Want To Boost Marketing And Sales? Here Are 7 Insights

But Those Top Priorities Can Be Difficult

While generating traffic and leads, and proving marketing ROI are top priorities, they're also the top challenges, marketers told HubSpot. Sixty-one percent cited "generating traffic and leads" as one of their company's top marketing challenges, while 45 percent listed proving the ROI of marketing activities.

And three in every 10 cite a need for money, listing "securing enough budget" as a challenge.

"There's a progression towards not just more ROI, but more pipeline-focused ROI," said Jessica Garrett, vice president of VeriStor, a solution provider based in Duluth, Ga. "Traditional leads are just the initial step and aren't what we are solely judged by anymore. We know that we have to show how those transition to appointments and opportunities and wins."