B2B Marketing Trends 2024 – The Top 10(Updated)
Digitization, data protection, and personalization were just a few of the B2B marketing trends that could not be avoided in 2021. But trends don’t disappear all at once at the end of the year. Some have come to stay and change the marketing cosmos for the long term. Therefore, we have put the trends from 2021 to the test and updated them for 2024. Find out more about the top 10 B2B marketing trends for 2024!
B2B Marketing Trends 2024 – The Top 10
- Trend # 1: digitization
- Trend # 2: Data protection
- Trend # 3: team empowerment
- Trend # 4: hyper-personalization
- Trend # 5: platform strategy
- Trend # 6: Marketing and sales working together
- Trend # 7: Customer Centricity
- Trend # 7: Customer Intelligence
- Trend # 8: Lead generation with content marketing
- Trend # 9: account-based marketing
- Trend # 10: AI and machine learning
B2B Marketing Trend # 1: Digitization
The year 2021 continued to drive digitization. Digitized marketing and sales processes, virtual collaboration, online and hybrid events, and fast communication via digital channels have once again shown the advantages of digitization. The acceptance of what is digitally possible will continue to increase even if it is unclear how the corona situation will develop in the coming year. One thing is sure: there is always a way to go online. Therefore, companies must position themselves digitally and possible so that contact with their stakeholders and target groups does not break off at any time but instead is maintained.
Trend # 2: Data Protection
The topic of data protection remains a long-running issue – also in marketing. It was not until December 2021 that the Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG) set a new milestone in data protection and privacy. Accordingly, users must expressly consent to the setting of cookies that are not necessary (opt-in). In plain language, this means that companies are not allowed to collect data without opt-in, set up address lists, and create detailed user profiles. Getting them for email tracking and similar data processing does not obtain the consent of the users; they make themselves a criminal offense.
Furthermore, data processing outside the European Union or the European Economic Area remains critical. Marketers who still rely on standard US tools or providers who transfer their data to the US or are based in the US have to find legally compliant alternatives. These already exist: Many European software manufacturers offer server locations within the EU, lawfully compliant consent management and privacy by design, and privacy by default standards that comply with data protection regulations. At the same time, they can prove certificates for data protection and security – all aspects that will be more relevant than ever for companies in 2024 when using marketing tools.
B2B Marketing Trend # 3: Team Empowerment
Success is someone who inspires his customers – continuously. To accomplish this, the employees with customer contact, i.e., the marketing and sales team, need the appropriate tools and skills. And one seldom works without the other. Employees must be empowered, especially about the digitization and automation of marketing and sales processes through software solutions.
This includes the transfer of know-how and the imparting of IT skills to understand supporting technologies such as marketing and sales automation solutions and then to use them effectively. By using B2B, companies collect digitally, automatically consolidate and evaluate data about their customers, gradually come closer to your customers’ wishes and needs, and can develop tailor-made measures. Without a critical understanding of how the technology works, the potential cannot be fully realized.
Trend # 4: Hyper-Personalization
For 2021, experts expect around 319.6 billion emails sent and received daily (source: Statista ). It is no longer sufficient for companies to adapt mailings and newsletters thematically to specific needs and to address them personally. Suppose companies want to attract attention in this jungle of emails and inspire their target groups. In that case, the teased landing pages must output a personalized variant that is optimally tailored to the user as soon as the email recipient clicks on the corresponding link.
Using a Marketing Automation Tool such hyper-personalization becomes possible because it automates the processes to the greatest possible extent. At the same time, it allows personalized content to be played out to finely segmented target groups, thereby significantly increasing the success of mailings and newsletters. Professional data management forms the basis. Only if the database is up-to-date, maintained, and error-free can B2B companies, for example, create realistic buyer personas based on data and thus ensure that their message reaches the right target group.
Trend # 5: Platform Strategy
Sales have been using CRM systems for many years to look after customers professionally. Today the Marketing Automation Software joins them. Both methods can only play to their strengths in new customer acquisition and existing customer care if they are integrated and other tools. A platform strategy, also known as the best of breed, is suitable for this, preferably. Such a software ecosystem combines different specialized software solutions via bidirectional interfaces, including those from third-party providers, into an individual overall system that optimally maps the existing processes of a B2B company. B2B companies can only get a 360-degree view of their customers and successfully align their communication to their target groups with a system network tailored to the application area.
B2B Marketing Trend # 6: Cooperation Between Marketing And Sales
Cooperation between marketing and sales is essential for successful customer relationships. To get a 360-degree view of customers and derive appropriate marketing measures, companies have to break down existing data silos and consolidate relevant information. On the one hand, this is achieved by linking your existing CRM and marketing automation systems and, on the other hand, dissolving existing departmental boundaries.
Companies establish professional and holistic Customer Experience Management – for more long-term loyal customers. Sales employees, in particular, will be the clout of Marketing Automation – for example, about their sales funnel management or the design of your sales pipeline – learn to appreciate it.
Trend # 7: Customer Intelligence
Our everyday life is increasingly digital. This is accompanied by a new understanding that customers have developed of themselves. You are self-confident, demanding, and well-informed, but also a little inconsistent.
After all, they are now used to receiving all information and solutions with just a few clicks. That is why companies are challenged to create perfect experiences for their customers. However, this can only succeed if companies make sensible use of the information available about their customers by connecting the relevant source systems and carrying out comprehensive data analyzes.
B2B Marketing Trend # 8: Lead Generation Using Content Marketing
The changed information behavior has long been reflected in B2B as well. Potential customers research on the Internet, read product reviews and compare prices. The buying process begins before the first contact is made – long before a company knows the prospect. This is exactly where content marketing comes in.
Using helpful content that companies offer at various touch points along the prospect’s customer journey, you can enter into a dialogue with him and thus gradually convince him of yourself and your products and services – and not just through textual content, but also by video. B2B lead generation begins where potential customers start their search.
Trend # 9: Account-Based Marketing
Account-based marketing, ABM for short, is also still on the B2B Marketing Trend Radar and can effectively support companies in terms of personalized addressing. Because only on an account basis is it possible to address customers and interested parties individually. ABM turns the usual sales funnel on its head, as selected target contacts are part of a personalized marketing campaign that is precisely tailored to each person’s specific needs. That is why the success of account-based marketing is usually very high – especially about generating high-quality leads.
B2B Marketing Trend # 10: AI And Machine Learning
With the help of intelligent algorithms, marketing processes can be made even more accessible and more efficient in the future. Even if it still sounds a bit like a dream of the future, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will ensure more personalization and accurate messages. In this context, predictive analytics is just one of the many possibilities.
This extensive data method makes it possible to predict the behavior and needs of the target group. Based on this, suitable content and offers can be created. As a trend in email marketing, 2021 Smart mechanisms will soon be able to refine the recipient segmentation and optimize the sending time individually. In this way, potential customers receive the correct information for their purchase decision at precisely the best time.
Also Read: Three Reasons Why Companies Should Digitize Marketing
