[Marketing Report] How to utilize media advertising from a marketing survey of BtoB companies

In April 2019, we conducted an internet survey on lead generation, including the usage format of media advertising and utilization measures, targeting 163 people in charge of companies implementing lead generation.

This time, we will report on the actual usage of “media advertising” from among the survey results. We hope that not only those who are considering using external media, but also those who are currently using it, will find this useful.

Click here for the full report of this study

Report on the results of the “Survey on Lead Generation” – Tie-up advertisements for the most implemented and effective measures

Which of the three fee formats is most used?

There are three main types of media publication fees, each of which is as follows:

・Advertisement billing (guaranteed period)

Ads are displayed for a predetermined period of time, and you are charged for the period in which they are displayed. “HR Pro” and “Management Pro” operated by our company can be posted for a period of 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year.

The biggest advantage is that the fee is fixed regardless of whether there are clicks or CVs.

On the other hand, even if there are no clicks or CVs, the risk is that you will be charged a fee regardless.

・Weight charge (CV charge)

You will be charged based on the number of CVs such as requests for materials, downloads of white papers, and applications for seminars.

Unlike advertising billing (guaranteed period), there is no charge until CV is generated, which has the advantage of being risk-free.

On the other hand, even if it is possible to predict to some extent how much CV will be generated, the final charges are not determined and it is difficult to predict.

・Performance billing

It is similar to weight-based pricing, but instead of CV, you are charged for the final purpose of marketing, which is closing. Advertising directly contributes to sales, and it is possible to clearly measure cost effectiveness against sales.

Since it directly contributes to sales, advertising costs tend to be higher than others, and since a fixed amount is generated relative to sales, advertising costs can be difficult to keep down.

<Figure 1> Fee type of media advertising used *Multiple answers

In fact, in a report on the results of a “lead generation survey,” when asked multiple answers about the fee structure of the media advertising they use, the most common answer was “advertisement charging (guaranteed period)” (26%), followed by “pay-as-you-go” (26%). (CV charge)” and “performance charge” by a large margin.

When we also asked them about their reasons for using each method, we found that with advertising billing (guaranteed period), the easy-to-predict pricing structure seemed to be appealing, with reasons such as “reliable budget execution” and “easy-to-understand pricing structure.”

We received feedback that “weight-based billing (CV billing)” makes the cost-effectiveness clear, such as “results are easy to see.”

In addition, regardless of the fee format, the fee format was that of external media that could be targeted by the company in the first place, such as “because it seems to have a high probability of reaching the customer” or “the media is limited.” There were also comments that seemed to be.

How to find the best media advertising for your company

As a hint for finding the best media advertisement for your company from this report, the first thing to consider is whether the database owned by that media can be your company’s target.

Next, the quickest way to find the best media advertising may be to consider whether the pricing structure is appropriate for your company’s marketing budget.

Recommended measures for utilizing media advertising

Advertising only in the media is so-called inbound, and in a sense it is a passive measure.

On the other hand, the following outbound measures include increasing exposure to the media and approaching databases directly.

Please refer to each column for details and effects of each measure.

・Tie-up advertisement (article advertisement)

What is the marketing method for branding and lead acquisition at the same time in the HR industry?

・Direct mail (bold)

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・Questionnaire survey (bold)

The purpose and how to create a research report that even beginners in HR marketing can understand

<Figure 2> Most effective lead generation measures *Single answer

In the same survey, we asked about the measures (multiple answers allowed) implemented for lead generation in addition to media advertising, and the most used measure was “tie-up advertising (article advertising)” (26%). Furthermore, approximately 60% of respondents felt that it was the most effective among other measures, making it clear that tie-up advertising (article advertising) is highly effective in lead generation.

The runner-up was “direct mail,” followed by “questionnaire surveys,” and “series/special feature projects.”

Recommended measures for utilizing media advertising

Although we cannot tell you the direct reasons for the measures that we felt were most effective, we can use the results of the following questions as a reference for what we emphasize when using media advertising. I think so.

In the same survey, each company answered what they place importance on when it comes to lead generation, and we will take a look at the top three priorities.

<Figure 3> What is important in lead generation [1st]

The top priority was “Number of Acquisitions” (38%), followed by “Cost per Acquisition CPA” (18%) and “Conversion Rate/Proposal Rate” (10%).

The second most important thing, instead of the number of acquisitions, is “Cost per acquisition CPA” (14%), and “Number of acquisitions” and “Conversion rate/Proposal rate” are both tied for second place at 12%. The third most important thing was “conversion rate/case conversion rate” (10%), followed by “appointment acquisition rate” (7%).

As we move from the first to the third, it becomes clear that the indicators change from indicators related to lead acquisition to indicators that aim to contribute to sales after lead acquisition.

When it comes to lead generation, quantity is the first indicator, and the next step is quality.