The Future Of B2B Digital Marketing: Emerging Trends And Technologies

“During my four years with the company, we’ve consistently relied on the B2B digital marketing tactics which were working well. However, these tried and tested techniques are now failing to capture the attention of our target audience.” says Mr. Srinivasan (name changed), a client of many years, during one of our freewheeling conversations.

Srinivasan, the marketing manager of a leading IT company is responsible for the development and execution of marketing strategies. His deep knowledge of the industry and customer behavior had been instrumental in the company’s previous successes.

Nevertheless, with the rapid evolution of the digital marketing landscape, even an experienced professional like him faced challenges in keeping pace with the digital trends.

In this blog, we have discussed some of the insights and strategies we’ve shared to help him navigate this evolving landscape. For you, it would be a like a dive into the B2B Digital Marketing Trends 2024.

But before that, let’s quickly see the difference between B2C and B2B digital marketing!

What’s the difference between B2C and B2B digital marketing?

First and foremost, B2B and B2C marketing differs in their target audiences. For B2B, the audience is other businesses and for B2C, it’s individual consumers. Due to this, the content strategy and marketing messages are also entirely different. In case of B2B, the content is more data and specifications oriented. On the other hand, in case of B2C, the content taps into the emotional appeal of products and services and emphasize how they can enhance personal lives.

Trends and Technologies in B2B Digital Marketing

• Email Marketing is NOT Outdated

If you think that email marketing is not relevant anymore, let’s tell you that 84%⁽¹⁾ of B2B marketers consider email marketing as the most successful method of outreaching. Its role in B2B digital marketing is more prominent than you think. It helps in building customer relationships, nurturing leads, creating brand awareness, and keeping the customer engaged.

Technology has made the use of this channel more valuable. For example, now you have email campaigns management tools that help you design, segment, personalize, automate email workflows and even analyze performance.  Talking about personalization in B2B Marketing particularly, it’s relevant for all the strategies we will explore in this blog.

• Make your Content a 2-way Conversation

Gone are the days of monologues!

Interactive content marketing is one of the most powerful B2B content marketing trends. It helps you engage with your target audience in a more meaningful way and foster long-term relationships.

The role of AI in B2B marketing is multifaceted, especially in case of content creation and delivery, where it is manifested through content automation, interactive virtual webinars, live streams, conversational AI, or virtual assistance.

• Influencer Marketing Works for B2B as Well

The Cisco Champions campaign⁽²⁾ is a classic example of how influencer marketing can do wonders for B2B businesses. This campaign effectively brought together leading experts from the IT industry through various mediums.

As we can see, in the B2B realm, influencers are often experts or thought leaders in a specific industry. They help you boost brand visibility, credibility, and engagement, ultimately leading to increased customer acquisition.  You can collaborate with these influencers for business promotional posts, live streaming, product demonstration videos, Q/A sessions, podcasts etc.

• Social Media Advertising is MUCH MORE than just Placing Ads on Popular Platforms

Social media advertising is a great way of presenting yourself to the professionals and decision-makers of your industry. It’s extremely important to consider their pain points, needs, and interests before choosing what you put in the ad. Think of it as serving up exactly what they’re hungry for! Only then you will be able to stand out and generate leads.

With emerging B2B marketing technologies, the capabilities of social media advertising have also evolved. It has empowered advertisers to target the right audience, create engaging content, manage budgets efficiently, and measure the impact of their ad ampaigns. Remember, the more your B2B marketing is data-driven, the better it performs!

• Voice Query Users are on the Rise- Cater to their Needs:

 “Ok Google, what’s voice search optimization?”

Voice optimization involves making your online presence and content more accessible to voice search users. It has become one of the most popular B2B digital marketing strategies, especially in the recent years.

You can create a section on voice FAQ optimization on your website to enhance the user experience and improve search engine rankings. This is to provide informative and relevant answers to the website’s visitors. The key here? Understanding what makes your audience tick. You’ve got to know their pain points, their needs, and what triggers their interest.

• Expand and Enhance your Video Marketing Efforts

Time and again we say this that video marketing has a lot of potential for B2B lead generation. It is literally dominating in the list of B2B digital marketing strategies with 91% of businesses using it as a marketing tool. ⁽⁴⁾  Do you know why?

Video content allows B2B marketers to provide information in an appealing and engaging manner, which could otherwise be dull to consume. You can make animated explainer videos, customer testimonial, how-to videos, product demos, or thought leadership videos. Remember, quality matters! So, don’t hesitate in investing in good quality equipment and production values.

Conclusion

B2B digital marketing is evolving rapidly. It is evident that the future of B2B marketing will be defined by personalization, advanced technologies, and automation.

The stories of professionals like Mr. Srinivasan remind us that even the most experienced marketers must adapt to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive digital world.

Looking for a B2B digital marketing agency in India to help you to navigate this evolving landscape? Our experienced team is here to assist you in crafting a winning digital marketing strategy that aligns with your business and latest trends. Get in touch!

FAQs:

What is B2B marketing?

B2B marketing or "Business-to-Business marketing," refers to the strategies/ activities that businesses use to promote their products/ services to other businesses rather than to individual consumers.

Some examples of B2B marketing efforts include selling software solutions to corporations, supplying raw materials to manufacturers, offering consulting services to other businesses etc.

What are types of B2B marketing?

Some common types of B2B marketing include:

• Content Marketing:
• Email Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
• Influencer Marketing
• Video Marketing
• Event Marketing

What are the six steps in B2B marketing?

Here are six common steps in B2B marketing:

• Understand your audience
• Set objectives
• Develop a content strategy
• Select the channels
• Implement strategy and optimize
• Nurture leads

What technology is used in digital marketing?

Here are some technologies being used in B2B digital marketing:

• SEO tools
• Mobile marketing
• Chatbots
• Augmented reality
• Marketing analytics