B2B marketers say tradeshows, search engine marketing, and email are the best channels for generating large numbers of high-quality leads, according to a recent report from Software Advice.

The report was based on data from a survey of 200 B2B marketing professionals in the United States who have experience with demand generation channels, tactics, and metrics.

Overall, tradeshows were cited by respondents as the channel that generates both the most and the best leads: 77% of marketers say shows generate a "somewhat" or "very high" quantity of leads, and 82% say they generate leads of "good" or "excellent" quality.

Below, additional key findings from the report.

Cost per Lead

Respondents ranked email, organic search, and social media as the demand generation channels with the lowest cost per lead on average.

Tradeshows, though considered very effective in generating many high-quality leads, are also viewed as being expensive.

2015 Spend

Search engine advertising is the most commonly cited demand generation channel for additional investment in next year: 12% of respondents plan to spend "much more" on SEM in 2015, and 30% plan to spend "somewhat more."

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of 200 B2B marketing professionals in the United States who have experience with demand generation channels, tactics, and metrics.