19 B2B Marketing Trends to Grow Your Business in 2024

Much like everything else, B2B marketing trends in 2024 reflect how the world has changed over the past few years. The strategies we all know and love, though reliable, now bear the indelible marks of a transformative era characterized by an outburst of new possibilities and shifting priorities. There’s also one undeniable truth: Adapt or be left behind.

The key to a solid marketing strategy, however, doesn’t merely lie in mindlessly adopting the latest industry fads. You must invest your time, effort, and budget in well-crafted content that resonates with today's discerning audiences. Additionally, the latest B2B marketing techniques require thorough integration across all relevant channels and departments. Seeking a comprehensive approach to sales, marketing, and customer experience will, more often than not, yield the most rewarding results.

Looking for insights on the state of B2B marketing in the upcoming year and how to apply the latest trends to your unique needs? Don’t miss out! Here’s everything you need to know about B2B marketing trends in 2024.

What Does the Future Look Like for the B2B Industry?

Over the past decade, there has been a notable shift in how B2B businesses operate, connect with their target audiences, and foster customer retention. The future seems to be creeping upon us, encouraging B2B enterprises to adapt to the latest technological advancements and changing consumer expectations. 

Digitalization has become a major turning point in the B2B industry, enhancing operational efficiency and introducing new revenue streams for B2B businesses across industries. No wonder the global spending to fuel digital transformation initiatives is projected to reach a whopping $3.4 trillion within the next two years. 

It’s also no surprise that the rise of diverse online platforms, e-commerce, and digital marketing will continue to reshape the way B2B transactions occur well into 2024 and beyond. By combining a robust marketing mix with emerging digital tools, you can pave the way for an enhanced procurement process, cost reductions, and an overall business agility boost.

Data analytics are highly influential in determining the trajectory of the B2B industry going forward, too. According to McKinsey, companies that monitor sales performance and marketing data are 1.5 times more likely to show above-average growth rates than their competitors. As a result, organizations won’t hesitate to use advanced analytics tools for data-driven decisions, more personalized offerings, and enhanced customer experiences. 

Lastly, with the advent of online communication and social media platforms, B2B companies have more opportunities than ever before to engage directly with their audiences. Now, digital technologies make it simple to build and maintain long-term partnerships with customers. So, this year, customer retention will be more about delivering value, personalized experiences, and proactive communication and less about pushing purchases on potential and existing clientele.

Top 19 B2B Marketing Trends of 2024 for Business Growth

To foster growth, stay ahead of the curve by integrating emerging approaches into your marketing plan. Here are some of the most anticipated B2B marketing trends in 2024.

1. AI-Powered Content Generation

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are taking the marketing and content generation world by storm. It’s estimated that generative AI will amass roughly 100 million users by the end of the year — and that’s in the United States alone. Data from IBM suggests that the global AI adoption rates in business are steadily growing, with 35% of companies already using this advancement in their day-to-day operations and an additional 42% exploring its potential.

Platforms such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing are actively gaining traction in B2B marketing because of their alleged ability to streamline the content creation process, enhance efficiency, and deliver more targeted marketing materials. In mere seconds, these AI-powered tools can analyze massive amounts of data to extract key insights that make relevant written material. This frees up human resources for more strategic tasks and high-impact initiatives. 

But not all that shines is gold. While AI brings numerous benefits to content generation, currently available tools are only as good as the data they are trained on. Generative AI models are still under development and may provide users with outdated, biased, and inaccurate information that demands careful scrutiny.

Blindly trusting AI can lead to the dissemination of misleading data, adversely affecting your brand's credibility and reputation. If you’re planning on incorporating AI-generated content into your marketing strategy, it's still essential to implement a robust human oversight system. For instance, you can use generative AI to provide ideas for topics and outlines, then hire writers and editors to flesh out, refine, and verify the rest.

Pro Tip: While indeed a potent tool, AI is not a replacement for human creativity and critical thinking — or at least not just yet. Using it strategically, ethically, and responsibly is key to unlocking its true potential in creating engaging content for your B2B marketing blog and more.

