New digital marketing trends emerge and old ones fall out of favor almost every day. Keeping up with these changes as a marketer is exhausting, to say the least. But while the landscape may constantly change, one thing remains constant: you need leads. To generate those all-important leads, you’ll need a B2B lead generation strategy that takes into account not only what marketers think is important right now but also whether those things will still be relevant in 2022. So, what does the future hold for B2B lead generation? Let’s take a look at some of the biggest trends we see today and how they’ll impact lead generation strategies tomorrow.
The Importance Of Data-Driven Marketing
As we discussed at the beginning of this article, changes in marketing are cyclical. The biggest shift that’s likely to have a major impact on B2B lead generation strategies is the return to a data-driven approach to marketing. During the Internet bubble of the late ‘90s and early 2000s, marketers were focused on growing their brands through the use of new technology. Technology companies were the darlings of the stock market, and marketers put their money behind tech solutions that promised quick and easy solutions to difficult problems. When the bubble burst, marketers were forced to focus on the metrics that mattered: how many leads were generated, how many sales were made, and what the lifetime value of each customer was. In the last few years, though, marketers have started to lose sight of these metrics. Social media marketing has taken off, and measurement tools like ROI have been put on the back burner.
AI and Machine Learning Will Become Standard
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will become the standard for B2B lead generation strategies. These technologies are already being used in marketing automation, email marketing, and other areas of lead generation. As they become more commonplace and more marketers become aware of their benefits, AI and machine learning will become the norm in lead generation. While they won’t necessarily replace humans in the B2B marketing process, AI and machine learning will be responsible for generating leads, managing campaigns, and analyzing data. Most importantly, these technologies will be able to respond to changing trends and customer needs more quickly than a human ever could.
Virtual Reality Will Grow
Virtual reality (VR) is already being used as part of lead generation strategies for real estate, health care, and other industries. As the technology improves and becomes more accessible, it’s likely that B2B marketers will take advantage of its unique capabilities. On one hand, VR enables marketers to create highly realistic simulations that allow users to experience a product or service as if they were using it in real life. On the other hand, it allows marketers to transport users to unique environments that may not be possible in real life. In either case, VR has the potential to make B2B marketing more immersive and engaging than ever before.
B2B Video Marketing Will Be A Major Player
Video marketing is already a major player in B2B lead generation strategies, and we expect it to become even more important moving forward. With advancements in technology, the quality of video content is increasing, and so is its accessibility. Whereas marketers used to rely on expensive equipment to produce high-quality videos, now anyone with a smartphone can create content that rivals what was once only possible with a full production crew. Video is also easier to track as it becomes more automated, making it an ideal lead-generation strategy for marketers who are focused on efficiency.
Mobile Ads Will Be Key
As social media marketing becomes increasingly important, B2B marketers will turn to mobile advertising to reach new audiences. Mobile ad spend has been steadily increasing, and we expect it to skyrocket in the next few years as more and more marketers shift their focus to phones and tablets. Mobile ad spending is expected to reach $67.9 billion in 2022, a considerable increase from its current total of $16.3 billion. Mobile ad spending is also expected to increase across all industries, so B2B marketers will have an even larger opportunity to reach their audiences through mobile ads.
Bottom line
In order to stand out in your audience’s increasingly crowded digital landscape, you need to employ the best B2B lead generation strategies. That means staying on top of the latest marketing trends and implementing strategies that take advantage of the latest technologies. With all of the changes we’ve discussed, it can be hard to know where to begin. Luckily, you don’t have to do everything at once. Start with one or two strategies, implement them well, and then expand your efforts from there.
Cluezilla specialize in offering B2B lead generation services to industries ranging from Information technology, SaaS, Healthcare, Real-estate, Education etc.
