Lenny’s 2023 benchmarks describe 3%–5% free-to-paid conversion as good for freemium self-serve products, and 6%–8% as great; these are reference ranges, not universal targets. See Lenny Rachitsky — Free-to-paid conversion statistic
In CMI’s research published in October 2025, 97% of surveyed marketers said they had a content strategy; having a strategy alone does not establish its effectiveness. See CMI B2B Content Marketing Trends Research statistic
The findings reveal a paradigm shift in how work gets done, with more than one in four (28%) U.S. knowledge workers now freelancing or working independently , generating a collective $1.5 trillion in earnings in 2024.
The findings reveal a paradigm shift in how work gets done, with more than one in four (28%) U.S. knowledge workers now freelancing or working independently , generating a collective $1.5 trillion in earnings in 2024.
economy, earning a total of $1.5 trillion in 2024: More than 1 in 4 (28%) knowledge workers in the U.S. freelance, translating to more than 20 million individuals.
Notably, those who earn exclusively through freelance work report a median income of $85,000 , surpassing their full-time employee counterparts at $80,000 .
Notably, those who earn exclusively through freelance work report a median income of $85,000 , surpassing their full-time employee counterparts at $80,000 .
Today, there are more than 12,000 AI specialists on the Upwork platform in the U.S. alone who have expertise in designing, developing, deploying, and training AI systems.
Freelancing is evolving into a more sophisticated and intentional career path, particularly among highly educated professionals: Skilled freelancers are investing heavily in their own development—37% hold postgraduate degrees, compared to just 20% of full-time employees.
More than half (54%) of freelancers report advanced AI proficiency compared to 38% of full-time employees, while 29% have extensive experience building, training, and finetuning machine learning models (vs. 18% of FTEs).
More than half (54%) of freelancers report advanced AI proficiency compared to 38% of full-time employees, while 29% have extensive experience building, training, and finetuning machine learning models (vs. 18% of FTEs).
Freelancers also excel in the human skills essential in working alongside AI, including communication (47% vs. 40% of FTEs), critical thinking (43% vs. 38%), problem-solving (49% vs. 44%), and adaptability (41% vs. 37%).
Freelancers also excel in the human skills essential in working alongside AI, including communication (47% vs. 40% of FTEs), critical thinking (43% vs. 38%), problem-solving (49% vs. 44%), and adaptability (41% vs. 37%).
Freelancers also excel in the human skills essential in working alongside AI, including communication (47% vs. 40% of FTEs), critical thinking (43% vs. 38%), problem-solving (49% vs. 44%), and adaptability (41% vs. 37%).
Freelancers also excel in the human skills essential in working alongside AI, including communication (47% vs. 40% of FTEs), critical thinking (43% vs. 38%), problem-solving (49% vs. 44%), and adaptability (41% vs. 37%).
The future of skilled knowledge work is freelancing—and it’s only accelerating: Over one-third (36%) of full-time employees are considering freelancing for better opportunities, while only 10% of freelancers want to return to traditional employment.
The future of skilled knowledge work is freelancing—and it’s only accelerating: Over one-third (36%) of full-time employees are considering freelancing for better opportunities, while only 10% of freelancers want to return to traditional employment.
Gen Z is leading the shift, with 53% of skilled Gen Z workers already freelancing—a trend that will reshape the workforce as they comprise 30% of U.S. workers by 2030.
According to the Upwork Research Institute , the number of U.S. freelance professionals increased to nearly 64 million – an all-time high – in the past year.
“This year, freelancers contributed $1.27 trillion to the U.S. economy in annual earnings.” The report says in 2023, 47% of all freelancers have provided services such as computer programming, marketing, IT, and business consulting.
economy in annual earnings.” The report says in 2023, 47% of all freelancers have provided services such as computer programming, marketing, IT, and business consulting.
Notably, the report states, over the past year, “52% of all Gen Z professionals and 44% of all Millennial professionals performed freelance work.” But older workers have been part of the freelance pool in 2023, as well – “13% of all U.S.
Notably, the report states, over the past year, “52% of all Gen Z professionals and 44% of all Millennial professionals performed freelance work.” But older workers have been part of the freelance pool in 2023, as well – “13% of all U.S.
