Study Finds 91% of B2B Marketers Use AI, But Most Still Can’t Prove ROI

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become embedded in B2B marketing workflows — but proving its value remains a significant challenge.

New research from Visionary Marketing shows that 91% of B2B marketers now use AI, a sharp increase from the 79% who were planning adoption in 2023. Despite this near-universal uptake, 68% of marketers say measuring ROI is their biggest challenge, up from 40% just two years ago.

The data suggests a growing disconnect: teams are adopting AI faster than they can measure its impact — creating a gap that is increasingly costly for businesses.

Rising Budgets, Unclear Returns

The findings, based on benchmarking across UK B2B companies, reveal continued growth in marketing investment:

• SMEs (10–250 employees): average annual spend of £48,200 (up 14% from 2024)
• Mid-market companies: £186,000 average
• Enterprise organizations: exceeding £1.2 million

Across all segments, 60–70% of marketing budgets are now allocated to digital channels, reinforcing the central role of performance marketing in growth strategies.

Paid Search Leads — But SEO Delivers Efficiency

When it comes to revenue generation:

• 63% of marketers rank Google Ads as the most effective channel
• 58% point to SEO and content marketing
• 52% highlight email marketing

However, cost efficiency tells a different story.

• Average cost-per-lead (SEO): £14
• Average cost-per-lead (paid channels): £44

Despite SEO’s significantly lower acquisition cost, most mid-market companies continue to prioritize paid acquisition in budget allocation, highlighting a potential inefficiency in capital deployment.

AI Usage Is High — But Impact Is Unclear

AI adoption is now widespread, with teams using it primarily for:

• Content generation (78%)
• Customer experience personalization (72%)
• Ad creative testing (68%)

Yet the core issue remains unchanged: “Most B2B teams jumped on AI because it’s fast and everyone else was doing it. But speed doesn’t mean results,” said Chris Coussons. “When 68% of marketers still can’t prove ROI on their AI spend, that’s not an adoption problem — it’s a measurement problem. And it’s getting worse, not better.”

Shift Toward Revenue-Driven Metrics

The report also highlights a structural shift in how marketing success is measured.

• 48% prioritize ROI and ROAS
• 44% track revenue attributed to marketing
• 42% focus on customer acquisition cost

Traditional metrics such as reach and impressions are rapidly losing relevance as primary KPIs, signaling a broader move toward capital efficiency and performance accountability.

A Growing Strategic Gap

The data points to a critical issue for B2B organizations:

While AI is accelerating execution, measurement frameworks have not evolved at the same pace.

This creates a widening gap between activity and accountability — one that directly impacts how effectively marketing budgets translate into revenue.

The complete study, including over 75 data points and methodology, is available at: visionary-marketing.co.uk/blog/state-of-b2b-marketing-2026