The future of B2B marketing: Trends and changes in 2024

B2B marketing is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. I'm excited to share insights into the trends that will shape our industry in 2024.

1. HAI-to-HAI Marketing: The rise of AI-driven strategies

After an experimental phase, AI tools are now mainstream in marketing organisations. This paradigm shift towards generative AI is transforming content marketing, leading to more personalised customer journeys. However, there is a caveat: if content is easily identified as synthetic and fails to deliver quality, engagement metrics will plummet. It's a balancing act between AI efficiency and authentic engagement.

2. Contextual over identity-based targeting

AI continues to refine media management, moving from identity-based to contextual targeting. This nuanced approach resonates more deeply with consumers, increasing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

3. The transformation of search marketing

The arrival of generative AI in search is putting pressure on companies that rely heavily on traditional SEO. We're on the edge of seeing specialised large language models and industrial GPTs in app stores, ready to disrupt both search engines and chatbots.

4. B2B Influencer Marketing: A dynamic landscape

Inspired by initiatives such as IBM and thyssenkrupp Materials Services, B2B influencer marketing is gaining particular traction in the German-speaking world. Influencers are becoming ambassadors for innovation, especially in complex product and service sectors. Micro-influencers now rival traditional B2B media in reach, but the key to success is engagement.

5. The growing importance of personal contact

As AI becomes more prevalent, personal interaction is becoming more important. Consumers want to connect with the faces behind brands, reinforcing the value of influencer marketing. It's important to distinguish between external influencer marketing and internal brand ambassadorship, as they play different roles in brand strategy.

6. Navigate potential conflicts in B2B micro-influencer marketing

The rise of B2B micro-influencers with follower counts between 10,000 and 20,000 raises potential conflicts of interest, especially when they also act as corporate ambassadors. This complexity requires a strategic approach to influencer partnerships.

7. LinkedIn's growing dominance in B2B social commerce

LinkedIn, the world's largest business network, is set to become even more influential in social commerce. With upcoming features such as Sales Navigator and Buyers Intent, LinkedIn is poised to become a powerhouse in B2B social commerce. Meanwhile, platforms traditionally seen as consumer-centric, such as TikTok, are making inroads into B2B through partnerships and enhanced commerce capabilities.

8. Social commerce: The B2B future

B2B companies are increasingly embracing social commerce in preparation for a digital-centric sales future. The shift from B2B to B2B2C is evident, with 54% of global B2B players now also targeting consumers. This shift highlights the importance of building personal relationships on social media platforms.

9. The micro-video momentum

Short-form video is having a significant impact on B2B marketing. Platforms such as YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels offer cost-effective advertising opportunities, making micro-videos an increasingly important tool for both awareness and branding.

Liked what you just read? Let's go long form with these trends..

?HAI-to-HAI Marketing (Human with AI to Human with AI)

After an experimental phase, AI tools will be widely used in marketing organisations. Generative AI will become mainstream in marketing. This in turn will change content marketing, customer journeys will become more personalised, but if the content is directly identifiable as synthetic and does not deliver on the promise of quality, as in the heyday of SEO, bounce and scroll rates will be astronomical.??

In media management, AI will (continue to) help target people based on context rather than identity. In marketing and content creation, no one will work without AI.

The search market will change. The emergence of generative, AI-based search will put pressure on companies that have relied heavily on search engine optimisation. Special interest industrial GPTs, specialised big language models, will soon hit the app stores and change both the search engine market and chatbots.

B2B Influencer Marketing

The B2B influencer forums at IBM and thyssenkrupp materials services have shown how much energy and importance this discipline already has in the German-speaking world: Influencers as ambassadors or catalysts for innovation. Especially for complex products and services, professional B2B influencer marketing in the awareness, branding and education phase offers high reach and activation potential through multimedia formats and storytelling. In the race for attention, micro-influencers can easily match the reach of traditional B2B print media. The key factor will be engagement.????

The more AI is used, the more important the "personal" contact becomes. Consumers want to get to know the people who represent brands. This in turn will benefit influencer marketing. It is important to distinguish between working with external influencers, i.e. influencer marketing, and using and training company ambassadors, i.e. brand or company ambassadors.

The increasing marketing of B2B micro-influencers with 10,000 to 20,000 followers, including via the growing agency business, could lead to conflicts of interest if they are also active as corporate ambassadors.

B2B social commerce

I believe that LinkedIn, as the world's largest business network, will become even more important as a social commerce platform. While services are already being communicated and offered through visuals on profiles, more sales navigators and "buyer intent" features will be added based on product and software interest. To get a taste of what's to come, visit the Sales Navigator community. All this means that LinkedIn is becoming increasingly important as a B2B social commerce platform.?

But even the supposed consumer social networks are not standing still in B2B. Salesforce recently partnered with TikTok. Its recent investment in the Commerce Cloud helps companies reach social media-savvy customers on this network and interact with the TikTok community, whether through advertising or by making their products easier to find.

Meanwhile, B2B companies have social commerce on their agenda as they prepare for a future where digital sales are at the heart of everything they do. In addition, many are transforming their business model from B2B to B2B2C - 54% of B2B players surveyed for our global report are now selling to consumers as well as businesses. And that's where social media comes in. Those who build and nurture personal relationships can also expect to see higher order volumes.

Micro-video momentum

The triumph of short-form video does not stop at B2B. With ever-shorter attention spans combined with relatively low-cost native advertising opportunities ("underpriced attention" according to Gary Vee) such as YouTube (Second largest Search Engine in the World) “Shorts” or Facebook “Reels”, the topic of micro-videos will also become increasingly important in B2B. Sometimes as teasers for awareness, sometimes as core content for branding.

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