Five Takeaways From the Salesforce State of Marketing Report

As marketers, we adapt our strategies each year based on the changes we see in the industry. But, how do we decide where to focus our efforts? One way is by reviewing the annual Salesforce State of Marketing Report to get insight on what marketing leaders worldwide are prioritizing. Here’s a look at five key takeaways we’ve gleaned from this year’s report and a few considerations to keep in mind when crafting your CX strategy.

Download your copy of the Salesforce State of Marketing, 8^th Edition here to follow along below.

1. As AI becomes more prevalent in marketing, more marketers are including it in their overall marketing strategy. In fact, “Sixty-eight percent of marketers say they have a fully defined AI strategy, up from 60% in 2021 and 57% in 2020.” (See page 17 for more details.) If you’re not ready for a full-blown AI strategy, start by identifying an area in your current marketing strategy where you can implement it. Maybe you want to focus on your current customers to ensure that they’re receiving the right product at the right time? Or perhaps you want to create a more personalized user experience for your customers on your website. Implementing a full-blown AI strategy can be a significant undertaking, especially if you’re just getting started. Starting small can help make adding AI into your marketing strategy more feasible.

2. “91% of CMOs say they must continually innovate to remain competitive.” (See page 7 for more details.) If the past three years have taught us anything, it’s that innovation is not just something to help us remain competitive. It’s necessary to survive in the ever-changing landscape we see today. What are some tactics and strategies you’re looking to implement? Are you hoping to have a more seamless automation marketing strategy? Do you want to create a more personalized experience for customers that visit your website? Consider what your company goals are for the year and prioritize what you want to focus on based on your KPIs.

    
   Related: Marketing Automation Content

3. As you start developing your marketing strategy, make sure you’re including data privacy in the mix. With so many recent changes and regulations around data privacy, like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), marketers need to prioritize zero and first-party data. Even with this knowledge, “75% of marketers say they [still] rely at least in part on third-party data.” (See page 15 for more details.) Keep in mind that Google is phasing out cookies in 2024 (for real this time), so creating a strategy surrounding first party data is not only smart — it’s necessary. Having this type of information can also provide better personalization for your customers, so it’s really a win-win.

4. Customers are more conscious than ever of what they’re purchasing and prefer companies that are fully transparent with their values. “Sixty-six percent of customers have stopped buying from a company whose values didn’t align with theirs.” (See page 22 for more details.) Customers like to do their due diligence and research companies before buying. They want to know what type of company they’re purchasing from and if it’s aligned with their own values. Are your company values reflected throughout your messaging across your entire online presence? For example, if your company is big on giving back to the community, have you written a blog on how you accomplish that? What about a social post? Consider creating some value-oriented content throughout your online presence for customers to easily identify your company ideologies.

    
   Related: Emerging Marketing Trends: 2023?!

5. The workplace is a lot different than it was a few years ago. Remote work is more prevalent now which can mean that you are able to reach a higher pool of candidates that will fit your company’s culture. But this can also mean that teams may have a much harder time collaborating than before. “Sixty-nine percent of marketers say it’s harder to collaborate now than before the pandemic.” (see page 21 for more details). If you have a marketing team that is dispersed throughout the country, investing in technology that can facilitate collaboration is a must. “Marketers have adopted an average of four collaboration technologies to facilitate digital-first collaboration and unify their global marketing teams, spread across a variety of communication tools like video conferencing, collaboration platforms, and chat apps.” (See page 21 for more details). Apps that allow you to collaborate in real time is a plus. What are some technologies you’re currently using within your company that help improve collaboration?

The Bottom Line

Salesforce State of Marketing Research helps provide insight on the changing trends, priorities and challenges being faced by marketing leaders worldwide. While the report can be a helpful source of good ideas, it’s critical to know your company’s goals and align your marketing strategy with those KPIs.

Have you read the Salesforce State of Marketing Report? What were your key takeaways? How are you incorporating those ideas into your strategy?