As B2B marketers, we have long grappled with the dilemma of quality versus quantity. Allocating budget, time and resources for tailored experiences is something most of us simply do not have time for, so instead, we opt to work quickly and deliver broad campaigns that appeal to most — campaigns that are “good enough.”
Enter artificial intelligence, the digital marketing game-changer. By integrating AI in marketing into our programs and systems, we can analyze data at the click of a button, generate dynamic content automatically and adapt campaigns based on audience behavior.
And the data backs it up – said as a true analyst. By analyzing thousands of engagement minutes from ON24-powered experiences, the 2024 Digital Engagement Benchmarks report reveals the business benefits of personalization, new customer engagement trends and where AI is taking marketing next.
After analyzing billions of engagement minutes, here’s what we found:
1. Personalization: The marketing game-changer
No, it’s not creepy and yes, people have stumbled with their personalization efforts previously because of bad data. While overall audience engagement across digital experiences increased by 8% YoY, the engagement and conversion within personalized experiences grew significantly more than in non-personalized experiences.
Performance metrics within personalized experiences:
- 68% increase in CTA engagement
- 4X increase in demo requests
These metrics highlight the impact tailored events, engagement and content have in driving audience interaction and conversion.
2. Audience engagement trends in virtual events
Audience expectations, behavior and engagement have significantly evolved, especially post-pandemic. There are two new key trends we are seeing:
Live and On-demand content is critical for audiences
First, the report found that audiences today exhibit a healthy conversion rate of 56% from registrants to attendees, with an average live webinar engagement duration of 53 minutes. It’s also important to note that customers now expect access to events beyond their live dates. More importantly, on-demand duration rose to 30 minutes, a significant uptick from pre-pandemic averages.
Diversification of Digital Experience Types
Second, audiences today are seeking a variety of digital experiences, moving beyond standard B2B lead generation. In fact, the 2024 report found:
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- A 21% increase in certifications per attendee
- A 103% increase in hybrid events
- A 304% growth in virtual discussion participants
There was also a 41% uptick in the number of attendees joining virtual breakout rooms to network with peers, speakers and sales reps. This signals that attendees want to socialize and collaborate online.
Marketers need to diversify the format of their digital offerings to account for pre-, during and post-event so they can continue to capture and sustain audience attention.
Using generative AI for content creation
AI is how we personalize AND scale simultaneously — how we turn one webinar into six different nurture pages based on company, previous content downloads and where they are in their journey. Moreover, AI analytics can take customer data and provide content recommendations that drive conversions. How else will we keep pace with audience demands?
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- 110% increase in content hub visitors
- 109% growth in attendance rates on AI-promoted webinars
The 2024 Digital Engagement Benchmarks report paints a clear picture: AI is the key to unlocking the next level of digital engagement and delivering on the promise of personalization. By combining AI with first-party data, marketers can deliver personalized and relevant experiences at scale.
In sum, AI is how we have our cake and eat it too.