More than three-quarters (78%) of B2B organizations are using marketing automation tools, according to recent research from Dun & Bradstreet and Ascend2.

The report was based on data from a survey of more than 200 B2B executives (50% work for firms with 50 or fewer employees).

Some 46% of respondents say their B2B firm makes extensive use of marketing automation tools, whereas 32% say their B2B firm makes limited use of marketing automation tools.

Respondents say the top goals of using marketing automation tools are improving lead nurturing (63% cite it as a goal), increasing lead generation (59%), and increasing sales revenue (46%).

B2B marketers say the top barriers to marketing automation success are lack of an effective strategy (49% cite it as an issue), inadequate contact data quality (39%), and the complexity of systems (37%).

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of more than 200 B2B executives (50% work for firms with 50 or fewer employees).