If you haven’t been in the marketing business for long, you might be surprised to learn how quickly things change in the industry. One year you’ll be focusing on keyword campaigns and the next keywords will be irrelevant. A couple years later, they’ll be essential once again.
For B2B businesses, staying on top of these trends is even more important. There are unique challenges with B2B marketing that you don’t see with B2C companies. As a B2B marketer, you need to bring your A-game every day.
To stay competitive and at the top of the field, you can’t ignore the way things are changing. Get ahead of the curve and start following the direction the trends are heading before they go mainstream. Here are some of the top marketing trends for B2B businesses you’ll need to know.
1. Influencer Marketing Will Be More Pronounced
For B2B businesses, influencer marketing hasn’t been a big thing until now. It was believed that companies didn’t respond in the same way to social media influencer campaigns that the everyday consumer does. Marketers found them to be effective but not always worth the money.
That’s likely to change in the next year. The ability to find influencers using AI will increase dramatically, making it simple for companies to find what they’re looking for. There will also be more influencers entering this market.
2. No More Funnel
Your marketing meetings for the last few years likely involved charts and graphs showing the sales funnel and how it can be leveraged to get more business. For those on top of the trends, 2020 marketing meetings likely won’t include the funnel.
Instead, the focus will be almost entirely on the relationship factor. It will be more about establishing a trusting, communicative connection between sales agents and their clients. That doesn’t mean your marketing and sales team will ignore the steps to develop a good relationship through a funnel-type model, but it will no longer be the focus.
3. More Personalized Communications
While B2B marketers become ever more focused on the relationship with the client, the demand for tailored communication will be essential. In fact, research shows that 72 percent of clients expect customized personalization from B2B companies, and without that, they’re unlikely to do business.
Personalized communication goes beyond simply using the customer’s name. It’s also about identifying buyer preferences, anticipating needs, and using the customer’s preferred method of communication. They also want you to respond quickly, so using automation programs can help you scale that personalization while still delivering an on-brand effect.
Get on these trends today, and you’ll be at the top of the pack in the coming year for B2B marketing.
