Social Media, Digital Ads, Email Bring Customers In
Customer acquisition is becoming more expensive for B2C marketers, prompting nearly 80% to anticipate increased budgets for acquisition efforts over the next two years, according to research from Stirista. Marketers are utilizing multiple channels for acquisition, with half using at least four and 31% leveraging at least five. Those with the most mature and successful acquisition strategies rely on more channels than others, demonstrating the importance of a diversified approach.
Social media is the top-performing channel for customer acquisition, cited by 26% of respondents, followed by digital advertising (22%) and email marketing (20%). Together, these three channels account for two-thirds of marketers’ preferred acquisition tactics. Successful marketers overwhelmingly endorse social media, with 88% of those with highly effective strategies rating it as extremely successful, double the rate of their less successful peers. Meanwhile, marketers with highly mature strategies are more likely to emphasize email marketing and video as key contributors to their success.
Budget strategies are also evolving, with 70% of marketers expecting to adjust their spending across channels in the next two years. Some, however, plan to maintain their current budget allocations due to confidence in tested strategies, budget constraints, or industry trends validating their current mix. Despite their success, marketers cite data quality and workflow efficiency as their biggest challenges, alongside segmentation, targeting, and performance measurement.
As customer acquisition costs rise, B2C marketers must refine their strategies by optimizing social media, digital advertising, and email marketing while ensuring high-quality data and operational efficiency. A willingness to adapt budgets, experiment with multiple channels, and improve targeting will be key to maintaining strong acquisition performance.
Key Actionable Takeaways:
Invest More in Customer Acquisition – With costs rising, allocate additional budget to optimize acquisition channels and improve efficiency.
Leverage Multiple Acquisition Channels – Successful marketers use at least four channels, so diversify efforts across social media, digital ads, and email marketing.
Prioritize Social Media for Growth – With 88% of top-performing marketers finding social media highly effective, refine content and targeting strategies for maximum impact.
Optimize Digital Advertising Spend – Since digital advertising has surpassed TV in consumer attention, ensure ad spend is focused on high-converting platforms.
Enhance Email Marketing Strategies – Marketers with mature acquisition strategies rely more on email, making segmentation and automation crucial.
Explore Video Marketing Opportunities – Video is increasingly effective for customer acquisition—incorporate it into social media, ads, and email campaigns.
Refine Targeting and Segmentation – Improve audience segmentation using first-party data to enhance personalization and maximize campaign ROI.
Address Data Quality Challenges – High-quality data is essential for acquisition success, so invest in data cleansing, enrichment, and validation tools.
Improve Workflow Efficiency – Streamline marketing operations to enhance productivity and reduce friction in customer acquisition processes.
Regularly Review and Adjust Budget Allocations – With 70% of marketers planning budget shifts, continuously analyze channel performance to optimize spending.
