4 B2B Trends to Watch Out for in 2019

In business-to-business marketing, you don’t really need to 'watch out' for trends. New technology, culture, and politics are going to collide with your business, your people and your budget, whether you know about them or not. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting we ignore these chaotic conditions, but rather we need to face them head on, armed with a clear understanding of the people who stand to be helped or hurt by this change. It is here where we will find our greatest creative opportunities.  

With that, I’ll avoid telling you about how personas are dead, voice is the future, and blockchain is going beyond beta. Instead, I offer a few humble things to remember as we wade into the new year. 

Video: quantity is expected, quality is preferred

Video has become a priority format for 62% of B2B marketers according to a recent LinkedIn study. With the explosion of new video formats, channels and targeting capabilities, and with automation making it more affordable to create hundreds of videos at the click of a button, you can expect to see more B2B marketers testing video across the entire purchase journey.  

That said, it’s important to remember that people don’t really want more videos, they want a higher quality experience. The most effective use of video will come from marketers who put people’s needs at the heart of this content and invest in quality.

Data: culture and context still matter

GDPR happened, and it has taught us all a valuable lesson: how you use data is often more important than the amount of data you collect. In fact, while digital laggards continue to push personal and business data around the legal process, digital leaders are leaping ahead and reaping the benefits of having a clear picture of who their most interested audiences are, and what they want most.

When you focus on data alone you get data problems. When you focus on people, you find new creative opportunities for data to improve experiences. So, remember: people don’t want to trade personalisation for privacy, they want respect and accountability.

Customer experience: respond first, acknowledge everyone and be useful

When considering which organisation to work with, 86% of business leaders say confidence is the most important feeling their team needs, according to recent research at gyro. But many businesses experiences are hurting confidence though poor communication, impersonal service and excessive salesmanship. 

To address these issues some marketers are looking to shift more control to customers through the use of chatbots and ecommerce solutions. But remember, people ultimately want their needs serviced, not side-lined. 

Influencers: people matter, motives matter and moments matter

Despite the recent backlash against influencers for inauthentic claims and fake follower issues, many B2B marketers are still experimenting with influencer programmes. We expect to see more of this in the years to come as brands try to expand their reach and influence with thought leaders, business peers and media partners.

But it’s not enough to merely treat influencers as an alternative advertising channel. 

The most effective use of influencers will take into account the different types of relationships that help business leaders make decisions, and the long-term opportunities to build new relationships with future decision makers. But remember, people are not stupid, and they can sense when other people have been paid to relay unique selling points. Trust cannot be purchased, even with influencers. 

Changes in 2019 will surely appear and distract us from our priorities: to build strong, humanly relevant brands; to find and convert valuable leads; and to prove marketing effectiveness to business leaders. If we’re not firmly vetting trends against these goals and the impact that they have on the people we serve, then we’re moving backwards, not forward. Let’s move forward, no matter what 2019 throws at us.

Trevor Lindroos is senior planner at gyro UK