6 B2B Marketing Trends You Can Expect in 2022

We can already see how digital transformation and the eCommerce boom are set to revolutionize the way we’ll sell in 2022. B2B trends have also permanently evolved to reflect new market behavior. After being forced to innovate to survive the devastating effects of coronavirus on businesses, marketers now hope that emerging B2B trends will help them cruise through this stage of lightning-fast innovations. 

As a marketer, you must always be prepared to adjust and adapt to the needs of your B2B clientele because they make larger purchases but take their time when deciding to buy. Read on to explore some popular B2B marketing trends that can help you flourish in 2022.

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#1. Personalization

In 2022, customers will have even more channels that bring marketing content to them. This gives B2B marketers diverse ways to communicate your brand to the intended audience and engage them in your message.

It’s imperative to find out what channels your audience prefers and then pick the ones that provide you the opportunity to tailor your message to their needs. This should also allow you to present your products and services in a way that’s most appealing to the target audience.

For instance, you may have noticed that podcasting has been on an upward trend. You can gauge the interests of prospects who fall within your target range and use the resulting information to your advantage. But not everyone will be listening to your podcasts, so make sure you know what they are doing (watching stories, creating TikToks, etc.) and cater to them accordingly.

When used correctly, personalization can be pretty impactful for your business, helping you generate quality leads and drive conversions.

#2. Marketing automation

More data-driven B2B marketing campaigns are being deployed across industries, and this trend will only strengthen in the future. Implementing automation in your online marketing strategies can make it more effective and efficient by spending less effort and time on mundane tasks.

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To implement automation effectively, you must develop ideal customer profiles and nurture them as they move down the sales funnel. The “one size fits all” approach is becoming increasingly useless as people expect more personalization. So, it’s time to formulate different content and strategies for the specific audience groups you plan to cater to in 2022.

As customers become savvier, it is vital to remind them of your brand when searching for related information about your products and services. For that, you need automation tools to track what your customers search online. Look at the article links and titles shared from social media posts or other websites to help your customers in decision-making.

To smoothly integrate automation into your existing practices, you can leverage client management platforms that come with critical features such as reports and dashboards, sales analytics, and sales force automation. Strong metrics will help you build and maintain stronger relationships with your audiences through personalized, triggered marketing communications.

#3. Emerging lead generation channels

Generating quality leads and driving conversions remain the highest priorities of B2B marketers. However, lead generation and conversion practices are likely to change considerably in 2022.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of how businesses operate. While some companies pivoted to digital events, others chose to cancel or delay in-person ones. All B2B marketers had to quickly adapt to the reality that events in-person were not a feasible option for generating leads.

Today, many marketers are executing personalized and highly targeted lead generation strategies as more platforms develop tools for the B2B marketer the way they do for B2C marketers. These resources can successfully deliver niche content to highly-targeted audiences for maximum impact. You can also leverage CRM platforms and scheduling apps to manage increasingly personalized B2B lead generation and conversion.

#4. Innovative interactions with B2B customers

As technology advances, so will the need to leverage increasingly high-tech communication methods. This includes both how you send and receive messages from your B2B prospects.

For example, in 2022, optimizing for new forms of search – like audio and image – will be vital to capture traffic. Additionally, marketing chatbots and AI can help marketers get in touch with more customers and minimize their wait time.

Interactive emails can also increase conversions and improve ROI, helping your business get more out of each communication. AMP emails that enable B2B marketers to provide application-like functionality in a message are standard methods to implement and deliver this interactivity. These are just a couple of examples of how technology will make it easier to reach businesses in 2022.

#5. Mobile-first strategies

Digital and mobile advertising continues to be essential for business-to-business marketing efforts. According to one study, about 70% of B2B decision-makers and buyers prefer digital or remote interactions with suppliers.

By 2025, Gartner projects that this number will increase by 10% as customers respond to mobile-first digital marketing tactics more enthusiastically. As the number of millennials in buying and decision-making roles has risen, so has the number of customers who want a vendor-free experience. This strategy prioritizes content and mobile advertising over more traditional and offline methods. While this will result in growing ad spend, the results will make it all worth your while.

#6. Top-quality content and original research

Blogs, online resource centers, content hubs, and more have become valuable assets for online businesses. And by 2022, original research will likely be even more vital for marketing efforts.

B2B buyers look to the original content from brands when making purchasing decisions. As a result, this has become a considerable trust marker that signals the buyers that a particular company has good organizational experience and knowledge.

While content marketing is critical to the success of a business, merely writing posts to generate leads and traffic may not be sufficient. Instead, you need to add well-researched information to entice buyers to investigate your brand further and get in touch with your sales team.

Multiple content strategies will also be essential to provide high-quality info relevant to your B2B buyers’ interests. Video content remains a top performer, overtaking infographics and blog posts in popularity. Aim for the diversity of content with white papers, video, and other rich media to engage your target audience.

Wrapping up

Marketing is an ever-evolving field, and what might have worked in the past may not work today or in the future. Today, the marketing world is becoming increasingly digital and personal. AI is driving more meaningful insights, helping you better customize campaigns and generate quality content.

The key is to integrate new B2B trends strategically that move your brand toward growth goals. Increase engagement and brand trust with high-quality, personalized content into your digital marketing campaigns and automate the grunt work to save yourself time. This, in turn, can help you keep up with the emerging marketing landscape.

Guest author: Lee Li is a project manager and B2B copywriter from ShenZhen, China, and is currently based out of Singapore. She has a decade of experience in the Chinese fintech startup space as a PM for TaoBao, MeitTuan, and DouYin (now TikTok).