Transforming B2B Marketing in 2024: From Trends to Challenges

As we reach the midpoint of 2024, the challenges in B2B marketing are becoming increasingly complex. Marketers face heightened economic uncertainty, impacting B2B buyers' willingness to make significant purchases. Additionally, organizational processes and diverse stakeholder concerns further complicate the buying journey.

With tighter budgets, more ambitious goals, and growing concerns about data protection, marketers need to be more creative and adaptable. As a marketing expert, I've concluded that a holistic and integrated approach is key to success. So, let's explore some new trends and strategies in B2B marketing for 2024 and how they can help us achieve better results.

1. Reassessing the Potential Customer: ABM and ABX

In 2024, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and demand generation remain key strategies. ABM focuses on specific accounts, allowing for more personalized and relevant marketing efforts. Traditional ABM targets valuable accounts and attempts to engage them in a discussion regardless of their current interest.

However, Account-Based Experience (ABX) adds a layer of refinement, combining the charm of inbound marketing with the precision of ABM. With ABX, we can use intelligent data to know precisely when and how to interact with each account. According to Forrester, content personalization can increase conversion rates by up to 20%.

2. Aligning Sales and Marketing: Smarketing

In 2024, the integration of marketing and sales, known as "smarketing," becomes even more crucial. Effective and consistent customer communication requires marketing and sales teams to collaborate on a common strategy with clearly defined goals.

Promoting interdisciplinary training and knowledge sharing between departments, as well as achieving a 360-degree view of customers through consolidated information, can bring agility and flexibility to marketing and sales teams. While there have been improvements—53% of salespeople say their strategies align with marketing departments, and 51% of marketers report close collaboration with sales teams (Demandgen study)—we still have a long way to go before sales and marketing departments function as a fully integrated team.

3. The Trend of B2B Self-Service Purchases

75% percent of B2B buyers prefer to make purchases online without interacting with a sales representative. Additionally, an increasing number of millennials and Gen Z members are taking on decision-making roles (according to Gartner), highlighting a clear trend toward autonomy in the purchasing process.

Companies need to invest in content and tools that allow buyers to make informed decisions independently. Transparent pricing and access to personalized demos, without initial sales rep involvement, will be critical factors in facilitating this autonomy.

4. Email Marketing Isn't Dead: From Spam to Valuable Content

Email has been used as a marketing tool for over 40 years, and despite predictions of its demise, it has significantly evolved. In 2024, the focus is on delivering relevant and valuable content. Adobe reports that 56% of buyers prefer to receive B2B offers via email over other marketing channels, yet they also complain about too much spam.

We must focus on quality and personalization to capture and maintain recipient interest. This isn't just about personalizing names but delivering messages relevant to the prospect's real interests. With new strict requirements from Google and Yahoo starting February 1, personalization and relevance will be essential for successful email campaigns.

5. AI in B2B Marketing: Overestimated or Underestimated?

In 2024, we will continue to see negative reactions to the misuse of artificial intelligence, leading to content oversaturation. Poorly personalized AI-generated content will further degrade the buying experience for 70% of B2B buyers, according to Forrester.

However, in the long term, AI will completely transform market strategies and marketing platforms, eliminating the need for expertise in certain marketing operations and reinventing marketing. 

Until then, B2B marketers must differentiate themselves by creating content based on original data and authentic experiences. Customer experiences, "building in public" posts, and industry surveys are just a few examples of content that meets Google's E-E-A-T requirements while also attracting valuable backlinks.

6. Integrating Video Content for B2B Campaign Success

Videos are becoming an increasingly powerful tool in B2B marketing. From product demos to behind-the-scenes videos, companies use this format to deliver engaging and easily understandable messages. B2B Marketing Benchmark shows that 59% of B2B marketers already use videos in their strategies, and 90% believe they effectively generate leads. Some studies also suggest that including videos in marketing emails can increase click-through rates by 300%.

Video podcasts and short videos have dominated B2B social media this year. LinkedIn data shows that videos are shared 20 times more than any other type of post. 

Whether live, informative, or educational, videos need to be integrated into the marketing strategy to attract and retain audience attention effectively and memorably.

7. Omnichannel Customer Experience

Delivering an exceptional customer experience (CX) remains a differentiator for any business. However, prioritizing excellent CX has not always been a focus for marketers. Fortunately, CX is no longer considered a trend but an essential part of the marketing strategy.

Gartner anticipates that organizations focusing on total experience (TX), including customer experience (CX), user experience (UX), employee experience (EX), and multiple experience (MX), will outperform their competitors by 25%. 

In the B2B environment, customers often go through multiple touchpoints with a business before deciding to engage with the brand. By adopting an omnichannel CX strategy, companies can accelerate this process by interacting with their customer base in various places, from virtual assistants proactively addressing customer questions to social media apps and streaming platforms.

As we move into the second half of 2024, B2B marketing will continue to adapt and evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities. From implementing ABM and ABX strategies to developing original content, companies that embrace these trends will be better positioned in the market and build lasting and profitable relationships with customers. Let's closely monitor these developments and their potential to transform how we practice B2B marketing.