B2B Marketing Trends for 2019

How to boost your business marketing this yearIf 2018 was the year of dealing with GDPR, examining how we present gender stereotypes and the huge focus on mental wellbeing, what’s coming down the line in 2019?

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We’ll explain all you need to know and how you can start to build these key areas into your marketing strategy.

For business marketers, it can be tricky to keep up with the ever-changing and fast-paced marketing landscape, which is why this report is designed to explain what’s behind the hype when it comes to 2019’s key predicted trends:

Social media will continue to evolve at a lightning rate, with the major platforms offering a wealth of new tools and tricks.

Automation technology will get smarter, cheaper and more widespread as a result.

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Distribution tactics will need to be ever more creative for content to be heard above the crowd.

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Audiences will place more value on their individualism and a desire to believe and trust in a brand’s authenticity.

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Augmented Reality sounds futuristic but could be making a real impact on your business this time next year.

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Taking social media to the next level in 2019Making the best use of your social media channels has never been more important for business owners.

In recent years, many companies have seriously upped their game when it comes to engaging and effective content. With so many tools on offer from the major social media platforms, getting to grips with these channels should be a key part of your marketing strategy.

Here are four ways to supercharge your social media marketing in 2019.

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Turn your employees into social cheerleadersIf your company has a lockdown on using social media during work hours, it might be time to rethink your policy. Allowing employees to shout far and wide about your brand might sound risky, but they have the potential to be one of your most lucrative online assets.

Dos and don’ts• You can’t force or buy advocacy – employees have to want to give it freely.

• It’s fine to set boundaries about what’s acceptable to post and what isn’t, but make sure they’re clear and get colleagues to give their input.

• Offer training and support for those who aren’t confident on social media.

• Create content that’s worthy of sharing and has value, such as exclusive information or perks and discounts.

• Finally, don’t forget to thank employees for their support and keep them updated on what a difference they’re making to your objectives.

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of customers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they will back.

think less than half of brands create content that is authentic.

86%

So how do you ensure that your brand values shine through?Start with your audience. Take time to consider what engages and interests them and experiment with different content types (images, videos, animations) and themes (quick guides, inspirational quotes, testimonials) to see what works best.

Next, build a content calendar. Social is fast-paced and changeable, so you won’t be able to plan to the nth degree, but having a structure will help keep you on top of your posts.

Finally, don’t feel under pressure to post for the sake of it. It’s much more valuable to invest in quality, engaging content that your audience will enjoy and share.

57%How to create authentic and valuable contentAccording to this Stackla report1

1https://stackla.com/resources/reports/the-consumer-content-report-influence-in-the-digital-age/

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Power up the robotsBalancing great technology with a human touch can give you the upper hand when it comes to social.

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Automation software, such as Buffer or Hootsuite saves you time and effort by scheduling posts and providing services such as social listening – monitoring your accounts when someone bigs up your brand or leaves a comment.

If you have a blog on your website, make sure it’s synced to your social channels, so a post is generated every time you blog something new.

Don’t have the luxury of someone monitoring your social inboxes 24/7? Consider setting up automated responses for when someone inboxes you. Even if it’s just a holding message, it can provide reassurance that they’re being engaged with.

Some automation software, such as Sprout Social, offers chatbots that work on Facebook and Twitter to provide logic-based answers to common queries, speeding up response times and giving you an extra pair of hands (or ten).

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What on earth is dark social and should I be scared of it?Despite sounding sinister, dark social is simply the sharing of content that can’t be measured by web analytics, such as sending your WhatsApp friends group a joke, or posting a photo to your family on Facebook Messenger.

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Both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp have seen huge growth curves in recent years, demonstrating that private messaging is fast becoming a primary communication channel.

In 2016

1.58bnmobile phone users accessed

a messaging app.

By 2021, that number is projected to be

2.48bn2

What does this mean for me?For starters, as private messaging becomes even more commonplace, people will naturally begin to communicate with businesses in the same way. It also follows that B2B conversations will more regularly happen within the dark social space. This could mean that your Facebook page sees an influx of inbox messages, so consider how you are going to respond to them quickly and effectively.

Secondly, in a world where we are bombarded with information, dark social is valuable because it connects us with someone we know and trust. Work out how to tap into that trusted network, either by leveraging paid influencers or even your own employees to share your

content through their email and instant messaging groups.

