Products

Insider Intelligence delivers leading-edge research to clients in a variety of forms, including full-length reports and data visualizations to equip you with actionable takeaways for better business decisions.
Reports
In-depth analysis, benchmarks and shorter spotlights on digital trends.
Learn More
Forecasts
Interactive projections with 10k+ metrics on market trends, & consumer behavior.
Learn More
Charts
Proprietary data and over 3,000 third-party sources about the most important topics.
Learn More
Industry KPIs
Industry benchmarks for the most important KPIs in digital marketing, advertising, retail and ecommerce.
Learn More
Briefings
Client-only email newsletters with analysis and takeaways from the daily news.
Learn More
Analyst Access Program
Exclusive time with the thought leaders who craft our research.
Learn More

About Insider Intelligence

Our goal at Insider Intelligence is to unlock digital opportunities for our clients with the world’s most trusted forecasts, analysis, and benchmarks. Spanning five core coverage areas and dozens of industries, our research on digital transformation is exhaustive.
Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how Insider Intelligence came to be.
Learn More
Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about Insider Intelligence.
Contact Us
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More
Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities
Reach an engaged audience of decision-makers.
Learn More
Events
Browse our upcoming and past events, recent podcasts, and other featured resources.
Learn More
Podcasts
Tune in to eMarketer's daily, weekly, and monthly podcasts.
Learn More

How data will help with B2B marketing initiatives

B2B marketers became more focused on data during the pandemic when in-person events—a classic way of collecting first-party leads—ceased to be an option, and they shifted more resources toward digital. Despite a drop in growth in 2023, data spending will hit $3.91 billion by 2024.

Spending on third-party data will gain importance over the physical collection of leads, even as in-person events return. Marketers are reliant on data for contacts and their supporting information. And revenue growth will depend on collecting, integrating, and measuring the impact of data used for marketing purposes.

B2B companies’ spending on third-party data is being driven by two marketing needs: the push to generate revenues and the necessity of embracing digital-first marketing. But privacy and regulatory concerns make acquiring, using, and storing third-party data challenging. And uncertain economic conditions will slow data spending growth. Matters are also complicated by the internal challenges B2B marketers face with first-party data.

To decide how to spend their money, marketers at companies of all sizes should consider the following three factors.

Decide How Data Will Help With Marketing Initiatives

Establish a strategic approach to data with clear marketing objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). Without this fundamental base, it will be very difficult to know when and how to invest in data. 

Invest in Technology and Talent to Ensure a Competitive and Compliant Advantage

To acquire a constant stream of high-quality, relevant data—regardless of the source—marketers must also invest in martech and talent resources. These investments ensure the data is managed and normalized across multiple internal systems throughout the customer life cycle. Even if third-party data is in the mix, systems that house data internally—such as marketing automation platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and customer data platforms (CDPs)—must all be in compliance.

Determine Which Sources Provide the Best Value Over Time

In challenging economic conditions, marketers should focus on a few partners or data sources that improve the value of their data, instead of having many sources that constantly add more data. 

Small and mid-market companies may lack the necessary in-house resources and technology and will benefit from external data support. For them, it can be less complicated—and more compliant—to find a data partner that can provide an all-in-one solution. But large companies that house all data internally can also be helped by data providers that can identify intent signals for at-risk customers and head off possible churn.

Marketing leaders who can link data spending to drivers of revenues will be better equipped to defend their budgets from C-suite power dynamics and financial decision-makers. The last thing that companies will intentionally cut are investments that feed their sales pipeline, and ultimately, their company revenues.