2. Out-of-Market B2B Buyer Engagement Strategies

Think you've exhausted your customer pool? According to a 2021 study, only 5% of B2B buyers are in-market and actively seeking to make a purchase at any given time. That’s why you must stretch outside of your comfort zone and strive to get the attention of the other 95%.

In 2024, reaching and engaging potential buyers who are outside the traditional target market is crucial for expanding your business reach. It allows you to explore new opportunities and stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive environment.

Keep in mind that you can find B2B buyers in diverse locations and contexts, and effectively connecting with them requires a flexible approach. But how do you tap into this hidden market? It's simpler than you think:

• Get to know your new audience: Before diving in, understand their needs, habits, and hangout spots — both online and offline. This will help identify regions or sectors where there is potential demand for your products or services.
• Speak their language: Ditch the jargon and tailor your messaging to connect on their level. If you’re targeting overseas clients, adapt your content to their culture, language, and region-specific challenges. 
• Team up with local experts: Partner with businesses or individuals who know their market inside out. These insiders can navigate regulations, build networks, and offer invaluable local knowledge.
• Boost your online presence: Make your business easy to find with effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.
• Bridge the distance: Beyond search engines, social media, virtual events, and webinars are your secret weapons to connect with potential customers anywhere. Use these tools wisely to break down geographical barriers and promote global connections.

3. AI Personalization

Even from the discovery phase, a majority of B2B consumers expect personalized content that speaks to their needs. Consequently, B2B marketers must embrace the transition from a generic digital approach to a customized one if they want to please their audience. “Digital” doesn’t mean “general,” and AI marketing can help you personalize content and guide consumers from their initial touchpoint through to purchase — and successive reorders.

While one-on-one relationship-building remains a vital part of account management in the B2B sector, the truth is that business customers have little patience when they have questions about you and your offering. AI tools such as chatbots allow real-time interactions, facilitating prompt access to information and assistance with little to no human intervention. They also enhance customer service efficiency and the overall user experience by providing immediate responses to queries and guiding leads and prospects through the B2B marketing funnel.

You can use AI software to track customer behavior and respond with relevant and well-timed messages. AI-driven analytics tools examine vast datasets of customer interactions, enabling you to further drive customer engagement with the insights you obtain from them.

Besides these effective digital marketing actions, you can also take advantage of AI capabilities to implement:

• Recommendation engines: AI can suggest relevant products or services based on a customer's past purchases, preferences, and the behavior of similar customers.
• Personalized email campaigns: With the help of AI, you can tailor content, subject lines, and sending times based on individual customer preferences and behaviors.
• Dynamic content generation: AI adapts your websites and marketing materials based on user interactions — all in real time. This guarantees that your content remains relevant and engaging.
• Voice and image recognition: These AI capabilities enable you to simplify interactions and make the customer journey more intuitive.
• Social media listening: AI can monitor and analyze conversations about your brand, industry, or competitors so you can respond promptly to customer inquiries and sentiments.
• A/B testing automation: AI tools empower marketers to efficiently experiment with different content variations and optimize campaigns based on real-time performance data.

Pro Tip: Let AI handle routine queries and gentle nudges. This way, you can save your time for longer conversations and creative problem-solving.

4. Sales and Marketing Alignment

Collaboration between sales and marketing teams within B2B companies is one of the main factors in promoting enhanced business growth. Research suggests that ​​companies with aligned marketing and sales teams tend to be at least 67% more efficient at closing deals. 

Departments taking advantage of digital marketing B2B trends may get frustrated when leads go nowhere. On the other hand, sales teams may chafe when too many leads are unqualified or poorly qualified. Either way, failing to get on the same wavelength can lead to missed opportunities, with potential customers falling through the cracks. 

