As the year comes to a close, marketers are setting their eyes on the trends that will drive businesses in 2022. The year 2021 was an unusual year, bringing many social and economic changes that will shift how organizations operate. As these shifts occur, effective B2B marketing strategies will likewise change.
Many trends that started in previous years will reach new heights in 2022, and others may fade or shift. If your business doesn’t recognize and account for these changes, your marketing efforts may fall short.
If you’re wondering what the next year will hold, here’s a glimpse into 2022. These seven B2B marketing tips will help you reach new clients and expand in the coming year.
1. Optimize for Mobile
Consumer markets have long understood the importance of mobile optimization, and now the mobile revolution is coming to B2B circles. According to a 2020 survey, 70% of B2B decision-makers are now comfortable making entirely remote large purchases. According to a 2020 survey, 70% of B2B decision-makers are now comfortable making entirely remote large purchases. Share on X As more people work from home, these remote, digital interactions will likely occur over mobile platforms.
If you don’t optimize your websites, emails, and other platforms for mobile usage, you may miss these increasingly digital clients. That includes ensuring content is easy to read on smaller screens and that websites function well on mobile devices.
One excellent example of B2B mobile design is Grammarly Business. The site features a minimalistic design with wide margins and a long, scrolling interface. These features prevent it from becoming overcrowded on a small screen and fit well with how people use mobile devices.
2. Create Engaging Content
Another trend to capitalize on in 2022 is the rise of content marketing. Businesses are increasingly turning to these posts, with 67% of B2B buyers saying they rely on content to inform purchase decisions. 67% of B2B buyers saying they rely on content to inform purchase decisions. Share on X These respondents also showed a preference for more visual, engaging content formats.
Considering this growing trend, you must emphasize content marketing in 2022 and go beyond traditional blog posts. As B2B content marketing becomes increasingly common, buyers see more of it, so you need more to stand out. Use graphs, pictures, and other illustrations to break up paragraphs and engage readers.
Take this blog post from GE, for example. In addition to large, eye-catching photos at the top of the page, it includes infographics and pictures throughout to keep an otherwise long, text-heavy post fresh and engaging. Without these visuals, the post could easily come across as dull and turn users away.
Recommended: How to Make Longform Content Work in Any Industry
3. Capitalize on Video Marketing
Along similar lines, video marketing will likely be more important in 2022 than in previous years. Experts predict that video viewing will account for 82% of all web traffic in 2022. Experts predict that video viewing will account for 82% of all web traffic in 2022. Share on X Marketing strategies that don’t take that into account will see limited success.
Video marketing can and should take multiple forms. Ads that play before videos on social media platforms, auto-playing videos on your website, and short and long-form video content on platforms like YouTube and Facebook are all important. As users grow tired of text-only outreach, this media will help engage potential buyers.
Korean digital marketing company DFY is a great example of using video effectively. The site’s background itself is a video, constantly moving to draw you in further. Auto-playing ads show real-world examples of the firm’s work.
Recommended: 6 Video Marketing Predictions for 2021
4. Give Your Brand a Distinct Voice
As the years go by, businesses are putting more effort into their digital marketing campaigns. Consequently, it’s becoming increasingly easier to fade into the background instead of standing out. As the B2B market grows all the more crowded, you need to give your marketing materials a distinct voice to help them stand out.
To determine what your brand’s voice should be, think of your target audience and reflect their expectations. In some industries, that may mean a heavy emphasis on jargon and technical details, while in others, you may want to sound friendlier and more casual. After discovering what voice appeals best to your niche, make sure you apply it consistently across marketing materials.
Dialpad’s Voice Intelligence marketing copy does an excellent job reflecting its market and company spirit. The tone is casual and the emotion of the text is humanizing, tying into how the product supposedly helps make AI more human.
Recommended: Key Elements of Developing a Consistent Brand Voice
5. Educate Buyers About Technical Details
In many B2B markets, your customers will be more interested in technical details. One problem many marketers run into in that endeavor is assuming your potential buyers understand what you do as deeply as you. In 2022, you can market more effectively by educating your buyers.
If your customers already understood everything about what you do, they wouldn’t need you to sell to them. Educational posts diving into the technical details can help explain why your product or service is desirable. This content will also help reaffirm your position as a knowledge leader.
Look at how Elsco Transformers describes the difference between round and rectangular coil transformers. The post features in-depth yet easy-to-understand descriptions of the two categories and their applications. This demonstrates that Elsco is an industry expert and helps buyers make a more informed purchasing decision, giving them value.
6. Pay Attention to Site Functionality
One easily overlookable marketing tip for 2022 is to ensure your websites function well. In the effort to produce quality content, it can be easy to ignore the technical aspects of your site. However, as users become more accustomed to online interactions, poor-functioning sites will stand out more.
Slow load times and jittery scrolling don’t just affect users’ perception of your website, either. Google started including these factors as ranking signals in mid-2020. If your sites don’t function well, they’ll rank lower in search results and lose potential web traffic.
Magnetica’s website shows that interactive visuals and animated features don’t have to hinder core web vitals. The site still loads and responds quickly, likely thanks to streamlined code and simplicity in design. As you integrate new features on your site, double-check your functionality to ensure everything stays smooth and responsive.
7. Use a Chatbot
One specific feature you should include on your site in 2022 is a chatbot. With today’s tools, anyone can build a chatbot with no experience in coding, and these bots can be remarkably helpful. They can provide immediate information to curious visitors and reduce the workload on customer service departments amid worker shortages.
Amid the work-from-home revolution, it’s becoming harder to approximate when B2B buyers want to contact service providers. Chatbots can help account for this by providing around-the-clock support to ensure every customer gets the help they need. As businesses become more digitally focused, they may even prefer to use chatbots.
Zendesk’s site features a chatbot service that’s always available in the corner but doesn’t message visitors immediately. This gives users the option to start interacting with the bot whenever they want to without it feeling intrusive. Similar options can help any B2B site stand out to buyers.
Recommended: How to Use Chatbots to Drive Sales and Increase the Engagement
Maximize Your B2B Marketing in 2022
These trends have already started to take hold, and they’ll become increasingly important throughout 2022. If you want your B2B marketing strategy to remain effective, you should consider these tips. Capitalizing on changes early is often the key to success.
The best marketing strategies are those that adapt to the times. What was effective last year may not be in the next, and next year’s trends may fade soon after. Staying on top of these changes helps you make the most of your B2B marketing and avoid falling behind the competition.
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Devin Partida writes about topics concerning tech and the internet. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com.
