B-to-B Marketing Doesn't Have to Be Boring

Ask most people what they think about b-to-b marketing, and you'll likely hear the words dull and dry. The truth, however, is that the content itself is anything but boring. Some of the most consistent themes today include digital transformation, the future of work, talent retention and employee engagement—none of which is boring. If anything, these topics are extremely relevant and critical to what marketing leaders need to be considering. It’s imperative to be open to new ideas and solutions. So it’s not the content, but rather the formats for content dissemination that have caused this perception. It’s time to free ourselves from the more traditional confines and allow ourselves to have fun with b-to-b. The process According to eMarketer, b-to-b digital ad spend in the U.S. is expected to hit $12.6 billion—a 46% increase from 2020. This continued growth in the category only further demonstrates digital's heightened importance in today’s constantly evolving world of business. That, combined with the expanding sphere of influence tied to business decision-making, creates a wider net to ensure your messaging is resonating with a wider audience. Brands often see longer purchase cycles due to the nature of the products and services that fall within b-to-b offerings. This certainly represents a change in the way campaign success can be viewed. While much of b-to-c campaign success can be directly attributed to product sales, many b-to-b clients work against longer tail success metrics. This includes lead generation as well as general awareness, perception and favorability lifts. We can learn a great deal by looking into audience insights and preferences, specifically how business executives prefer to consume content today. According to a Quartz Audience Survey from January 2021, nearly 50% of executives read at least one white paper per week for data and trends analysis, which they deem valuable for their decision-making. LinkedIn Shares 2022 Predictions on B-to-B Marketing, Sales Intent Furthermore, 8 out of 10 executives agreed that most white papers are too time consuming and prefer more concise takeaways, summaries, charts and graphs to improve their consumption experience. This is a clear opportunity for marketers to find unique ways to engage with these audiences beyond the more traditional formats. So, how can you as a b-to-b marketer stand out in a sea of white papers? At Quartz, we’ve certainly tried to make b-to-b feel more inspiring for clients by leaning into innovative forms of storytelling that utilize both existing client assets, such as white papers, and new content. Next time you have a new report or white paper, consider tasking your teams with reimagining what a white paper experience could look like—for example, a digital form where rich media and interactivity could help get your key insights in front of audiences who are looking for actionable takeaways. Think illustrated animations, data visualizations or unique functionality with scroll interfaces, as depicted in this work with Deloitte from its annual Millennial Survey. For a workspace solutions organization like Citrix, software can often be an invisible offering, and many decision-makers may not appreciate the values and benefits. But imagine clicking your way through an interactive online course built around today’s most newsworthy topics, featuring innovative thought leaders on the workplace experience. In less than five minutes, users come away with actionable insights and a stronger understanding of the Citrix offering. The takeaway B-to-b marketers are often tasked with building affinity and demand among executive audiences with products and services that can feel abstract and intangible. As an alternative approach to content transformation, consider creative strategies that make education engaging and leverage high-touch creative treatments, in addition to storytelling lenses that draft off cultural issues and topics. This year, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is adding a Creative B2B category for the first time, which will certainly help raise the bar for the level of creativity that can be applied to the b-to-b space. So what’s stopping us as marketers from thinking of b-to-b marketing and communications strategies as similar to the dynamic and creative nature of b-to-c? Nothing, I say! The gauntlet has been thrown, and it’s on all of us to accept the challenge. B-to-B Behavioral Intent Evolves—Why First-and Third-Party Data Matters More Than Ever