Marketing, sales, and business professionals say email is the most effective digital tactic they use to generate leads, according to a recent report from Ascend2.

The report was based on data from a July 2015 survey of 300 professionals from around the world (80% working at B2B-focused companies; 20%, B2C).

Some 48% of respondents say email is among the most effective tactics they use to generate sales leads; creating websites/landing pages ranked second (cited by 44% of respondents), followed by content marketing (43%) and search engine optimization (37%).

Below, additional key findings from the report.

Most Difficult Tactics

Content marketing ranks as the hardest online lead generation tactic, with 43% of respondents citing as being among the most difficult.

Metrics

Nearly half (49%) of respondents say qualified leads generated is one of the most useful metrics they use to judge the success of their online lead generation efforts.

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in July 2015 of 300 professionals from around the world (80% working at B2B-focused companies; 20% B2C).