Without alignment, there's also a risk of inefficient resource allocation. Marketing teams may focus on channels or strategies that don't match the sales team's needs, leading to wasted efforts and reduced revenue generation. Inconsistencies in messaging can confuse potential customers and create a disjointed brand image, ultimately hindering the development of a cohesive and compelling narrative.

Some steps that can foster alignment between your sales and marketing teams include:

• Establishing common objectives: Alignment starts with a unified understanding of overarching business goals. Ensure that both sales and marketing teams share common pursuits and key performance indicators (KPIs). 
• Encourage regular collaboration: Facilitate regular meetings and open communication channels between sales and marketing teams. Promote mutual cooperation on campaigns, strategies, and feedback sessions to create content that converts based on client demands.
• Prioritize marketing automation: Utilize automation tools to streamline lead generation, nurturing, and scoring processes.
• Implement a centralized CRM system: Discuss metrics that demonstrate content marketing ROI and track them. Shared data and analytics enable better tracking of leads, customer interactions, and campaign performance.
• Define lead qualification criteria: Collaboratively establish clear parameters for lead qualification. That way, marketing efforts will be more likely to deliver leads that align with sales expectations.

5. Content Variety

Around 94% of B2B buyers conduct internet research prior to making any purchasing decisions. However, due to the overwhelming amount of information available, it's increasingly difficult to catch your ideal customer’s eye. Amidst the online content overload, you must stay proactive in showcasing your knowledge and thought leadership through diverse formats. Some examples of high-performing B2B advertising content types include:

• Company blogs
• Newsletters
• E-books
• Webinars
• White papers
• Podcasts
• Press releases
• Video demonstrations

Bear in mind that today's B2B buyers are not a monolithic group. They have different roles, interests, and preferred learning styles. To address the different needs of your target audience, creating diverse materials is your best strategy. Tailoring your content to their preferences and pain points enhances engagement and conversion rates. 

Remember to court earned media as well as produce original content. Press coverage helps spread the word about your business, and user-generated content (UGC), such as testimonials and social mentions, provides valuable social proof to support your claims.

6. Review Marketing

As B2B buyers become more cautious in a potentially uncertain economic climate, they'll prioritize businesses they can rely on. Building trust and credibility is essential in getting them interested in your offering and, ultimately, closing deals. What better way to achieve this than having your satisfied customers become your strongest advocates?

Reviews are a form of user-generated content you can’t afford to overlook. Data reveals that a staggering 93% of customers read online reviews before buying a product or service. What other buyers say is a highly credible influence when buyers make purchasing decisions.

As a direct response to this growing need to make more educated choices, industry-specific review platforms are emerging by the minute. These sites make it easier for your target audience to find and share their experiences with your company, and you should leverage their reach to proactively shape your brand narrative and turn feedback into valuable insights.

However, keep in mind that as an established part of the customer journey, review platforms can make or break your brand reputation. Sure, positive reviews can bag you numerous new buyers, but negative ones — or a lack of them altogether — may create skepticism and hinder your company's trustworthiness in the online space.

To overcome this potential issue, you can:

• Actively engage with your customers: Encourage them to share their positive experiences across diverse channels. 
• Promptly address any negative reviews or concerns: Make sure to respond to your customer’s inquiries, comments, or concerns in a professional and constructive manner, demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction and fostering a sense of transparency and reliability.
• Integrate feedback in product or service enhancement: Take advantage of the insights gained from reviews to make necessary improvements to your offering.
• Incentivize customers for their time: Consider implementing a customer loyalty program to motivate satisfied customers to share their positive experiences.

7. Influencer Marketing

Collaborating with recognized experts continues to be an ongoing B2B marketing trend in 2024 — and for all good reasons. These opinion leaders often have a large and engaged following, which can help your organization increase brand visibility and establish industry authority. Just last year, research revealed that 86% of B2B marketers claim influencer marketing has been successful for their businesses.

Let’s get candid here. We all know that the B2B procurement process isn’t particularly thrilling or engaging. However, when correctly executed, influencer marketing can humanize the appeal of your offering, giving potential customers a peek into how their daily operations can improve if they do business with you.

