B2B marketing trends for 2024

1. Thought leadership takes precedence

In 2024, B2B brands are recognising the importance of being thought leaders in their respective industries. A survey of 300 business leaders revealed a strong correlation between thought leadership and brand strength. What sets a strong B2B brand apart is having a purpose grounded in credibility. Customers need to believe that the brand can solve their problems and contribute to the industry's future.

Thought leaders engage clients in conversations about industry knowledge and the trajectory of the sector. By painting a vision and inviting clients to be part of it, brands establish themselves as industry leaders. More importantly, B2B brands that use emotion while doing so on LinkedIn are also being rewarded by receiving 198 times more followers.

2. Disruptive positioning for B2B success

Disruption is gaining prominence in B2B marketing, with 80% of people respecting brands that take a disruptive position. However, the approach to disruption must be strategic, targeted and relevant to specific B2B communities.

B2B brands should focus on specific communities rather than trying to appeal broadly. Partnering with clients and prospects is crucial, involving them in the conversation to ensure the solutions provided are relevant.

Aligning sales and marketing is also essential to create a unified front, with a focus on shared KPIs. Marketing needs to be commercially driven, demonstrating its contribution to revenue and client “stickiness” (retention).

3. Generative AI opportunities for B2B

The integration of generative AI in B2B marketing offers new possibilities, from transforming content creation to enhancing internal efficiencies. AI models are proving beneficial in generating creative assets for TV ads, metaverse and text-to-video applications. The use of generative AI in creating synthetic audiences is transforming how B2B targets niche and hard-to-reach audiences.

Conversational AI experiences, 3D content for the metaverse and websites, and co-piloting with AI in internal processes, such as stakeholder management, showcase the diverse applications of generative AI.

4. Integration of SEO and paid media for lead generation

Effective integration of SEO and paid media activities is crucial for generating leads in B2B. Key strategies involve aligning business objectives, understanding customer journeys and leveraging data-driven insights. Integration of organic and paid keyword strategies, with a focus on search terms, competitor analysis and mapping keywords to relevant pages is important for B2B to utilise.

Cross-channel reporting is highlighted to build confidence in data, especially with the emergence of new search experiences like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), which will increase zero-click searches, thus the need to measure data holistically.

Brands that embrace these trends in 2024 and adapt to the evolving landscape are poised to thrive in the dynamic and competitive B2B environment.

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