#b2b-marketing

#b2b-marketing

"There is the plan that targets the end buyer," said Van Pelt, the CMO of Plante Moran. "And there's now going to be the plan that targets the AI."

Two thirds of tech buyers (61%) feel that B2B advertising is too vague to be relevant to their business, according to a new LinkedIn report. But five key trends will help brands to stand out, says Aggie Anthimidou (head of technology marketing EMEA & LATAM). B2B technology now plays a central role in business success and buyers are under pressure to make the right decisions about their tech investments.

Seemingly overnight, we've shifted away from search to the answer economy. In the last year, B2B buying channels have transformed, altering how customers search, discover and evaluate SaaS solutions. Already, up to 6% of B2B organic traffic comes from AI sources and is growing monthly by 40%. By the end of 2025, over 20% of organic traffic is expected to come from AI sources.

"Most marketers think in terms of targeting individuals," says Jann Schwartz, senior director of Marketplace Innovation at LinkedIn. "We've inherited a lot of B2C thinking, but in B2B, the real picture only comes into view once you start looking at groups of buyers within the same company. The question isn't just 'who's clicking?' but 'have we created enough collective confidence within the buying group to make it safe for them to choose us?'"

The way most marketing teams approach AI is probably the way I approach my inbox at 4:59 PM on a Friday. With reckless optimism and zero follow-through. But Katie Miserany, SurveyMonkey's Chief Communication Officer and SVP of Marketing, thinks the real problem isn't AI - it's that most marketers have forgotten a fundamental truth: Just because you can talk about something doesn't mean you should.

The pandemic years reshaped B2B marketing in ways few could have predicted. Emergency pivots that were implemented to keep business moving have evolved into lasting shifts in how companies connect, persuade and build trust. Traditional tactics once considered untouchable are giving way to digital-first, human-centered approaches that prioritize flexibility and authenticity. Buyers have changed too-now preferring to do their own research on hybrid channels that balance efficiency with human connection.

If there were a demand generation playbook, it would definitely include lead generation templates as one chapter. These predesigned frameworks are easy to create and usually gather a lot of attention. No, you are not reinventing the wheel here. A free lead generation template is the perfect type of gated content you need to get more leads through your door. While other tactics, like email marketing and ads, are necessary, templates offer something valuable without being pushy. But why should anyone care about your templates?

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"I guess I got a little bit disillusioned with only having one string to your bow," he reflects. "If you're given a whole set of marketing and business challenges, there are a gazillion ways of solving those problems. But a media agency will always say you need to buy some advertising, which, of course, is part of the mix, but is only a very small part that usually takes up a big part of the budget."

Product thinking involves solving real user problems through structured, iterative, value-driven systems. Instead of asking what campaign to run, product thinkers ask: Who are we building for? What problem are they trying to solve? What can we deliver to help and how will we measure success? This mindset is how product teams build features. And increasingly, it's how successful marketing teams scale impact without scaling headcount.

Social media marketing can feel like a world built for flashy consumer brands. It's easy to see how a new sneaker or a trendy restaurant can build a huge following online. But what about a product that is the definition of a B2B industrial asset? Marketing something as specialized as a tank trailer requires a completely different playbook. Your customer isn't a casual scroller; they are a logistics manager, a chemical plant operator, or a project foreman with a very specific and urgent need.

Welcome to B2B buyer disengagement-what I call "quiet quitting" the funnel. This silent withdrawal isn't dramatic; it happens as decision-makers become overwhelmed by content, touchpoints and noise. And let's not forget that "68% of millennial B2B buyers prefer self-service research tools over speaking to a sales rep, and many complete up to 70% of the buying process online before engaging with a supplier," according to Salesforce.

Ad fraud is increasingly infiltrating B2B marketing through fake leads, primarily from bot-generated form fills and fabricated prospect lists, leading to inefficiencies and damaged reputations.

Over 70% of B2B buyers fully define their needs before ever reaching out to a vendor. Nearly half already have a shortlist in mind.

Nearly 60% of Google searches now end without a single click to any website, indicating a fundamental shift in how buyers discover and evaluate solutions.

Spotify has won the B2B category at the Drum Awards by successfully promoting itself as a video-plus-audio platform, overcoming its initial perception as purely a digital audio service.

Branding isn't a marketing tactic. It's the strategy behind business success when shaped by a strong story infused with the voice of the customer.

Marketers are recognizing the immediate impact of AI on their search strategies and taking steps to adapt before it fundamentally changes customer engagement.

In today's fast-evolving digital marketing space, B2B email marketing has shifted dramatically, moving away from generic email lists to more personalized, AI-driven approaches.

Many businesses still treat brand awareness and demand generation as separate strategies, which often leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

This disconnect among departments is rooted in classic gender roles, with men dominating sales while women lead marketing—bearing significant consequences for business dynamics.

Small accounts, known as microinfluencers, can provide intimate engagement and tailored services for B2B brands, allowing for effective campaigns at a lower cost.

Creating a customer-centric buyer's journey in B2B that minimizes friction and allows for freely available information is an excellent approach to enhancing the overall customer experience.