The best of times,
the worst of times

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light (intent data)” — Albus Dumbledore (probably)

As we consider the first quarter of 2023, we recognize new trends and old trends. There are new ideas and there are old ideas. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

After spending a few days rubbing intellectual shoulders with some of the leaders in B2B marketing—at the B2B Marketing Exchange in Scottsdale, AZ—it became clear that the turbulence of commercial uncertainty of 2022 was going to call 2023 home as well. Market leaders, business strategists, and technologists are acknowledging the hard-to-swallow truths: marketing budgets are being evaluated as cost centers to businesses and not the revenue-driving arenas we know them to be, and with greater scrutiny on the efficacy of marketing programs and technologies.

As we heard from both emerging and established B2B technology providers, there are a few trends we can plan for in the coming year, new ways technology is helping us marketeers stand out and prove value, and new priorities to better connect with customers—because, at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about.

So, to pay off the click-bate title, here are the four takeaways that our team heard throughout our week at B2BMX.

1. Take the creative risk

There’s a reality that we experience as B2B marketers—it can often feel like the best creative thinking is reserved for consumer brands. We can tell you firsthand from walking the floor of the tradeshow marketplace and participating in several breakout and workshop sessions—most of the current B2B technologies are communicating different names for the same things.

To stand out, B2B marketers need to take the creative risk. The reality is most B2B advertisers are using the same channels and platforms to communicate with prospects. Now, more than ever, you need to use your voice and brand as a point of differentiation. Find a bold, creative way to express your value proposition and run with it! Be authentic, relevant, and unique. It’s important to remember that creative risks don’t need to be global brand campaigns with some b-list celebrity; creative risks can take shape in everyday content! To pull some wisdom from our friend Seth Godin, remember that not taking a risk is actually the riskiest thing you can do.

2. Intent data is leading the way

One thing we heard again and again from a variety of technology partners was the increased need for deeper data on prospective customers in their sales journey. We were excited to see intent data on display and the granularity that use-cases of customer intent data demonstrated, and how to establish clear lines of reporting or “sales readiness” for prospective customers.

If we go one click beyond sales readiness as the primary use-case of intent data, we saw an inspiring amount of detail hidden within the data. These insights help brands make the case for using broad market intent data, search terms, and behaviors. These insights can point out trends in the market, highlight technology topics of discussion, and even shine a light on how to provide a 360-degree (see we’re marketers) view into the behaviors of service evaluation. So, if you know, you know, and if you know, you probably have a bit of a looking glass for the future.

3. Say what you mean and mean what you say

Earlier, we mentioned the similarities of the showroom floor, but we think it deserves another day in court for an entirely different reason. At April Six, we believe in the power of coherency. We say what we mean, and we help our clients realize that coherency is indeed what you say. But we take it a step further. Coherency is the commitment you make to provide experiences that build customer relationships. One key takeaway—a strongly worded “please” to B2B technology marketeers—is simply to say what you’re trying to say.

We know our opportunity is to engage with a prospect is brief. Whether it’s engagement by SDR, website, or a piece of digital content, we have to be better at using those first few moments to educate prospects on what businesses are trying to do, and who they are.

4. Be ready to pivot.

We know—looming recession, economic instability, mass layoffs, organizational uncertainty. However, we are seeing outliers who are better prepared to handle the uncertainty 2023 is inevitably going to bring. As the title says, businesses need to be ready to pivot. Services need to be scalable; they need to be able to quickly ramp up or down, and B2B brands need to have the autonomy to think quickly, make a pivot, and shift with the changing market.

For example, we’ve seen a steady incline of B2B marketeers narrowing their focus to a few channels, instead of the many. Exploring ways to maximize the impact of a potentially lean budget can lead to more effective, higher engagement channel marketing strategies. Maybe it’s time to start thinking of a laser-focused marketing strategy, not a buckshot wide approach…Just a thought.

Despite these turbulent times, with uncertainty all around us, we were blown away by the technological leaps that we saw at B2BMX. Honestly, it’s amazing just being able to demo and evaluate new technologies that can help provide a more educational and entertaining customer experience—and unlock new levels of automation, scalability, and customer insights.

It’s the Wild West again, and because of that we’re seeing another technology revolution unfold in front of us. We have the power to think bigger, move faster, and create a much more effective world of B2B marketing. We might even provide a bit of stability back to our little corner of the marketing world—as long as we turn on the lights (we mean the intent data).

If you want to hear more about our perspectives on how these trends are impacting our clients, and our agency, and how we’re turning instability into opportunity, drop us a line at ­­­­­info@aprilsix.com. We’d love to talk with you!

Farris Holliday
Strategy Director, April Six NA
farris.holliday@aprilsix.com