Marketing automation is no longer a luxury—it’s necessary for B2B marketers striving to stay competitive in demanding industries. The State of B2B Marketing Automation report, developed by Act-On and Ascend2, reveals critical trends that bring both opportunities and challenges in the field. While marketing automation budgets are on the rise, with 75% of companies planning increases, utilization of core features like customer journey orchestration remains surprisingly low, signaling a chance for marketers to extract greater value from these platforms.

The research also highlights near-universal agreement on the importance of marketing automation, with 96% of respondents reporting success. This underscores a clear message: Companies without a marketing automation platform must adapt or risk falling behind. Failing to adopt such tools not only impacts competitiveness but also limits the ability to meet customer expectations in an increasingly digital-first environment. These capabilities are particularly evident in the areas where customers surveyed reported success— email marketing, social media management, content management, SMS marketing, and landing pages—driving 75% of marketers to plan increased investment in marketing automation