Every year, marketers are told they need to create more content, attend more events, learn more AI tools, track more metrics, and somehow generate more leads with the same amount of time and budget.
Easy, right?
To help separate real trends from marketing mythology, The Partner Marketing Group surveyed technology marketers to understand what’s happening in the industry today.
Packed with data, insights, trends, and practical takeaways, this year’s Technology Marketing Benchmarks & Trends Report explores how marketers are approaching everything from lead generation and content creation to AI, social media, events, automation, SEO, and AI search.
And let’s just say… a few findings surprised us.
What Does the 2026 Technology Marketing Benchmarks & Trends Report Cover?
The 2026 Technology Marketing Benchmarks & Trends Report covers the key strategies, priorities, and challenges shaping modern B2B marketing today.
Inside, you’ll find data and insights covering:
- Marketing budgets and spending priorities
- Planning and strategy trends
- SEO, AEO, and the future of search
- Lead generation tactics and challenges
- Content marketing and video trends
- Social media performance
- Event marketing investments
- Marketing automation and measurement
- Artificial intelligence adoption and effectiveness
Think of it as a reality check from real marketers navigating the same opportunities and challenges you’re facing every day.
What Are Some of the Biggest Marketing Trends for 2026?
The biggest marketing trends for 2026 show a clear shift toward integration rather than reinvention. While every chapter offers unique insights, several themes emerged throughout the report. Some confirmed what many marketers already suspected, and others challenged what we thought we knew.
Here are a few highlights.
Are Events Still Worth the Investment for B2B Marketers?
Short answer: absolutely. Events remain one of the most valuable investments in B2B marketing. For all the conversations about digital transformation, AI, and automation, events continue to deliver. Industry and publisher events were ranked as the most effective lead generation tactic for 2025 and emerged as the top lead generation priority for 2026. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of marketers plan to increase their event budgets this year.
Face-to-face conversations, relationship building, and real human interactions still carry tremendous value. Who knew?
Do Blogs Still Work for B2B Marketing?
Apparently, yes, blogs are one of the most effective content formats in B2B marketing. Despite recurring predictions that blogging is on its last legs, the data tells a very different story. A remarkable 82% of marketers actively use blogs, making them the most widely used content format in the survey. Even more impressive, 52% reported that blogs produce the best marketing results.
As search behavior evolves and AI-powered search engines continue gaining traction, high-quality educational content remains one of the most effective ways to build visibility, credibility, and trust.
How Are B2B Marketers Using AI in 2026?
If you’re wondering whether AI has gone mainstream, the answer is a resounding yes. Nearly 90% of marketers reported using AI in their marketing content or strategy.
The most common use case? Content creation and optimization.
The most effective use case? Surprise, it’s also content creation and optimization.
Marketers are increasingly relying on AI to accelerate workflows, improve efficiency, support SEO and AEO initiatives, and create more content without expanding resources. The conversation is no longer about whether marketers should use AI, but we knew this already. The new conversation is about how to use it strategically while maintaining quality, differentiation, and authenticity.
What Is the Biggest Marketing Challenge Facing B2B Marketers?
The biggest marketing challenge facing B2B marketers is converting leads into opportunities. While lead generation remains the top marketing objective heading into 2026, many teams are struggling to move those leads effectively through the funnel.
That combination tells an interesting story.
Many organizations have become relatively effective at generating awareness and attracting prospects. The challenge now is building systems that consistently move those prospects through the funnel. In other words, marketers are looking for better outcomes from the leads they already have.
What Can Marketing Leaders Learn from This Year’s Data?
The biggest lesson from this year’s data is that success is increasingly driven by alignment, not activity. One theme surfaced repeatedly throughout nearly every chapter of the report: success is becoming less about individual tactics and more about strategic alignment.
The marketers seeing the strongest results aren’t necessarily creating the most content, attending the most events, or using the most AI tools. Successful marketers are aligning content with search intent, combining digital and event strategies, using data to inform decisions, and investing in technologies that support their goals rather than distract from them.
Most importantly, they’re building cohesive experiences instead of disconnected marketing activities.
Where Is B2B Marketing Headed Next?
The future of B2B marketing isn’t about finding one perfect channel, tool, or tactic. It’s about making everything work together.
As AI becomes more sophisticated, search behavior evolves, and buyer expectations continue to rise, marketers will need to think beyond individual campaigns and focus on creating connected experiences.
The organizations will be the ones that understand how content, data, technology, events, social media, and AI all contribute to a larger strategy. And they’ll execute that strategy with consistency, purpose, and a healthy dose of humanity.
How Can You Benchmark Your Marketing Strategy Against Your Peers?
Whether you’re planning next year’s budget, refining your lead generation strategy, evaluating AI initiatives, or simply curious how your peers are approaching marketing in 2026, this report is designed to help.
Download the 2026 Technology Marketing Benchmarks & Trends Report to explore the full findings.