The vast majority of marketers use conversions or sales data to measure the success of their lead generation campaigns, new research has revealed.

A study by Forbes, titled the Ad Effectiveness Survey, found that 82 per cent of those questioned use these factors to judge the effectiveness of their digital marketing initiates, while 55 per cent use registrations.

The survey also revealed that search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click tactics were some of the most effective at gathering conversions, while video advertisements were cited as being among the least effective.

And 40 per cent of respondents intend to invest more of their marketing budget into SEO over the coming six months, the figures show.

President and chief executive of Forbes Jim Spanfeller described the results as "interesting", noting that many firms are choosing to invest in "demand creation" as there are now "signs of life" in the economy.

"It's amazing that less than one-third of marketers are using brand perception metrics," he added, noting that such research is "readily available" to companies that want it.

In related news, a study by Econsultancy recently found that online content management systems are growing in popularity among businesses, as many are using such systems to make sure that their web content is operating effectively.

Written by Julian Poulter and Copyright "Selling People 2009"