Building an effective B2B influencer marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution. You must first define your goals and target audience. What do you want to achieve through influencer marketing? What are your buyers’ needs, pain points, and preferred platforms? Once you’ve answered these pivotal questions, you can proceed to:

• Identify the right influencers: Consider their following size, engagement rates, and content style. Align their values and expertise with your brand message.
• Develop a collaborative content strategy: Let the influencer showcase your product or service in a practical and authentic way. Of course, don’t forget to keep content quality and brand consistency in mind while allowing the influencer's voice to shine through.
• Promote your content effectively: Although the point of this type of marketing is to leverage the influencer's social media reach and network, you must still share the content on your own channels and through paid advertising. Additionally, maximize audience engagement through contests, Q&A sessions, and interactive discussions.

Pro Tip: Data is a crucial ally in optimizing your future influencer marketing campaigns. Use analytics tools to monitor website traffic, lead generation, and brand mentions derived from your present influencer marketing efforts.

8. Thought Leadership

Use thought-leadership pieces to stand out from your competition. Discuss upcoming technologies, evolving trends, and your ideas about the state or purpose of your industry. Some perks of incorporating this booming trend into your 2024 B2B marketing strategy are: 

• Elevating corporate literacy: Thought leadership pieces allow you to showcase your expertise to educate potential buyers and industry enthusiasts alike.
• Driving organic growth: This trend can attract traffic more organically than many other avenues. After all, trusted sources are typically sought out for their knowledge rather than business.
• Influencing purchase decisions: Opinions backed by data, case studies, or real-world examples showcase unique insights. They provide context that may help convert potential customers who are on the fence.

While you can — and should — share some of this material on your corporate social accounts and owned media, find opportunities to write bylined articles for reputable outlets. Many publications are readier than ever to outsource their content to respected sources.

9. LinkedIn Audience Targeting

LinkedIn and thought leadership often go hand-in-hand. The platform is one of the best for B2B social media marketing, and it's a great source of digital marketing strategies. It’s also one of the best places to communicate your value proposition and connect with your target audience. What is it that makes your business the best option?

In addition to posting on LinkedIn, invest a good percentage of your social marketing budgets there. LinkedIn audience targeting fits B2B needs well, allowing you to target for job experience and company. It’s also a site where users expect to engage with business services, making them more likely to be receptive to your messages.

10. Partnerships and Co-Marketing

Combining resources and expertise with complementary businesses amplifies your message and expands your reach. By doing this, you and your partners tap into new customer segments and leverage each other's audiences.

Endorsement from a trusted partner adds a layer of credibility, especially when targeting new markets or customers unfamiliar with your brand. This allows you to explore new solutions, develop innovative offerings, and stand out from the competition. Moreover, co-created products, joint research, or combined service packages can be powerful differentiators that draw in more sales.

Additionally, sharing resources and marketing expenses through co-marketing campaigns can be significantly more cost-effective than solo efforts. These actions allow you to allocate resources to other growth initiatives, maximizing your ROI.

Now, we know what you’re thinking: Doesn’t this approach sound awfully similar to influencer marketing? Maybe. But while both strategies involve collaboration, they cater to different needs.

In a nutshell, B2B partnerships involve co-equal businesses collaborating on specific projects, marketing campaigns, or product development. The focus is on synergy, shared resources, and mutual benefit. Influencer marketing, on the other hand, capitalizes on the momentum of high-profile industry experts or thought leaders to reach their audience and promote your brand. The focus is on leveraging their reputation and reach to enhance your visibility and message.

11. Omnichannel Marketing

There was a time when omnichannel marketing was nice to have. In 2024, however, it's an absolute necessity. As mentioned earlier, ​​B2B buyers today are research-savvy and won’t settle for the first option available. They hop across various channels online, offline, and mobile to gather information and compare alternatives before making a purchase. According to a recent report, 75% of customers claim they’re more willing to make repeat purchases from companies with omnichannel capabilities.

