for revenue growth.

Automation helps you get more done with less. Use automation to:

  1. Create specific touchpoints based on each lead’s profile and behavior.
  2. Perform tasks like lead capture, targeted email sends, lead scoring, and more.
  3. Track leads after the click to send the right message at the right time.
  4. Send your sales team into action with real-time notifications when leads engage.
  5. Create dynamic lists that automatically update as contacts meet the list’s criteria.
  6. Target campaigns for each buyer persona.
  7. And many more time-saving tactics.
  • Fix their technology problems. Speaking of automation, marketing tools and the integration of tools is a major issue. 51% of marketers are only partially integrated or use manual processes between tools. A lack of integration creates an inability to take advantage of time-sensitive and cross-channel marketing opportunities. The data also reveals the most successful marketers are 118% more likely to be fully integrated. Share this stat with your next prospect to help them understand the value you can provide them with by helping them consolidate and integrate their tools and technologies.
  • Help your clients get personal. Fixing data, attribution, and time problems is the foundational work for building a better, more personalized customer experience. 95% of marketers agree that campaign performance is significantly improved when personalization is used. What are the greatest benefits (and competitive advantages) of a successful personalization strategy?

Marketers know that personalization provides a competitive advantage in a variety of areas. To start conversations that lead to conversions, you need to create a 1-1 customer experience that includes personalized messages and uses automated campaigns that respond to user behavior. Sending the right message at the right time gives your sales a competitive advantage and as result, increases conversion rates, close rates, and revenue.

Not only does automation save time but it also increases revenue by making sure that no lead is overlooked, real-time action is used to increase conversion rates, and personalization is used to increase engagement rates. 

Help your clients through the next phase of digital transformation. Adopting an all-in-one revenue growth platform is the next phase of digital transformation. A revenue growth platform aligns marketing and sales technology so you can optimize your entire funnel with a holistic view of channels, campaigns, prospects, and customers. This is the competitive advantage your clients desire and is a differentiator for your agency. 

Learn more about how you can gain a competitive advantage and drive more revenue for your clients.

More Information About the Research

For this report, Ascend2 surveyed 187 marketing professionals in the U.S., using multiple third-party survey panels, and the survey was fielded in July 2021. The research was commissioned by SharpSpring to provide marketing professionals with data-driven guidance on how to take back control of their marketing tools and data to pave the way to better results. Download the report, clip the charts for client presentations, and adapt it to support your marketing efforts.Learn more, download the 18-page research report, The State of MarTech. Coverage and analysis of this research are also available by MarketingProfs, MediaPost, and Convince & Convert.

About Ascend2

Ascend2

Research Based Marketing

Ascend2 is an independent research agency that has conducted hundreds of research studies on marketing and sales topics. Topics include email marketing, ABM, demand generation, data-driven marketing, content marketing, social media, SEO, marketing technology, customer experience, intent data, performance marketing, and more. Companies that have commissioned Ascend2 to perform independent research studies include Oracle, Adobe, Dun & Bradstreet, HubSpot, RollWorks, Vidyard, Uberflip, Informatica, Stirista, Act-On, Marketo, Acronym, and more.

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