2https://www.business2community.com/marketing/trend-shift-to-dark-social-will-impact-your-marketing-plans-in-2019-02127281

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Automating your business, without losing the personal touchSuccessful businesses are managing to scale their operations by automating tasks, while balancing out the need for a human touch.

As a business owner, time is precious, so whenever you find yourself repeating a task or process over and over again, it could be time to think about automating it. Marketing, sales and customer service are all key areas where automation can help you to streamline and increase your efficiency. However, don’t forget to consider your customers’ experience. Trust and loyalty can sometimes only be created and maintained through a personal relationship.

Read on for some top tips on how to balance automation with the human touch.

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No one-size-fits-all approach Consider the situations where your customers will happily use an automated system and those where they would really prefer a human interaction. For example, many people are happy to book or change appointments through an online booking system, but when it comes to getting some expert advice about a particular product, a list of FAQs on a website probably won’t cut it.

Treat customers as individuals Customers want to feel like an individual, so give them choice around how they interact with you and keep their options open. Some will be comfortable with self-service, but others will really appreciate being able to chat to someone on the phone or visit your premises.

Give yourself time to focus on important tasks Automate admin tasks to leave you feeling like you have an extra pair of hands and free up your time to focus on your customers.

Automate regular invoices and send reminders for late payments.

Use file sharing systems to ensure everyone in your team has the latest version of a document.

Look into free conferencing tools to host meetings remotely, saving you money and travel time.

You could even look into virtual assistant software powered by speech recognition, which answers calls and makes bookings on your behalf.

Use tools such as Experian Business Express credit reports, which do the hard work for you and provide daily monitoring alerts direct into your inbox for any company, client or supplier.

Listen carefully It will soon be obvious if your streamlining efforts are driving away customers. Watch how people respond to any new systems you implement and make changes accordingly. Don’t be afraid to make tweaks as you go to make sure it works for you and your business.

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How to disrupt your distribution in 2019With so much information at our fingertips, cutting through the noise can be tough. It’s time to think more creatively.

From the minute we wake up, to that last scroll of your newsfeed at night, we spend our days being bombarded with information. Mobile phones, internet, email, social media, TV, radio… every day, humans create 2.5 quintillion bytes3 of data and that pace is accelerating all the time.

For a business owner without a sizeable marketing budget, getting your messages heard above the crowd can be tough. It’s time to unleash some creative thinking. In this post, you can find out more about why companies like yours are switching up their distribution tactics for 2019 and how joining them is easier than you think.

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3https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/05/21/how-much-data-do-we-create-every-day-the-mind-blowing-stats-everyone-should-read/#da4ca7060ba9

Take a closer look at marketing campaigns that really catch your attention. What is it about that message that makes it catchy? Why did it stop you and make you think? The company or message might not directly translate to your own business, but the strategy of it might.

Making this work for you

Guest posting on the blogs and websites that your audience regularly visit can be a really valuable technique for getting your messages out there.

Research suitable platforms and work with publication editors to share your perspective.

Be our guest

Influencer marketing has been growing in popularity for a couple of years now. It’s an attractive proposition – getting others to share and promote your business on your behalf. Many brands use this on a B2C level, but there’s no reason why you can’t create a partnership with another brand for the same effect.

It’s important to pick your partners carefully and be clear on the difference between influential and popular. Someone may have hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they align with your brand. A partner with less popularity, but who really understands your company and how to position it to their followers could be much more valuable.

Friends and influencers

Instead of blasting the same information to everyone on your mailing list, look to segment and personalise as much as possible. Deliver valuable emails, full of relevant content, that are much more likely to resonate with your audience.

Don’t forget to also put some energy into writing catchy email subject lines that really stand out in a crowded inbox. Top tips for this include:

• Phrasing that conveys a sense of urgency

• Highlighting offers for free or discounted products

• Capitalising on trending topics

• Creating some intrigue

• Keep it short (fewer than 50 characters)

• Be concise and clear.

Get personal

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How to better understand your audience in 2019Broadcasting your latest campaign far and wide doesn’t mean it will necessarily sink in to customers’ minds and stay there.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.George Bernard Shaw4

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Do your research Take the time to properly observe and understand your demographics to make sure they’re the right ones. Then branch out further into smaller related niches. Collect enough evidence to make some solid conclusions and learn what your audience is like inside and out.

