"New" media platforms have become a critical and sizable component of the marketing mix for B2B marketers, according to a new survey conducted by the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and BtoB Magazine in partnership with Guideline Inc., MarketingCharts reports.

One-third of B2B firms surveyed reported spending more than 20 percent of their total media budget in new media, whereas only 5 percent of B2C firms surveyed did the same.

The bulk of new media spending for B2B marketers are for more-established platforms, including the company's own website and email marketing.

The survey, "Harnessing the Power of New Media Platforms," explores the 15 new media platforms in the B2B market, finding that new media platform categories fall into three distinct tiers, based on current usage rates:

• Top Tier: Proprietary websites, email marketing, Online Ads, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Webinars
• Middle Tier: Blogs, RSS Feeds, Podcasts, Video On Demand
• Bottom Tier: Wikis, Mobile, Viral Video, Social Networks, Second Life

MarketingCharts has more from the study.