Notably, the report states, over the past year, “52% of all Gen Z professionals and 44% of all Millennial professionals performed freelance work.” But older workers have been part of the freelance pool in 2023, as well – “13% of all U.S. freelancers were aged 59 or above.” The surveyed professionals were asked about their optimism to work as freelancers.
“When asked about the future, 85% of freelancers say the best days for freelancing are ahead.” The report also explains, “Freelancers are overwhelmingly optimistic about personal career growth (80%), salary increases (76%), future job opportunities (74%), and personal development (84%).” Read Upwork’s latest Freelance Forward report here .
“When asked about the future, 85% of freelancers say the best days for freelancing are ahead.” The report also explains, “Freelancers are overwhelmingly optimistic about personal career growth (80%), salary increases (76%), future job opportunities (74%), and personal development (84%).” Read Upwork’s latest Freelance Forward report here .
“When asked about the future, 85% of freelancers say the best days for freelancing are ahead.” The report also explains, “Freelancers are overwhelmingly optimistic about personal career growth (80%), salary increases (76%), future job opportunities (74%), and personal development (84%).” Read Upwork’s latest Freelance Forward report here .
“When asked about the future, 85% of freelancers say the best days for freelancing are ahead.” The report also explains, “Freelancers are overwhelmingly optimistic about personal career growth (80%), salary increases (76%), future job opportunities (74%), and personal development (84%).” Read Upwork’s latest Freelance Forward report here .
“When asked about the future, 85% of freelancers say the best days for freelancing are ahead.” The report also explains, “Freelancers are overwhelmingly optimistic about personal career growth (80%), salary increases (76%), future job opportunities (74%), and personal development (84%).” Read Upwork’s latest Freelance Forward report here .
On average, 3%-5% is a GOOD conversion rate for a freemium self-serve product, and 6%-8% is GREAT. This group includes products like Canva, Trello, and Typeform.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
On average, 3%-5% is a GOOD conversion rate for a freemium self-serve product, and 6%-8% is GREAT. This group includes products like Canva, Trello, and Typeform.
For a freemium product with a sales-assist motion, 5%-7% is a GOOD conversion and 10%-15% is GREAT. Examples of freemium products with a sales-assist motion include Airtable, GitLab, and HubSpot—any products where sales is generally involved in closing new customers.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
For a freemium product with a sales-assist motion, 5%-7% is a GOOD conversion and 10%-15% is GREAT. Examples of freemium products with a sales-assist motion include Airtable, GitLab, and HubSpot—any products where sales is generally involved in closing new customers.
Products that offer a free trial (i.e. you can use all of the features for a set amount of time, like Shopify, Google Workspace, and Intercom) have higher conversion rates on average—GOOD is 8%-12% conversion, and 15%-25% is GREAT.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Products that offer a free trial (i.e. you can use all of the features for a set amount of time, like Shopify, Google Workspace, and Intercom) have higher conversion rates on average—GOOD is 8%-12% conversion, and 15%-25% is GREAT.
My theory for why free trial products are so much higher is that these products are typically attracting a user that’s more ready to buy, which then makes them more innately ripe for sales involvement. Sign-up rates for free-trial products are materially lower than for freemium products (5% vs. 9%, respectively). There’s time pressure in a free trial—since users can access it for only a short period of time—and so people wait to sign up until they’re serious. As a result, it’s common for free-trial products to have sales involved in most or all cases. Nearly half of free-trial companies (44%) have sales reach out directly to more than half of sign-ups, double the rate of freemium SaaS (24%).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
My theory for why free trial products are so much higher is that these products are typically attracting a user that’s more ready to buy, which then makes them more innately ripe for sales involvement. Sign-up rates for free-trial products are materially lower than for freemium products (5% vs. 9%, respectively). There’s time pressure in a free trial—since users can access it for only a short period of time—and so people wait to sign up until they’re serious. As a result, it’s common for free-trial products to have sales involved in most or all cases. Nearly half of free-trial companies (44%) have sales reach out directly to more than half of sign-ups, double the rate of freemium SaaS (24%).
