Lead nurturing—marketers’ relationship building with buyers throughout the sales process—has grown into an increasingly sophisticated process, says Demand Gen Report in its 2015 Lead Nurturing Benchmark Study, and businesses are using data to target their efforts at every stage of the buying circle.

In its Lead Nurturing Benchmark Study, Demand Gen Report examines how business-to-business marketers driving prospects through the sales cycle. Its research found that lead nurturing campaigns turned in better results than standard campaigns, with 26 percent of respondents crediting them with a 10-20 percent improvement and 25 percent describing them as 20-30 percent better. E-mail is the most common platform for lead nurturing campaigns, at 94 percent, although 38 percent also turn to social media.

Much of the effectiveness of lead nurturing campaigns is credited to the greater targeting and personalization they allow marketers. Sixty-six percent of those surveyed say that their programs allow prospects to receive specific messaging depending on their actions and interests.

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