10 Things to Expect in the B2B

Environment in 2014

Storytelling

Every company has a story, and the ability to effectively tell this story is the best way to cut through the B2B information overload and resonate with customers. Within any effective storytelling effort, both rational and emotional triggers should be used, in order to influence purchase decisions. Consider structuring your content around a problem (and how your company can solve it), while also including a human interest element, all the while incorporating topicality and keeping it both relevant and on-trend.

In-Depth Content

When it comes to content, many marketers have been quick to claim that less is a whole lot more. But what many

haven’t considered is that there is still a significant place in the market for longer form content, after all 73% of adults

who consume news on their tablets, read in-depth articles*. This behavioural trend suggests that marketers will continue incorporating in-depth marketing collateral into their content

marketing strategy.*Pew Research, 2012

VideoContent may have been king in 2013, but 2014 is all about which type of content is deserving of the title. My vote would be video. With 63% of B2B marketers believing that online video is one of the most effective forms of content*, 2014 could be the year that video becomes a mainstream tactic. Consider allocating a significant budget to create videos such as product demos, company footage, leadership interviews and client testimonials, and additionally consider mastering Vine to tell your story in 6 seconds.

*Content Marketing Institute, 2013

Increased Importance of Content

Thanks to Google’s recent updates to their Panda, Hummingbird and Penguin algorithms, it is safe to say that the keyword game has very much changed. Now that a company’s ranking is no longer reliant on keywords, but rather high-quality, relevant content, in 2014 more and more marketers will have to consider content marketing as less of an option and more of a necessity.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation has recently began to move from being solely an automated email platform, to a platform that includes tracking campaigns

that view user activity from a 360 perspective. Despite being highly effective, marketing automation is still very much underutilised as a

marketing tactic, with only 46% currently automating campaigns. 2014 will see this figure rise, with many marketers becoming more strategic in their

marketing automation efforts, as platforms begin to include better integration with CRM, social and mobile, and better analytics and reporting.

Visual Messaging

2013 saw the likes of Vine and Instagram become major marketing tools, in not only the B2C environment, but also (surprisingly) in B2B. As content marketing continues to become a vital element of any strategic marketing plan, it is expected that visual content will be even more prominent.

When it comes to using this tactic effectively, remember to combine usefulness, inspiration and empathy to inform and develop your visual messaging.

Purpose-Driven Marketing

Over the last few years we have seen plenty of purpose-driven marketing campaigns in the consumer world; however it is more recently that the major B2B players have taken notice and began to replicate this purpose-driven messaging. Think IBM with its ‘Smarter planet’ repositioning*. While it is far from a new tactic, it is expected that in 2014, more and more B2B companies will become smarter in identifying their core point of differentiation, allowing them to connect with their customers in a more relevant and personal manner.

*Smarter Planer – IBM, 2013

Mobile Strategy

Throughout 2013, a large emphasis was placed on marketers to have a mobile presence. In 2014 this is no longer enough, and marketers will be encouraged to begin developing a solid mobile strategy. Companies will need to look at how they can raise the bar on mobile customer experiences, and take advantage of developments in mobile analytics and mobile marketing. This will allow them to effectively capture data and leverage it for personalisation.

Tailoring Content in the Sales Cycle77% of buyers request targeted content at each stage of their research, and only 43% of marketers actually do so*. As B2B buyers’ expectations of content quality increases, marketers are faced with two options; capitalise on this growing need for tailored and targeted content, or face losing customers and prospects to smarter competitors. Consider using blog posts and video to initially educate prospects, and as they begin to move down the sales funnel, content should become more personalised and relevant to their need, for instance through case studies and whitepapers.

*Pardot, 2013

Corporate Social Responsibility

Social media has become an important tactic for a successful PR strategy, however merely having a social presence is no longer enough. 2014 will see more B2B corporations develop strategic social responsibility initiatives, using social media to amplify their good deeds in the local community, further demonstrating how they are making a positive impact on society and the environment.