The numbers above are useful, but they don’t tell the full story. Free-to-paid conversion rates vary substantially from company to company and by product type. It’s not uncommon for one freemium business to see free-to-paid conversion rates below 1%, while another is able to get to closer to 20%.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
The numbers above are useful, but they don’t tell the full story. Free-to-paid conversion rates vary substantially from company to company and by product type. It’s not uncommon for one freemium business to see free-to-paid conversion rates below 1%, while another is able to get to closer to 20%.
It’s a truism that developers are a tough crowd to sell to—and the data supports that intuition. The median conversion rate for developer-focused companies was 5%; this was half that of companies that do not sell to developers.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
It’s a truism that developers are a tough crowd to sell to—and the data supports that intuition. The median conversion rate for developer-focused companies was 5%; this was half that of companies that do not sell to developers.
Our survey found that 85% of respondents either already had UBP. Their businesses were in all categories of SaaS (application, vertical, infrastructure) and across businesses ranging in size from <$20M ARR to >$100M ARR.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Our survey found that 85% of respondents either already had UBP. Their businesses were in all categories of SaaS (application, vertical, infrastructure) and across businesses ranging in size from <$20M ARR to >$100M ARR.
Established software leaders have broadly adopted UBP. This trend highlights a strategic pivot by enterprises to align revenue growth directly with customer value. With 77% of the largest software companies incorporating consumption-based pricing into their revenue models, UBP is no longer an emerging strategy, but a mainstream business model validated by enterprise companies.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Established software leaders have broadly adopted UBP. This trend highlights a strategic pivot by enterprises to align revenue growth directly with customer value. With 77% of the largest software companies incorporating consumption-based pricing into their revenue models, UBP is no longer an emerging strategy, but a mainstream business model validated by enterprise companies.
Early- and growth-stage startups are also rapidly adopting UBP, with 64% of Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups leveraging this model. For these companies, UBP is a critical growth lever, offering both flexibility and scalability as they capture market share. By adopting consumption-based pricing, startups can attract a broader range of customers through low entry barriers and can later scale revenue as customers grow and consume more.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Early- and growth-stage startups are also rapidly adopting UBP, with 64% of Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups leveraging this model. For these companies, UBP is a critical growth lever, offering both flexibility and scalability as they capture market share. By adopting consumption-based pricing, startups can attract a broader range of customers through low entry barriers and can later scale revenue as customers grow and consume more.
Usage-based pricing continues to rise—our survey reported that 78% of companies with UBP adopted it within the last five years. What's behind the rapid adoption? Historically, the seats-based pricing model dominated SaaS, but a few key industry shifts have accelerated UBP adoption.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Usage-based pricing continues to rise—our survey reported that 78% of companies with UBP adopted it within the last five years. What's behind the rapid adoption? Historically, the seats-based pricing model dominated SaaS, but a few key industry shifts have accelerated UBP adoption.
At Metronome, we help the fastest-growing and largest companies manage their billing, enabling them to launch products and iterate pricing faster, give customers better control over spending, and drive strategic decisions with real-time insights. We’ve processed billions in revenue for our customers and saw an 8x YoY increase in revenue processed in 2024 alone, highlighting the continued growth and adoption of usage-based pricing in SaaS.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
At Metronome, we help the fastest-growing and largest companies manage their billing, enabling them to launch products and iterate pricing faster, give customers better control over spending, and drive strategic decisions with real-time insights. We’ve processed billions in revenue for our customers and saw an 8x YoY increase in revenue processed in 2024 alone, highlighting the continued growth and adoption of usage-based pricing in SaaS.
The cost of the “typical” new purchase dropped significantly in 2025 — median deal size fell roughly 43% year-over-year, from $11K to $6K. Renewal prices fell too, but far more modestly: only down about 8% from $27K in 2024 to $24K in 2025. Combined with new purchases overtaking renewals in volume for the first time, this points to buyers exploring more at lower price points, while generally retaining investments in what they already have.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
The cost of the “typical” new purchase dropped significantly in 2025 — median deal size fell roughly 43% year-over-year, from $11K to $6K. Renewal prices fell too, but far more modestly: only down about 8% from $27K in 2024 to $24K in 2025. Combined with new purchases overtaking renewals in volume for the first time, this points to buyers exploring more at lower price points, while generally retaining investments in what they already have.
