DemandWorks Media proudly sponsored the B2B Marketing Exchange (B2BMX) for the fourth consecutive year, held in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the end of February. This event brought together some of the most innovative minds in the industry, emphasizing the use of technology to empower human connection, creativity, and customer focus. Our survey of 100 marketers provided valuable insights on current industry activity. Here is a quick recap of the event and some noteworthy stats:
Now in its 12th year, B2BMX continues to be a leading event for B2B revenue teams. The 2023 conference featured attendees from top brands such as IBM, American Express, Cisco, Edward Jones, WordPress, VMware, Hewlett Packard, and more. The impressive keynote lineup included thought leaders like Jon Miller, Jay Baer, Miri Rodriguez, John Arnold and Pam Didner.
Empowering Human Connection through Technology
The first day at B2BMX 2023 was all about using technology and AI to empower human connections in the B2B marketing space. During the event, the power of technology in enhancing relationships was a recurring theme. As Phyllis Davidson of Forrester explained, “Automation can unlock efficiency in our content engines, helping us pull humans out of more mundane activities and deploy them in a more strategic way.”
While we are just at the beginning of the “AI boom”, it’s clear that AI can be applied to a wide range of areas including creative development, lead management, and relationship building. Which is important because only 8% of companies surveyed said they try to release new content monthly, and 30% of these companies believe syndicating that content is the most effective channel for generating leads. With AI writing assistant tools, marketers can create compelling creative content or initial drafts, freeing up more time to focus on developing new ideas and nurturing relationships with customers.
Moreover, AI can help marketers personalize their interactions with customers by analyzing data and providing insights into customer preferences, behavior, and needs. This information can be used to tailor marketing messages and content creation to individual customers, helping to build stronger connections between businesses and their customers. The more you know about your audience, the more you can deliver the content they want.
Boosting Creativity and Customer Focus
On the last day of B2BMX, industry leaders took the stage to share their insights and experiences in adopting innovative, customer-centric strategies to stay ahead of the curve. Reuben Webb and Jeremy Cochran of Stein IAS discussed the significance of creative effectiveness in B2B advertising, while Ali Haeri from MNTN urged marketers to differentiate themselves through innovative strategies.
In the world of B2B marketing, creativity and emotion are often overlooked as essential components of successful campaigns. Jay Baer from Convince & Convert emphasized the importance of emotion in marketing during his keynote,“The Audience Is the Algorithm, & Bravery Is The Answer.” : He suggested being brave and generous, useful, fast, empathetic, and feisty in marketing strategies to create emotional connections and gain a competitive advantage. “Marketing that creates emotions outperforms marketing that doesn’t. Make people feel something.” This statement highlights the importance of emotion and creativity in connecting with the target audience, ultimately driving engagement and brand loyalty.
These tactics go hand and hand with implementing intent data to better understand and connect to your target audience. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being “most important”, 56% said 4 “very important” for how important the use of intent data is in their current marketing strategy while only 2% claimed it’s “not important at all”. Emotion plays a critical role in the decision-making process, regardless of whether the decision is personal or professional. B2B buyers are human beings who experience emotions and have personal preferences. By incorporating creativity with your intent data into marketing strategies, B2B marketers can forge a deeper connection with their target audience, differentiate their brand from competitors, and build lasting relationships.
The Future
Looking ahead to 2023, 40% of companies expect to spend the most money in content syndication, and 58% plan to test/deploy new account-based marketing tactics. This year, like years before, The B2B Marketing Exchange was an inspiring event that highlighted the importance of leveraging technology, creativity, and customer focus to drive marketing success. It is always intriguing to listen to the perspectives of fellow marketers and thought leaders on current industry topics. It is clear that there’s an ongoing shift in the industry towards prioritizing content quality, utilizing intent data, and adopting innovative ABM strategies. As the B2B marketing terrain evolves, it is crucial to remain knowledgeable and adaptable to changing trends and approaches. DemandWorks Media is excited to witness these changes and continue supporting the industry’s growth and innovation.