B2B Marketer

Improving the customer experience (CX) is a major priority for B2B marketers, according to a recent Forrester study, as companies look for new and creative ways to deliver their content across the purchasing landscape. Having comprehensive measurement programs may be half the battle.

B2B brands continue to struggle getting the most out of their marketing technology stack. The problem ranges from a lack of training among sales and marketing teams to the integration of all of their disparate software programs. But that's starting to change, as companies put more strategies in place based on collaboration.

Bombarded by marketing content for nearly the past two years, B2B buyers are feeling burned out and are dramatically reducing their content intake. But that doesn’t mean brand managers can let up when it comes to developing their messaging efforts. To the contrary, CMOs and marketers have to stir their creative juices to develop the kinds of campaigns that have a touch of fun and, perhaps more important, treat their customers like humans.

B2B marketers continue to struggle with developing thought leadership content that will grab their customers and prospects and drive new revenue, new research suggests.

Marketplace and industry factors are forcing marketers to adopt new metrics for measuring email engagement, and they’re taking a close look at the value (and content) they’re providing to customers and prospects while they’re at it.

While search still commands the biggest portion of the budgeting pie, display advertising is poised to pull even with search in 2022 and overtake it in 2023. As digital spending continues to shift, B2B companies are looking to optimize all their various online ad formats and drive better outcomes.

Gamification is built around competition, of course, but it can also spur camaraderie among B2B marketing teams. By adding social interaction and personal challenges, gamification gives more and more employees (read: millennials) a way to enjoy their day while striving to hit their business goals.

B2B brands are struggling with generating decent returns from their video investments. Part of the problem may be that marketers are getting hung up on thinking they have to produce Hollywood-style movies to justify their investments. Most important is conveying information that’s easy to digest and focuses on customers’ needs.

B2B marketers were betting that the economic impact of the pandemic would be short-lived. It hasn't turned out that way, and now they're facing major budget cuts. With fewer dollars to demonstrate returns, marketers are turning to pure-play channels — encompassing paid, earned, and owned media — and moving more of their work in-house. Lead-gen programs are also taking precedence over branding efforts.

A recent survey shows that the right hand seldom knows what the left hand is doing when it comes to melding virtual and in-person B2B events.

Against the backdrop of seismic changes in customer behavior, B2B companies are taking major steps to optimize their marketing assets and cultivate more collaboration among disparate teams who share the same goals.

The pandemic has forced many B2B marketers to reevaluate their overall content marketing strategy, what with buyers’ needs changing at a rapid clip. Amid the last gasps of ‘spray and pray,’ B2B companies seem to be finally moving toward developing more personalized messaging that seeks to solve customers’ problems rather than just provide them with information.

Amid a growing reliance on data, taking a gut check still holds a good deal of value for B2B marketers readying a new advertising or marketing campaign. It’s not a zero-sum game, of course. But as they get better at scrubbing their data and making sure it’s up to date, marketers will have an easier time striking an amicable balance between the data and human intuition.

Most B2B professionals taking part in a recent survey say that building a human connection with their buyers has become more important to closing sales since March 2020, when the pandemic hit. Nevertheless, many B2B marketers continue to struggle with cultivating a personalized approach to getting their message out.

Patti Cocciolo, senior director of global brand marketing at Cisco, says starting the company’s in-house agency, The Hatch, took a “leap of faith.” But the move has proved beneficial for the tech giant’s marketing efforts. The in-house team brings an institutional knowledge of the company to the table while relations with outside agencies are a lot closer and more productive.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) required big banks to reach more small businesses, and those located in underserved communities in particular. The effort has led Chase to significantly expand the company’s products, advertising, and content marketing.

At the height of the pandemic, B2B marketers placed a much bigger emphasis on supporting existing relationships and cultivating lifetime value. As things start to ease up and acquisition-level marketing commands more budget, it’s crucial that marketers not lose the momentum they built up over the past year with their long-term customers.

B2B marketers have been investing more heavily in brand advertising in the past few years, realizing that they need to espouse what they stand for beyond offering competitive prices. At the same time, the pandemic has caused B2B companies to reevaluate their marketing priorities as the top and bottom lines take on new urgency.

Major B2B brands bring several advantages to the market compared to smaller businesses and startups, including brand recognition, significant resources, and longtime relationships with customers and suppliers. But when it comes to leveraging their own data for opportunistic growth — not just incremental performance gains — B2B marketers lag behind their entrepreneurial competitors and could be ceding precious market share.

Call it a feedback loop: Sales reps are under increasing pressure to sell their wares via multiple channels, and B2B marketers need to support these efforts by supplying a steady flow of relevant content for every stage of the buying cycle. At the same time, marketers need to generate revenue regardless of channel, which means steering more and more of their customers to e-commerce platforms.