3 B2B Marketing Tactics You Need to Start Using

Although we’ve already established that business-to-business (B2B) marketing isn’t boring, some tactics can seem a little overused. And if you feel as though your tactics are overused, your audience probably does too. It’s important to stay up to date on B2B marketing tactics that feel fresh and exciting to keep your audience engaged.

I recently discovered an animated infographic from MarketingProfs that details trends in marketing automation, artificial intelligence and machine-learning, and how these emerging forms of technology are becoming more heavily utilized in B2B marketing environments. While the content is bent more toward account-based marketing, the takeaways are relevant for all B2B marketing efforts. Be sure to take a look at the infographic in its entirety, but here are three B2B marketing tactics to help keep your audience engaged.

1. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is the fastest-growing customer acquisition channel, rating higher than organic, paid search and email marketing. While influencer marketing (in some form) has been prevalent on the B2C side since as long as advertising has existed, it’s beginning to mature as a strategy with the use of social media, and it’s still a relatively untapped opportunity for most B2B marketers.

2. Marketing automation

88% of marketing leaders use, or plan to use, marketing automation. Truly, if marketing automation isn’t a part of your plans as you look ahead to 2018, you’re in the vast minority — and you’re running the risk of being left behind by competitors. (Shameless plug: One of our clients has a pretty great marketing automation success story.)

3. Personalized communication

That risk of being left behind is amplified when you consider that 52% of customers polled wanted companies to personalize communications to them.  A startling 65% of buyers/purchasers in businesses feeling the same way. When you realize that run-of-the-mill communications could risk your customers switching to a different company, the takeaway is clear: personalized marketing communication has moved from a novelty that could give you a leg up to table stakes in the eyes of your customers.

Sound off below on what fresh B2B marketing tactics are working for you.