It is a general sentiment in the business world that 2022 will be full of uncertainties and many unknown variables. But behind it all, there is the desire to break through and have a better year than the previous one.
2020 has turned the normal way of doing business upside down. Live, physical, face-to-face. These words have taken a back seat when it comes to networking, sales pitches and closing deals. The digital shift has gone completely global in such a drastic way, and all of sudden, things that we used to do face to face have to be done online.
In a nutshell, 2020 has been a big learning curve, but we all hope it peaks and pays off this year. So, what should we expect in general when it comes to marketing trends? Keep reading to learn more.
Top 5 B2B Marketing Trends
1. Augmented Reality Took the Video to A New Level
Video content is one of the best content to boost engagement. In a research, 54% of executives surveyed say that they share video content with their colleagues weekly. The only thing is that executives would rather watch videos on a company website than go to YouTube.
Add augmented reality to the video, and you take the experience to a whole new level. By using augmented reality, you can present different layers of your product in a way that will be quite memorable for the viewer.
2. Micro-Moments for Consumer Behavior
Coined the term \”micro-moments\” a few years ago, this concept focuses on the evolution of consumer behavior by integrating their dependence on mobile devices. Micro-moments, according to Google, are periods of decision-making and preference building that occur during the consumer journey.
A micro-moment occurs when you automatically use a device, most commonly a Smartphone, to learn, experience, watch, buy, or do something. These are crucial moments in the buyer\’s journey for marketers since they are useful when decisions are made, and inclinations are formed.
To get the most out of micro-moments, any company\’s marketing should:
- Identify when customers can decide to buy
- Ensure they are there when the customer needs them
- Identify and measure other important moments
- Make it as easy as possible for consumers to find information and convert
- Create relevant content around these moments
3. LinkedIn – The Best B2B Marketing Channel of Choice
LinkedIn is considered the platform for driving traffic to the b2b websites. This has been the case for a while and will continue to be the trend in 2021.
Here are few tips on how you can leverage LinkedIn to grow your business:
- First, if you don\’t have a business page, create one
- Connect with relevant businesses and people
- Create a group and invite participants
- Stay in touch with your connections by participating in webinars and posting relevant content
- Pay for visibility using the sponsored content feature.
4. Artificial Intelligence is Becoming More Dominant
AI will dominate the space in technology, enabling
- Data analysis and knowledge-based decision making
- Automation of routine tasks such as cold calling
- Faster customer service thanks to chatbots
- Streamline team operations
Your strategy for 2022 should focus on discovering how to apply AI in your data, increase content production and delivery, listen to your customers and provide them with better service.
Conversational marketing is one of the ways you will see AI applied in developing the marketing strategy. With AI, you can give your communication more contexts.
5. Influencer Marketing Continues to Grow, Even in B2B
The 2021 State of Influencer Marketing Benchmark affirms that this approach continues to grow and deliver results. Strongly linked to the growth of social networks and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the lives of people and businesses, influence marketing allows you to create an authentic link and a relationship of trust with your target audience.
With more than 13 billion dollars generated in 2021, influence marketing is positioned in the trends not to be missed if you want to boost the performance of your business. It is very important to emphasize that this approach is not reserved for B2C marketing, even if it is better known in this environment, but can have very interesting results when selling services to companies.