Predictive analytics is a top area of interest for both sales and marketing organizations that use Salesforce, according to the latest annual State of Salesforce study from Bluewolf. In fact, all of the marketers surveyed as part of the report said they’re increasing their analytics investment in predictive capabilities in the coming year.
The majority of Salesforce customers already invest in predictive analytics, with more sophisticated users seemingly ahead of the pack. Among the small number of marketers who use Salesforce to predict and automate, three-quarters have invested in predictive analytics. Two-thirds of those who use Salesforce for historical data have likewise invested in predictive analytics, as have a majority (56%) of those who use Salesforce primarily to sync data.
Research released last year from RedEye and Econsultancy found that around 4 in 10 company marketers and agencies from around the world (though primarily from the UK) were either using, implementing, or budgeting for predictive analytics. Predictive analytics were proving most effective for boosting conversions, while deriving customer insights was proving more of a struggle.
Earlier research from the Winterberry Group had found that predictive analytics was one of the most popular data-driven activities set for budget increases in the US.
Bluewolf’s State of Salesforce report indicates that it’s not just the marketing function making use of predictive analytics:
- Sales teams are more likely to be investing in predictive analytics (53%) than any other type of analytics, including descriptive (49%) and diagnostic (38%); and
- Some 43% of service teams working at B2B companies are investing in predictive analytics, compared to 31% of those at B2B2C companies and 26% at B2C companies.
Other Findings:
In other highlights from Bluewolf’s report:
- Marketers using Salesforce to manage their campaigns are twice as likely as those not doing so to report having a complete view of the customer (56% vs. 28%);
- 1 in 4 marketers using Salesforce plan to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities within the next year; and
- One-third of marketers increasing their investments in AI in the next year expect AI to have the largest impact on qualifying prospects.
The full report can be accessed here.
About the Data: The report is based on a survey of more than 1800 Salesforce customers from various industries, company sizes, and locations, 16% of whom work in the marketing function. Respondents hail more from B2B (64%) than from B2B2C (21%) or B2C (15%) companies.