More companies bought security tools for the first time last year than in prior years. New purchases in the Security category grew 75% by transaction volume from Q1 to Q4 2025 — the strongest growth of any category in our dataset. At the same time, renewal median fell 15% year-over-year — from $25K to $21K.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
More companies bought security tools for the first time last year than in prior years. New purchases in the Security category grew 75% by transaction volume from Q1 to Q4 2025 — the strongest growth of any category in our dataset. At the same time, renewal median fell 15% year-over-year — from $25K to $21K.
Renewals in the Sales category held flat. Here, we saw a renewal median of $37.4K in 2024 and $37.6K in 2025 — essentially unchanged, while most other categories saw some renewal compression. Another notable pattern is the Q1 spike and Q2 dip in average Annual Contract Value (ACV) visible in both 2024 and 2025. This highlights Salesforce’s dominant impact on the wider category — with a January 31 fiscal year-end, large Salesforce purchases pull the Q1 category average up sharply before normalizing the rest of the year.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Renewals in the Sales category held flat. Here, we saw a renewal median of $37.4K in 2024 and $37.6K in 2025 — essentially unchanged, while most other categories saw some renewal compression. Another notable pattern is the Q1 spike and Q2 dip in average Annual Contract Value (ACV) visible in both 2024 and 2025. This highlights Salesforce’s dominant impact on the wider category — with a January 31 fiscal year-end, large Salesforce purchases pull the Q1 category average up sharply before normalizing the rest of the year.
In this report, we do a deep dive analysis of how SaaS businesses grow from zero to $30M ARR and beyond. We also share the latest growth trends, insights, and benchmarks based on data from over 2,200 SaaS businesses.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
In this report, we do a deep dive analysis of how SaaS businesses grow from zero to $30M ARR and beyond. We also share the latest growth trends, insights, and benchmarks based on data from over 2,200 SaaS businesses.
SaaS growth rates have stabilized in the last 3 quarters. While the data doesn’t show any gain, it’s clear that growth is not deteriorating. There are pockets of optimism. Growth for best-in-class SaaS startups is accelerating and new business activity is picking up.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
SaaS growth rates have stabilized in the last 3 quarters. While the data doesn’t show any gain, it’s clear that growth is not deteriorating. There are pockets of optimism. Growth for best-in-class SaaS startups is accelerating and new business activity is picking up.
Best-in-class SaaS businesses grow over 100% each year. The top decile of SaaS businesses with ARR in the range of $1-3M grow at 192% annually. Those in the $3-8M ARR segment, grow at 121%. And those, in the $8-15M ARR segment grow at 110%.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Best-in-class SaaS businesses grow over 100% each year. The top decile of SaaS businesses with ARR in the range of $1-3M grow at 192% annually. Those in the $3-8M ARR segment, grow at 121%. And those, in the $8-15M ARR segment grow at 110%.
Top-tier SaaS startups reach $1M ARR within 9 months. The median startup takes approximately 2 years and 9 months. On average, SaaS startups reach $10M ARR in slightly over 5 years. Even after 10 years in business, only 13% of SaaS startups are able to hit the $10M ARR mark.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Top-tier SaaS startups reach $1M ARR within 9 months. The median startup takes approximately 2 years and 9 months. On average, SaaS startups reach $10M ARR in slightly over 5 years. Even after 10 years in business, only 13% of SaaS startups are able to hit the $10M ARR mark.
The majority of SaaS startups grow from $1M to $10M ARR by growing their subscriber base. Only a small subset (<5%) of startups grow predominantly by increasing their ARPA.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
The majority of SaaS startups grow from $1M to $10M ARR by growing their subscriber base. Only a small subset (<5%) of startups grow predominantly by increasing their ARPA.