Just like B2C customers, B2B buyers expect a consistent and convenient experience across all touchpoints. They want information readily available, personalized interactions, and a smooth journey from awareness to purchase, regardless of the channel they use.

As you collect B2B marketing trends, combine them into a holistic marketing approach and develop content that’s appropriate for each of your major channels. The top B2B marketing channels you can explore this year include:

• Websites
• Email marketing
• Social media
• In-person and virtual events
• Content marketing (B2B marketing blogs, white papers, and case studies)
• Podcasts

Omnichannel marketing is about more than reformatting a piece of content to look good across channels. Ask yourself where your target customers are likely to look at different stages of their journey. Then, develop material that responds to their immediate needs as they move through the sales funnel. 

For example, a prospect in the early stages may want to collect a list of options. Paid advertisements, succinct LinkedIn articles, and even round-up blog pieces that include your competitors can all serve you well. As they move closer to the sale, they’ll engage more with your website directly. Provide detailed information and make touchpoints more interactive to effectively respond to their questions.

12. Marketing Targeted to Highly Specific Segments

Today's B2B buyers demand laser-focused attention to their specific needs and challenges. However, more often than not, generic marketing falls short of meeting evolving customer demands. 

The desire for highly relevant messages highlights the importance of precise segmentation and communication strategies. This is where hyper-segmentation comes in to assist you in dissecting your audience with surgical precision. In other words, this approach helps you narrow down your customer base into well-defined cohorts based on preferences, needs, and individual behaviors.

Effective immediately, you have to create personalized experiences that feel like one-on-one conversations, fostering stronger relationships with your diverse target audiences. This could mean:

• Creating personalized email campaigns
• Tailoring your website content to different buyer personas
• Developing specialized products or services for specific segments

When you speak directly to your audience's needs, they're a lot more likely to pay attention. Thankfully, constantly analyzing customer data allows you to understand individual buyers and groups with unprecedented granularity. Metrics such as firmographics, demographics, and website behavior help you identify commonalities and differences within your audience.

13. Video Marketing and Short-Form Videos

Although the promotional use of video content is nothing new, it has achieved newfound glory in recent years. Particularly, since 2019, the adoption of videos under 60 seconds in B2B and B2C marketing has massively changed the game. This type of content gained prominence with the introduction and growth of platforms designed for quick consumption, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Short-form videos are more likely to be shared on social media and messaging apps, spreading content organically. That’s probably why 33% of social media marketers invested more in this type of content than any other format in 2023.

Bite-sized videos are perfect for mobile viewing. Besides, they’re ideal for grabbing attention, sparking interest, and conveying key messages. They humanize your brand, allowing you to display your company culture, team members, and values. 

14. Subject Matter Expert Reviews

You've likely heard the term SME reviews tossed around quite a bit lately. However, when it comes to B2B marketing, it's far more than a mere buzzword. The significance of this resource in B2B marketing can be tracked down to: 

• Expert validation: Potential clients often seek the opinions of specialists to ensure that the products or services they are considering align with industry standards and best practices.
• In-depth insights: Buyers want an insider-level understanding of the functionality, features, and applicability of products or services within a particular domain. This detailed information is highly valuable for those seeking specialized solutions.
• Niche relevance: Businesses operating in specific sectors often prioritize feedback from experts who understand the unique challenges and requirements of that particular field.
• Industry recognition: Praise from experts can lead to increased visibility and authority within a specific sector, attracting more quality clients down the line.

15. Data-Driven Content Marketing Strategy

We can't overemphasize the importance of data in generating a robust content marketing strategy that drives conversions. Tracking and measuring KPIs and other relevant metrics provides the necessary insights to refine and optimize your campaigns. 

Engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates are the holy trinity in gaining a nuanced understanding of how your audience responds to your content. You can use this information to refine your content strategies and better align with what people want to see. In the long run, this iterative approach will improve campaign effectiveness and put more money in your pockets.

