B2B marketing continues to be a significant portion of many companies’ marketing budgets, and there is no reason to believe this trend will change in 2021. B2B marketing is not straightforward and quite often complex. The reason for this is simple; unlike many B2C products, B2B products are often providing solutions to challenging problems and having a potential customer see the light is not always an easy task. Because of this, it is essential that all B2B developers stay up to date with the emerging content technologies, some of which we will look at here.
1. A Socially Distant World
To say the world has changed over the past year would be an understatement. With rising cases, it appears as if 2021 will be following 2020 into the ‘new normal,’ which means, at least for now, a socially distanced workplace. It is important to keep this fact in mind when presenting businesses with products or solutions, as some may be reluctant to go in on something that doesn’t take the current situation into account. “Socially distancing isn’t just a matter of public health,” writes Steve McAmmond, a B2B expert at Next Coursework and Origin Writings, “but it’s also a matter of optics. Companies do not want to be seen as being insensitive to what’s going on, and not following the social protocols could be a PR disaster.”
2. AI-Powered Marketing Campaigns
AI technology has progressed to the point that, 30 years ago, many would have considered only possible in a science fiction movie. The unfortunate part is, not everyone is sure exactly how AI can help them.
When it comes to AI-powered marketing, one of the most useful tools is data collection and analysis. For example, Chorus is a program that transcribes and analyzes sales phone calls to provide feedback on how customers respond to certain types of messages, phrases, and even words. Through these insights, Chorus allows businesses to create more effective sales techniques and approaches.
3. Marketing Can Be Agile
Most people involved in project management will know about Agile as an alternative to the waterfall development cycle in the software development realm. While this is undoubtedly true, the last decade has seen a rise in Agile techniques employed in the marketing arena. One of the things that made Agile so successful was its customer-centric focus, which some marketers have a habit of getting away from. Another useful Agile tool that can be applied to marketing is the focus on functionality. “When presenting a product or service to a business, it is important to focus on the features they are most likely to use, rather than try and show off how many features are available,” writes Cindy Frida, a journalist at PhD Kingdom and Brit Student.
4. Focus On Security And Data Privacy
The phrase “we live in an information age” has never been more appropriate than it is today. Over the last few years, we have seen some major data breaches that have left some companies with a tarnished public image. Some recent examples include Facebook and Capital One.
When collecting individuals’ private data during a research campaign, it is of the utmost importance that all sensitive data be treated with respect and be appropriately handled. One of the most common moments that data breaches occur is when employees access sensitive data remotely, requiring them to provide some form of login credentials to gain access to the server. One of the ways companies are mitigating this risk is through proper training and encryption. For example, all employees must thoroughly understand the proper login protocols, and any attempt to remotely access private information must be encrypted, which can be achieved by using something as simple as a VPN.
5. Augmented Reality
Just like AI, augmented reality, or AR, has taken off in the last decade. AR allows potential clients to understand better how they would benefit from a product or service by allowing them to experience a virtual situation in which said product or service fills a need or solves a problem they may have. While the technology may not be quite there yet for all types of services, there are many cases in which it can be applied with great success.
About the Author
Regina Wheeler is an eLearning consultant who currently writes at Write my thesis. Over the years, she has been involved in several projects, which have seen her write on topics such as marketing and finance.