Growth is stabilizing for most SaaS businesses. Year-over-year growth rates for the top quartile of SaaS companies with $1-30M ARR have stabilized in the last three quarters. While the data doesn’t show any gain, it’s clear that growth is not deteriorating.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Growth is stabilizing for most SaaS businesses. Year-over-year growth rates for the top quartile of SaaS companies with $1-30M ARR have stabilized in the last three quarters. While the data doesn’t show any gain, it’s clear that growth is not deteriorating.
New business is picking up across the $1-30M ARR segment. Slower new logo acquisition was the primary reason for the growth scare last year. This is now picking up gradually in the first two quarters of 2023.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
New business is picking up across the $1-30M ARR segment. Slower new logo acquisition was the primary reason for the growth scare last year. This is now picking up gradually in the first two quarters of 2023.
New business is still muted for early-stage SaaS startups (<$1m ARR). The median early-stage startup saw flat year-over-year new business ARR over the past 5 quarters.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
New business is still muted for early-stage SaaS startups (<$1m ARR). The median early-stage startup saw flat year-over-year new business ARR over the past 5 quarters.
Given the slowdown in new business, larger companies ($5-30M ARR) are relying more on expansion. The proportion of ARR gained from new business has come down from a peak of 61.4% in 2020 to 52.9% now. In contrast, the portion of ARR gained from expansion has increased from 29.1% in 2020 to 36.3% now. The reactivation component has remained roughly stable at 10-11%.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Given the slowdown in new business, larger companies ($5-30M ARR) are relying more on expansion. The proportion of ARR gained from new business has come down from a peak of 61.4% in 2020 to 52.9% now. In contrast, the portion of ARR gained from expansion has increased from 29.1% in 2020 to 36.3% now. The reactivation component has remained roughly stable at 10-11%.
For example, if a company with an Average Annual Contract Value (ACV) of $30,000 “only” increased Net Revenue Retention (NRR) from 111% to 112%, there might be concerns that more needed to be done. However, as the data below shows, the median NRR for companies with ACVs of $25,000 to $50,000 is 102%. So, while the absolute change in NRR was small, the company is in the 75 th percentile of its peers so it’s already well-optimized.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
For example, if a company with an Average Annual Contract Value (ACV) of $30,000 “only” increased Net Revenue Retention (NRR) from 111% to 112%, there might be concerns that more needed to be done. However, as the data below shows, the median NRR for companies with ACVs of $25,000 to $50,000 is 102%. So, while the absolute change in NRR was small, the company is in the 75 th percentile of its peers so it’s already well-optimized.
Retention is, of course, the glass-half-full cousin of “churn,” the enemy of all SaaS businesses. In the numbers that follow, churn is usually best described as (1 – “gross retention”), meaning, if you have 95% gross retention, that equals 5% churn. Net retention, in turn, adds to gross retention the positive effect of upsells, so net retention is always higher than gross retention. And, the means of calculation should follow a cohort over time for consistency.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Retention is, of course, the glass-half-full cousin of “churn,” the enemy of all SaaS businesses. In the numbers that follow, churn is usually best described as (1 – “gross retention”), meaning, if you have 95% gross retention, that equals 5% churn. Net retention, in turn, adds to gross retention the positive effect of upsells, so net retention is always higher than gross retention. And, the means of calculation should follow a cohort over time for consistency.
GRR is the same formula, excluding the upsells, cross-sells, and price increases. (For easy calculation, set each customer’s 2024 MRR to be less than or equal to their 2023 MRR.) For this reason, gross retention cannot exceed 100%.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
GRR is the same formula, excluding the upsells, cross-sells, and price increases. (For easy calculation, set each customer’s 2024 MRR to be less than or equal to their 2023 MRR.) For this reason, gross retention cannot exceed 100%.
For retention, benchmarking by ACV is the best starting point. More than by company age, revenue level, or industry, companies that share a similar selling price have the most in common. They will be organized similarly, go to market similarly, and support customers similarly. The opposite is true of two companies selling a $19.99/month product versus a $250,000/year product. The chart below shows that higher net retention correlates with higher ACVs. The chart below shows median NRR and median GRR across a range of annual contract values (ACVs).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
For retention, benchmarking by ACV is the best starting point. More than by company age, revenue level, or industry, companies that share a similar selling price have the most in common. They will be organized similarly, go to market similarly, and support customers similarly. The opposite is true of two companies selling a $19.99/month product versus a $250,000/year product. The chart below shows that higher net retention correlates with higher ACVs. The chart below shows median NRR and median GRR across a range of annual contract values (ACVs).
