New research has suggested that pharmaceutical businesses will spend more on web-based marketing in the next two years.

MarketBridge and Pharmaceutical Executive magazine surveyed about 220 executives within the industry and found that the majority of firms spend up to ten per cent of their marketing budgets on the internet, while 32 per cent spend between ten and 20 per cent.

It is likely that the proportion of companies spending up to 20 per cent on digital marketing will rise in the next two years, mirroring trends seen in other industries, the report said.

The survey also found that search marketing tactics such as search engine optimisation were viewed as being among the most effective online marketing campaigns.

"Digital marketing spend is expected to rise and digital has at least ‘some influence’ in hiring, as organisations move more towards digital marketing adoption," the report said.

Search engine marketing spending reached £981 million in the first six months of this year, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau.

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