Diving right into this one because there is a TON to cover. But, first, a quick note about these trends…

Usually, the word “trend” signifies something popular that’s not going to last. Think of fidget spinners, or whatever the latest fad diet is. Those aren’t the kind of trends we’re talking about today.

We’re talking about the direction in which B2B marketing is moving. So listen up!

Here are a few trends you need to know about:

Influencer Marketing In B2B Marketing

• This is a little bit different than Insta-famous influencers. In B2B, it’s all about working with trusted individuals or companies in your industry. Think of this like co-marketing.
• B2B influencer marketing also means customer testimonials. Your company should have a clear strategy to get more of them.
• You know who else has influencer in B2B? Podcasters. There are likely a few popular podcasts in your industry. Consider advertising with them.

Content Marketing For Generating Leads

It’s no longer enough to publish 500-word blog posts. You need to be creating video content. You need to be creating original research. You need to be creating long-form content. Think outside of the box. If you’re doing everything your competitors are doing, you won’t stand out.

The Emergence Of Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

Think of ABM more like spearfishing than fishing with a net. You’re going after specific fish, rather than throwing a net out there and taking all the fish who swim into it.

The problem with the net fishing approach is that you’re going to waste your time catching fish who shouldn’t be in your net.

The Growth Of Virtual Reality In B2B

VR is still in the really early phases for business use. But, it’s worth keeping an eye on. Imagine being able to give your audience the chance to actually experience your product in action. VR has the potential to allow that. Even though Charity: Water is B2C, they did just that.

LinkedIn Got Its Groove Back

LinkedIn is back, baby! We mentioned this yesterday, so just read all about it here.

We’re outta room, but there’s still plenty more to this one ↓

Alrighty, we need a sword, a crown, and a peasant clacking coconuts behind us so we can ride a pretend steed to Camelot. We’re not loonies, you’re a looney!

Did you catch us? We pretty much just tried to toss in as many Monty Python gifs as we could into this summary. Mostly ’cause when we hear “medieval,” we automatically think of MPATHG. We’ll stop, promise.

Aren’t you just a tiny bit curious about medieval role play? ADAC was definitely curious. In fact, they created a digital campaign featuring the fun role play experience.

Aimed at youngens, it generated 20 million online interactions. The tagline, Don’t Call Mom, Call ADAC, encouraged users to literally ask anything.

So you know, watch the ad. It’s a nice little pick me up. Now go away…. or we’ll taunt you a second time.