Digging deeper into the net revenue benchmarks, the chart below shows NRR broken into quartiles for the same ACV categories. For example, companies with ACVs between $25,000 and $50,000 show a median net revenue retention of 102% with the top quartile reporting NRR of 111% and the lowest quartile reporting 97% NRR.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Digging deeper into the net revenue benchmarks, the chart below shows NRR broken into quartiles for the same ACV categories. For example, companies with ACVs between $25,000 and $50,000 show a median net revenue retention of 102% with the top quartile reporting NRR of 111% and the lowest quartile reporting 97% NRR.
In the “not so encouraging” category, the New CAC Ratio increased by 14% in 2024 to a median of $2.00 of Sales and Marketing expense to acquire $1.00 of New Customer ARR.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
In the “not so encouraging” category, the New CAC Ratio increased by 14% in 2024 to a median of $2.00 of Sales and Marketing expense to acquire $1.00 of New Customer ARR.
This year’s data provides a new insight into the efficiency of larger ACV deals (> $100K), which is lower than solutions in the $10K - $100K range and even lower than in the $25K - $50K range
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
This year’s data provides a new insight into the efficiency of larger ACV deals (> $100K), which is lower than solutions in the $10K - $100K range and even lower than in the $25K - $50K range
Leveraging automation and AI to decrease the dependency on higher cost resources, is one strategy to evaluate how best to reduce the New CAC Ratio for lower ACV solutions in the $10K - $50K ACV range
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Leveraging automation and AI to decrease the dependency on higher cost resources, is one strategy to evaluate how best to reduce the New CAC Ratio for lower ACV solutions in the $10K - $50K ACV range
Over half (59%) of marketers think their efforts are at least “somewhat effective.” That’s encouraging. But it also means nearly half are stuck in neutral or struggling.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Over half (59%) of marketers think their efforts are at least “somewhat effective.” That’s encouraging. But it also means nearly half are stuck in neutral or struggling.
Here’s the interesting twist: When asked what moved the needle, more than half of the effective teams point to content relevance and quality (65%) and team skills and capabilities (53%), followed by:
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Here’s the interesting twist: When asked what moved the needle, more than half of the effective teams point to content relevance and quality (65%) and team skills and capabilities (53%), followed by:
That’s 61% of marketers who report improvement. Yes, new technology played a role (51% credited new technology implementation), but look closer. The biggest driver of improvement is people-related, with 74% pointing to strategy refinement. In addition, 40% cite team restructuring and resource changes (another people factor), followed by measurement capabilities (26%), budget adjustments (16%), market conditions (14%), competitive landscape shifts (13%), and audience behavior changes (10%).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
That’s 61% of marketers who report improvement. Yes, new technology played a role (51% credited new technology implementation), but look closer. The biggest driver of improvement is people-related, with 74% pointing to strategy refinement. In addition, 40% cite team restructuring and resource changes (another people factor), followed by measurement capabilities (26%), budget adjustments (16%), market conditions (14%), competitive landscape shifts (13%), and audience behavior changes (10%).
Tech is only half the story. Yes, 51% credited new tools (AI, automation, etc.) as a contributing factor, but that choice lagged behind good old-fashioned strategic refinement. Tools don’t create strategy; they amplify it.
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Tech is only half the story. Yes, 51% credited new tools (AI, automation, etc.) as a contributing factor, but that choice lagged behind good old-fashioned strategic refinement. Tools don’t create strategy; they amplify it.
Other challenges include creating enough quality content to meet our organizational needs (28%), differentiating content from competitors (24%), aligning content with the buyer’s journey (23%), cross-department collaboration (21%), understanding audience informational needs (20%), developing a content strategy and plan (16%), aligning with sales objectives (15%), technology integration (8%), and content governance and compliance (6%).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Other challenges include creating enough quality content to meet our organizational needs (28%), differentiating content from competitors (24%), aligning content with the buyer’s journey (23%), cross-department collaboration (21%), understanding audience informational needs (20%), developing a content strategy and plan (16%), aligning with sales objectives (15%), technology integration (8%), and content governance and compliance (6%).