Beyond quantitative metrics, the qualitative aspects of data also play a pivotal role. Analyzing customer feedback, sentiment analysis, and social media interactions provide invaluable insights into how your audience perceives and engages with your content. Then, you can craft content that not only attracts attention but also sticks with your audiences and keeps you top of mind when it’s time to make a purchase.

16. Branding Focused on Sustainability and Social Responsibility

The B2B sector continues to witness a growing awareness and emphasis on ethical business practices, environmental responsibility, and corporate social responsibility. As a result, branding focused on sustainability continues to be a prominent trend in B2B marketing. Engaging in transparent and authentic communication about sustainability efforts is now essential to build trust with stakeholders and establish yourself as a resilient and future-ready brand.

Leverage digital platforms for storytelling, showcase achievements, and share insights on sustainable practices to further enhance your brand image. Additionally, actively participating in industry initiatives, collaborations, and partnerships focused on sustainability showcases your commitment to collective responsibility. 

17. Social-First Strategies for Content Creation

Gone are the days when B2B marketing was a dry, corporate affair. Today's savvy professionals expect engaging, authentic, and human experiences. This notable shift in the content creation mindset has turned social media into the epicenter of B2B engagement and lead generation. Reflecting this trend, an impressive 60% of B2B marketers in the US have named it their top choice in 2023.

In our current mobile-first world, social media apps offer massive reach and the potential to interact with a highly targeted audience in real time. However, not all platforms are created equal. Before choosing your playground, you must analyze your audience and experiment with different approaches.

Crafting engaging content is what will spark conversations and drive traffic to your website. Use your brand values and expertise to weave narratives that resonate with B2B professionals on an emotional level. Don't forget to ask questions, host polls, and respond promptly to comments. This typically translates to tangible business outcomes like lead generation, brand awareness, and customer loyalty.

Pro Tip: Mastering one or two social platforms is often more effective than spreading yourself thin.

18. Voice Search Optimization

Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant — speaking to robots is no longer science fiction. Voice assistants are rapidly becoming part of our daily lives, and B2B professionals are using them to research solutions, compare products, and even make purchasing decisions. Studies show that 62% of Americans use voice search, and this number is expected to grow rapidly. If you don’t optimize your content for these revolutionary gadgets, you’re certainly falling behind.

While traditional SEO keywords still have value, the focus is now on long-tail, conversational phrases related to your target audience's questions and pain points. Think "best practices for managing a B2B sales team" instead of just "sales management." Moreover, you must write material that sounds natural and engaging, similar to how you would speak to someone. Avoid jargon and technical terms, and instead, aim for a clear and concise tone.

Pro Tip: Because most of these searches happen on the go through mobile devices, make sure your website is mobile-friendly for voice interactions.

19. Landing Pages With Booking Links To Improve Conversions

Traditional calendars are out. It's time to embrace conversion-crushing landing pages designed to transform prospects into eager meeting bookers.

Old-school calendars offer endless booking windows, leading to decision fatigue. Landing pages for booking meetings, on the other hand, guide prospects directly to the action. They spotlight a specific offer or pain point, making decision-making effortless.

Using landing pages with booking links enables you to capture attention and ignite excitement with persuasive storytelling that showcases your offer's unique value. It lets you display social proof, including testimonials from happy clients and logos of reputable brands you've worked with. This creates an emotional connection and builds anticipation for the meeting, effectively nudging prospects toward that booking button.

Power Your 2024 B2B Marketing Strategy With High-Quality Content

Anticipating the integration of these B2B marketing trends this year? Excellent! These strategies will elevate your approach and help you achieve greater success in meeting your marketing goals. They all have one thing in common: clear, compelling digital content.

Whether you have a skilled in-house writer squad or choose to outsource to a reputable content-creation team, infuse your marketing materials with authenticity, strategic purpose, and a dash of human magic. These are the main ingredients for sustainable and impactful results.