B2B technology companies must constantly adapt their marketing strategies because consumer needs are constantly evolving. While it is difficult to predict what the year 2022 will bring, two aspects—customer behavior and technology—are certain to alter, evolve, and mature.
Marketing leaders will reportedly gravitate to smarter (more automated and autonomous) solutions with advanced tech stacks, predicts Forrester. Our agreement is complete.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of B2B technology firm marketers want to increase their spending on brand marketing in 2022, according to a poll done with 90+ B2B tech & SaaS marketers from around the world back in December 2021. The remaining 12% believe they won’t increase their brand marketing expenditures, while 14% are unclear. According to B2B IT marketers, 64% believe their marketing budgets will rise in 2022 compared to the previous year, 32% believe they will stay the same, and only 4% believe they will decrease.
The top four B2B trends to watch in 2022 are listed below:
1. Growth in B2B Marketing channels:
Historically, B2C businesses have dominated social media advertising (except LinkedIn). This is due to the fact that, as the platforms’ targeting filters suggest, most users of social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are consumers wanting to shop rather than professionals looking for business opportunities. Increasing your presence is essential as information is consumed in an increasing number of channels. Given its adaptability, social media might be a dynamic medium for B2B firms.
A study found that 82% of B2B companies utilize social media and other channels to connect with customers and engage with them in order to achieve certain business goals.
Today, providing clients with an omnichannel strategy that allows for a seamless movement between platforms throughout their experience is equally important. This will guarantee that your consumers stick around, foster trust, and improve their whole experience.
2. Shift in marketing spend
Marketing technology costs would increase from 19% to 25% in 2022, according to Forrester. We anticipate that B2B companies would spend more money on fewer, higher-quality items in order to streamline their operations, enhance their workflow, increase productivity, and maximize their return on investment.
Hyper-targeted digital advertising, mobile-first marketing, search, and content strategies will be the cornerstones of B2B marketing strategies for technology companies.
Mobile devices like phones and tablets will represent more than half of B2B spending for the first time. The traditional approach of contacting B2B buyers in work mode on laptops, desktops, and desk phones no longer applies as work-from-home (WFH), hybrid, and remote workforces become the norm. Mobile spending is anticipated to triple by 2023 to $7.43 billion, in contrast, to live events, which might never reach pre-pandemic levels.
3. Technology and automation investments will be given top attention
Sales and marketing can decide who to contact and when to contact them more effectively when they can view each other’s actions in real time. Companies will invest more in technology, particularly automation, for this reason in order to streamline operations and processes.
All solutions are accessible on-premises and in the cloud, and new digital solutions have been integrated into the current systems. Additionally, there is a critical need for RPA, AI, ML, and NLP-based tools to be connected with digital solutions in order to support business process transformation.
The use of connected gadgets will increase during the next few years, too. Customers’ data will be used by businesses to improve customer service. These factors will be extremely important for corporate expansion and client retention in all industries, from the automotive to the technological.
4. Reshaping of metrics & analytics
The marketing strategies must change as the needs of the customers do. The traditional methods of research, measuring, monitoring, and reporting on marketing performance used by many B2B marketers are altering as a result. B2B marketers can use consumer retention to gauge how successfully their business is responding to client needs throughout the purchasing process. B2B businesses can utilize marketing attribution to look at the marketing touchpoints that buyers encountered before making a purchase.
As Google and Apple update how advertising can track their cookies, B2B marketing for technology companies has been steering clear of third-party cookies since 2022. B2B marketers can now benefit from resources that were previously only accessible to consumers because of advancements in technology. But it’s not as simple as spending money on Facebook advertisements and sending leads to the sales staff.