AI isn’t just in the room anymore. It is the room. According to our research, 95% of B2B marketers say their organizations use AI-powered applications. Here’s where their implementation stands:
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
AI isn’t just in the room anymore. It is the room. According to our research, 95% of B2B marketers say their organizations use AI-powered applications. Here’s where their implementation stands:
Conversion Rate Optimization is the second-most-used optimization technique among marketers (50%). It's second to audience segmentation refinement by just one percent ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Conversion Rate Optimization is the second-most-used optimization technique among marketers (50%). It's second to audience segmentation refinement by just one percent ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026).
70% of B2C marketers say they understand the challenges in organic search and what to do about them. This is higher than the percentage of B2B marketers (62%) ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026 ).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
70% of B2C marketers say they understand the challenges in organic search and what to do about them. This is higher than the percentage of B2B marketers (62%) ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026 ).
73.7% of marketers plan on maintaining or increasing their investment in voice search optimization this year. ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026 ).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
73.7% of marketers plan on maintaining or increasing their investment in voice search optimization this year. ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026 ).
Less than 10% of marketers report leveraging voice search optimization (Alexa, Siri, etc.) in their strategy currently. ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026 ).
As stated in the cited source passage; see source context.
Less than 10% of marketers report leveraging voice search optimization (Alexa, Siri, etc.) in their strategy currently. ( HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2026 ).
Similarly, the number of respondents who reported using generative AI in at least one business function more than doubled—from 33% in 2023 to 71% last year.
Similarly, the number of respondents who reported using generative AI in at least one business function more than doubled—from 33% in 2023 to 71% last year.
49% of respondents whose organizations use AI in service operations report cost savings, followed by supply chain management (43%) and software engineering (41%), but most of them report cost savings of less than 10%.
49% of respondents whose organizations use AI in service operations report cost savings, followed by supply chain management (43%) and software engineering (41%), but most of them report cost savings of less than 10%.
49% of respondents whose organizations use AI in service operations report cost savings, followed by supply chain management (43%) and software engineering (41%), but most of them report cost savings of less than 10%.
With regard to revenue, 71% of respondents using AI in marketing and sales report revenue gains, 63% in supply chain management, and 57% in service operations, but the most common level of revenue increases is less than 5%.
With regard to revenue, 71% of respondents using AI in marketing and sales report revenue gains, 63% in supply chain management, and 57% in service operations, but the most common level of revenue increases is less than 5%.
With regard to revenue, 71% of respondents using AI in marketing and sales report revenue gains, 63% in supply chain management, and 57% in service operations, but the most common level of revenue increases is less than 5%.
While North America maintains its leadership in organizations’ use of AI, Greater China demonstrated one of the most significant year-over-year growth rates, with a 27 percentage point increase in organizational AI use.
Europe followed with a 23 percentage point increase, suggesting a rapidly evolving global AI landscape and intensifying international competition in AI implementation.
Generative AI reached 53% population adoption within three years, faster than the PC or the internet, though the pace varies by country and correlates strongly with GDP per capita.
On the roads, self-driving cars are no longer experimental: Waymo, one of the largest U.S. operators, provides over 150,000 autonomous rides each week, while Baidu’s affordable Apollo Go robotaxi fleet now serves numerous cities across China.
Corporate AI investment reached $252.3 billion in 2024, with private investment climbing 44.5% and mergers and acquisitions up 12.1% from the previous year.
Corporate AI investment reached $252.3 billion in 2024, with private investment climbing 44.5% and mergers and acquisitions up 12.1% from the previous year.
Corporate AI investment reached $252.3 billion in 2024, with private investment climbing 44.5% and mergers and acquisitions up 12.1% from the previous year.
Private investment in generative AI reached $33.9 billion in 2024, up 18.7% from 2023 and over 8.5 times higher than 2022 levels.
Methodology
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