Despite economic uncertainty and tight budgets across industries, 65% of B2B marketers saw budget increases in 2024 and expect even growth in 2025. In an unexpected turn of events, these higher allocations don’t necessarily come with loftier goals, as 51% of practitioners faced less ambitious KPI demands. These findings were revealed in “The Marketing Spend Strategy: How Marketing Executives are Funding the Future to Hit KPIs,” an annual research report released by B2B communications and content agency 10Fold.
The 2024 findings represent a significant reversal from the 2023 edition, where bigger budgets meant more aggressive KPIs. According to Susan Thomas, CEO of 10Fold, the primary reason behind that shift is that 2024 was expected to be an easier year, as forecasts pointed to a recovery. However, leaders became worried when the economy wasn’t improving as anticipated.
“Leaders recognized the need to double down on investments and consider investment in new systems,” explained Thomas. “There was a strong push to find solutions that could drive efficiency, such as automation and AI-driven technologies, that could manage resources better and improve processes. It seems this thinking drove a type of realism that caused the C-suite to understand that even with more investment, marketing may not produce more results.”
With the focus on steady, sustainable growth, other notable findings from the report included:
AI & Automation Fuel Budget Increases
More than half (53%) of marketers who saw budget increases attributed the increases to AI and automation investments, with 71% of respondents who embraced AI strategies reporting a moderate to significant rise in budget allocations. Thomas noted that as AI-driven campaigns performed well and generated more funding, it created a snowball effect: Better results led to more money, and more money led to even better campaigns.
“What’s so impressive is how AI is helping marketers work smarter,” said Thomas. “They’re using it to fine-tune campaigns, analyze data more effectively and automate routine tasks. This boosts performance, and when campaigns do well, it’s easier to show the CFO that it’s worth investing more – it’s the green light to more funding.”
Despite Widespread Tech Layoffs, Marketing Teams Are Growing
According to Thomas, the report highlighted an interesting trend: Despite tech layoffs in many industries, marketing teams are still expanding. Specifically, the study found that internal marketing staff increased by 54%, while contractors and agencies saw budgets increase by 61%.
“My theory here is that agencies and contractors are more flexible from a hiring and budgeting perspective, so it’s far easier to change the pay rate and when and how often they work,” explained Thomas. “Contractors and agencies can respond to the demand for specific skills and roles within marketing teams and deliver the work with less risk. From this, marketing leaders are particularly focused on roles that can drive results quickly, such as digital marketers, data analysts and campaign managers — skills that are critical for leveraging innovative technologies like AI and automation.”
She continued that the increased reliance on contractors might also indicate that companies are seeking specialized talent for short-term projects or for roles that support ongoing growth, such as content creation, SEO or social media strategy.
Regarding internal staff, Thomas noted that marketers may focus on expanding core teams. These teams, such as brand managers and marketing operations specialists, encompass roles that require continuity and more profound organizational knowledge.
Marketers Prioritizing Media Channels That Build Trust
In terms of top spending areas for lead generation, marketing teams focused on marketing tools (33%), websites (30%) and digital ads in national publications (20%). Notably, social media rose in importance, with X (formerly Twitter) taking the lead as the preferred platform (57%), followed by LinkedIn (41%).
“X remains a leading platform for B2B marketers because it continues to be one of the broadest communication channels, connecting businesses with a diverse audience, including media, influencers and industry leaders,” said Thomas. “This gives B2B companies a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations and directly interact with key stakeholders, making it easier to stay at the forefront of industry trends and discussions.”
She highlighted the growth of social influencers, which surpassed the more traditional marketing tactics on X. Thomas explained that this shift is due to marketers recognizing the power of influencers to amplify their message, foster authentic engagement and connect with the right audience. However, she noted that it’s not just influencers who are changing the marketing game.
“While social influencers continue to gain traction, one of the key changes in 2025 is the anticipated rise of digital advertising in trade publications,” said Thomas. “This move is significant because it reflects a growing recognition of the power of niche, industry-specific platforms to reach the right audiences in a more focused, impactful way. Instead of relying solely on national advertising, companies turn to trade journals to engage with more specialized communities, ensuring their messaging resonates with key decision-makers.”
Thomas noted another trend gaining ground is media outreach, as executives in 2025 will put more emphasis on securing third-party endorsements through news releases, media outreach and executive social profiles.
“This kind of proactive thought leadership will be crucial for maintaining momentum, as it builds credibility and fosters trust with potential clients,” she explained. “As a result, media outreach strategies will increase priority, alongside influencer marketing, positioning companies as leaders in their field.”
2025 Presents An Opportunity To Focus On More Strategic, Targeted Approaches
As marketers look ahead to 2025, the research found that they plan to build on the momentum from 2024’s successes by shifting their focus toward more strategic, targeted approaches.
“Interestingly, some traditional tactics are falling behind, with things like sales enablement consultants, digital ads on social media platforms and regional conferences dropping in relevance,” Thomas explained. “Instead, the focus is on more targeted, authoritative and engaging strategies to help sustain growth and elevate brand positioning in 2025. By leveraging these emerging channels, B2B marketers can set themselves up to continue their success.”
To unlock all the findings from “The Marketing Spend Strategy: How Marketing Executives are Funding the Future to Hit KPIs,” download the full report now.