B2B MARKETING TRENDS 2024 – AN AGENCY PERSPECTIVE

As we welcome the new year with hope, aspirations, and goals, the time is just right to look at the digital trends that are all set to disrupt the market.

But a quick recap before we delve further.

2023 was a defining year for B2B marketing. AI gate crashed the party, content creators hogged the limelight, offline events became a thing again, and lead gen became the ultimate measure for all things marketing.

Without further ado, let’s dive in to look at the key trends that are raring to shape B2B marketing in 2024 and beyond.

Trend #1

AI is not really the bad boy of the tech world as it’s made out to be

AI is changing the marketing sector in a big way. From content creation and creative design to email marketing and digital marketing, AI enables marketers to automate, optimize, and personalize their campaigns. It takes care of everything- SEO off-page content, writing headlines, fixing grammar and tonality, and curating design.

But here’s the kicker; it lacks logical analysis and creative thinking. It has a long way to go before it starts replacing writers, designers, and marketers. Humans are, and will continue to be, in the driver’s seat!

Statistics confirm human-created content will outperform AI-written content 94.12% of the time.

Human intelligence and creativity are still essential for B2B marketing success. Marketers need to leverage AI as a tool, not a threat, and focus on adding value and differentiation to their content and campaigns.

Trend #2

Podcasts are finally hitting the bullseye

Podcasts have been leveraged well in the B2C domain be it sports, business coaching, or any other arena. But in B2B, especially in IT Services? Not so much…

Only 17% of B2B marketers leverage podcasts to market their brand…!

It’s the perfect time to flaunt your expertise, drop some knowledge bombs, educate your audience, and drive conversations.

In 2024, we expect to see more B2B marketers investing in podcasts as a key component of their content marketing strategy.

Trend #3

LinkedIn Marketing will have a whale of a time

Most of us spend several hours on LinkedIn day after day to grow our network, hire top talent and know what key decision makers out there are up to.  With over 660 million users, LinkedIn is the only professional network out there that can boast about its user base and engagement.

It is an obvious choice for B2B marketers with new rollouts like LinkedIn Live, Stories, Newsletters, Creator mode, and Events keeping them on their toes.

In my experience, the quality of leads generated via LinkedIn messaging is much better than email outreach. Audiences prefer to engage on LinkedIn since it is reliable and often looked upon as a trusted networking platform.

Marketers must find innovative ways to leverage these features to their advantage.

Trend #4

The Brand Power Play takes the cake

With millions of content pieces, standing out with good content is like winning the marketing Olympics. Personalization remains the key. Especially for social media, email marketing, ads, and landing pages, personalized content helps you increase engagement, conversion, retention, and loyalty.

However, audience personalization or hyper-personalization is what will come to the rescue to differentiate your brand and build trust and rapport.

Trend #5

Content and the long and short of it

B2B buyers are often busy and impulsive. They want to consume short, crisp, and easy-to-digest content. They prefer content that is interactive and engaging and involves visual storytelling. It should be accessible, mobile-friendly, and shareable. The demand for short-form content is expected to increase in 2024.

The average user spends 95 minutes a day consuming short-form content in the form of videos, web stories, news, and more. This form of content can help you capture attention, convey your message, and drive action while optimizing your SEO, social media, and email marketing.

Trend #6

Let’s get personal with Account-based marketing (ABM)

ABM is going to be super crucial, especially if you cater to a niche domain. For brands who have a defined set of prospect bases, mapping and engaging your audience across all marketing channels becomes imperative. Starting from identifying the key influencers/decision makers in your focused accounts to driving closures – ABM can be your most important vehicle for marketing success.

Here are few ABM tactics you may adopt:

• Align your sales and marketing teams around a common goal and strategy
• Use data and AI to identify, prioritize, and segment accounts
• Create and deliver personalized and relevant content and campaigns across channels
• Measure and optimize the impact and ROI of ABM efforts
• Leverage technology and tools to automate, integrate, and orchestrate ABM activities

Summing up

The B2B marketing landscape is evolving everyday. It is important for marketers to stay on top of their game and leverage new technology, methods and tools.

Are there other trends which you think will disrupt B2B marketing?