World of B2B marketing strategy is everchanging. Marketers need to adapt to the evolving formats of B2B marketing in order to remain relevant in this vertical.
“Business-to-business work is about building a brand from the inside out. The brand message that we communicate to our clients’ business constituents is often the same message that is carried through to the consumers in the marketplace.”
- Maureen Hall
Forrester research has released its B2B marketing and innovation predictions for 2022 and some of them are quite unpredictable. These predictions resonate the changing roles of marketers and marketing in B2B companies.
CMOs to strive for excellence in partner experience
B2B buying practices are complex. Many B2B buyers mostly turn to B2B channel partners in their initial stage of the buying process. Channel partners help buyers to ideate, buy and install products. This reiterates the significance of channel partners in the B2B sales process. In order to deliver a satisfying partner experience, CMOs are now paying extra attention for making sure that their partners are happy.
Latest realisation is causing CMOs to think more strategically about their partner’s concerns, who they target, who they appoint and the best ways to retain them. It has become mandatory for the marketers to ensure a great experience for their channel partners.
In the spirit of ensuring a robust experience, many B2B companies are looking to B2B marketing agencies, to work dedicatedly for their channel partners.
Personalisation of engagement strategies is not the whole picture anymore
Even after investing in technologies to deliver more personalised communication and experiences, B2B firms are not achieving desired results. According to the Forrester Research, there is a concern of the amount of ‘value addition’ delivered through personalisation amongst B2B marketers. B2B digital marketing strategies are evolving to make personalisation more effective and nuanced. Engagement strategies now have a whole lot of new responsibilities. Marketers need to answer the following questions through their B2B marketing strategies:
- What is the problem that marketers are trying to solve?
- Where are the buyers in their buying journey?
- Which buying team are the buyers part of and what role marketers have in that stage?
Lack of insight and actionable information of each unique buyer, defeats the purpose of personalisation strategies. Many B2B firms are now roping in expert B2B digital marketing agencies to ensure a robust plan for customising their buying processes for the B2B buyers.
Purpose of B2B marketing will evolve
The traditional marketing purpose of driving leads, brand administration and sales support is evolving and heading into a more insightful and nuanced territory.
Marketers are now expected to solve more complex problems through their B2B marketing strategy. Identifying opportunities, building strategies, orchestrating execution, ensuring profit growth and providing value to retained and future stakeholders is now the part of marketing.
Many B2B marketing agencies are delivering integrated and customised marketing solutions to the B2B firms.
Ideal digital marketing strategy will change the game for B2B companies
B2B companies are now witnessing a strategic shift towards digital marketing. With advanced technology at their disposal, B2B companies are realising the significance of digital marketing. Right strategies are difficult to crack and B2B marketing world faces different and complex issues. In order to ensure a robust digital marketing plan for B2B companies, it is essential for marketers to focus on the problem at hand.
With evolved creative demands, budget restraints and complex channel decisions, marketers face a challenge in crafting marketing strategy for B2B enterprises. This is resulting in massive outsourcing of marketing strategies from B2B marketing agencies.
Hybrid working age will change the B2B dynamic
COVID inspired hybrid working age is affecting the internal dynamics of B2B companies. According to the Forrester Research, Midwestern clients are having trouble to retain the talent because their team members can earn 25% more by working remotely for a New York agency.
This transformation is forcing CMOs to add more virtual team members by using freelance talent and hiring B2B digital marketing agency partners.
These marketing predictions are here to stay and it will be beneficial for B2B firms to adapt accordingly.
