Social media has become an integral part of our lives. About 4.74 billion people use social media worldwide, 59.3 percent of the total population. The average time people spend on these platforms is two hours and 27 minutes daily. Needless to say, social media is an essential tool for businesses to connect with customers and prospects. The social media landscape is ever-changing, making it important to stay on top of the latest trends.
With 2023 only weeks away, B2B social media marketers are looking for what’s next. Keep reading for the six B2B marketing trends your company should prepare for in the coming year.
1. Video Marketing
When researching this topic, it was not surprising to see video marketing on every list of trends coming into 2023. Celebrities and influencers are mixing in short videos with their content, so it’s only a matter of time before all industries adopt this concept. TikTok and other video streaming platforms have shaped this trend, and it’s here to stay. Viewers may retain 95% of a company message from a video as opposed to only 10% when reading text. A survey done by Wyzowl revealed that more than 73% of users prefer to watch short and descriptive videos. In addition, the survey found that 86% of businesses are already using video as a marketing tool, with 87% of B2B marketers agreeing an effective video marketing strategy improves ROI. Video marketing will be a valuable tool to keep followers engaged in 2023.
2. Brand Personalization
B2B tech marketing has typically had a more serious and to-the-point tone. However, social media followers of B2B tech brands want to see a little more personality on their feeds. LinkedIn in particular is changing into a more “fun” social media platform in 2023. Adding more personality to your brand on social media is sure to stick out. Businesses must learn more about their users’ preferences to deliver a unique experience. This will differentiate one B2B tech company from another in 2023. A brand’s personalization efforts in digital marketing reflect what its audience is looking for. It allows B2B businesses to understand the preferences, needs, and interests of their existing and prospective customers to serve them precisely. Companies must learn more about their users’ preferences to deliver a unique experience.
3. Omnichannel Approach
Omnichannel marketing is a client-centric, cross-channel approach that provides a seamless client experience and improves connections across channels and touchpoints. The Omnichannel strategy is a way of getting your message across in a consistent manner.
Statistics reveal that 80% of B2B buyers prefer moving towards other solutions if they don’t get a consistent and reliable experience across marketing channels. Keeping the brand messaging aligned is critical in 2023.
4. Micro-influencers
Micro-influencers (social media influencers with an audience of 1,000-100,000) have higher engagement rates than those with larger audiences. This also fits well with the niche audience in the B2B tech space. Today, 63% of consumers trust influencers more than brands. People love seeing recognizable faces on their feeds or learning about popular creators in their field. Tapping into well-known thought leaders is an excellent solution to integrating this trend into social media strategies.
5. Thought Leadership
Original research will become even more vital for marketing efforts in 2023. Thought leadership content helps businesses boost their brand perception, instill strong trust and improve their reputation. Writing to your targeted audience is a sustainable B2B tech marketing trend that grabs and retains user attention.
6. User-generated content
B2B tech companies can leverage user-generated content to get their brand in front of more people, increasing engagement and building trust. Consumers are 2.4 times more likely to trust user-generated content compared to company-generated content. Followers don’t want to see repeated corporate messages but real experts using or endorsing products and services.
Over the six months I have been at Catapult, I have been monitoring and running various social media accounts in the B2B tech space. I have learned that there is no right or wrong formula when it comes to social media, but there are tips and tricks that can be used to increase engagement and keep audiences involved. Although these are some likely trends for 2023, these should be used as a guide, not as defining principles.