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There’s a sizeable difference between saying something and it being understood. You can spend weeks crafting a brilliant new offer for customers, only for it to fall flat and leave you scratching your head. What did you do wrong?

Read on to find out four ways to better understand your audience in 2019.

Keep an eye on the competition Find competitors that share your target audience and pay close attention to what they’re up to. Pick out what works well, what’s not working and try to establish why. Is it their tone of voice? The imagery they’re using? The personality that their brand has? Take the best and see if you can apply the principles to your own marketing.

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Get the channel right Understanding how your customers prefer to communicate is hugely valuable and can give you a head start when it comes to establishing trust. There’s no point spending time and effort on email campaigns if a customer ignores their inbox but uses Facebook Messenger on a daily basis.

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Choose your time wiselyAs well as getting the channel right, the time of day is crucial too. Marketing to busy hairdressing salon owners? They spend most of their day on their feet with not a screen in sight. If you want to grab their attention, make sure your messages are landing early in the morning or later in the evening when they’re more likely to have time to read and respond.

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4https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_bernard_shaw_385438

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How Augmented Reality could bring your brand to lifeEasily accessible through a smartphone and offering a world of valuable information to customers, why Augmented Reality (AR) technology is worth considering.

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5https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/apples-tim-cook-ar-has-the-ability-to-amplify-human-performance

6https://hbr.org/2017/11/a-managers-guide-to-augmented-reality

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence – it might sound futuristic and intimidating, but AR in particular is starting to stand out as a viable option for business marketers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently explained his enthusiasm for the technology, saying: "AR has the ability to amplify human performance instead of isolating humans. So I am a huge, huge believer in AR.”5

In this post, we explore how AR technology offers creative ways for you to stand out from the crowd.

What exactly is Augmented Reality (AR)?AR technology creates a superimposed computer-generated image onto your view of the world. Think of an interior designer taking a photo of a wall and adding a layer of computer-generated paint to it, to see what it would look like without getting the brushes out. Or creating an interactive walkthrough of a property for a prospective landlord without them having to travel to view it.

Why is AR valuable?Because it captures customers’ attention and adds value. According to one estimate, investment in AR technology is set to hit $60billion by 2020.6 The technology has the potential to give your business a real edge and best of all, your customer only needs their smartphone to engage with the experience, so it’s accessible to everyone.

How could AR be used?So many different industries are tapping into the value of AR to sell their products. Imagine a sales team no longer weighted down with a heavy physical portfolio of products but an AR-enabled application that can be as big as your imagination?

AR dramatically improves how sales teams can demonstrate products, such as by projecting images of their products into the environments that they’ll fit into in reality.

How can I get started?Even if you’re not blessed with a sizeable marketing budget, it’s worth considering a business case for AR technology and the day-to-day improvements it could make to your company and your customers. There are hundreds of agencies specialising in AR who could make your ideas come to life, so shop around for ideas and costs.

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In summaryWhen you start to build your marketing strategy for 2019, don’t forget these key points.

Be authentic. Take time to understand your audience and invest in quality content that’s of value to them.

Give your employees a voice to be ambassadors for your brand online.

Automate your social listening, scheduling and responses to direct messages. Look into chatbots as an extra pair of hands.

Embrace dark social and work out how to tap into trusted networks.

Social MediaWork out where automated systems are appropriate, and where they’re not.

Give your customers choice about how they engage with you.

Automate your admin to free up your time for important tasks best done by a human – like customer service.

Watch and listen. Don’t be afraid to make changes if a system isn’t working as you expected.

AutomationConsider tried and tested approaches that have fallen out of fashion – as long as they fit with your audience.

Segment and personalise your messages as much as you can.

Investigate guest posts and broaden your horizons.

Pick your influencers carefully and make sure they align with your brand.

Distribution

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Research your demographics and branch out further into smaller niches.

Watch your competition and apply their best work to your own.

Make sure your channels are the right ones for your audience.

Get your timing right too.

AudienceAR creates a superimposed computer-generated image onto your view of the world.

AR is valuable because it captures customers’ attention and adds value to your products.

It has the capability to add multiple layers of information to your customers’ experience of your brand.

Shop around for cost-effective AR solutions and build a business case.

Augmented Reality Create a brighter future

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