B2B in 2024: A Guide to Successful Campaigns

In 2024, account-based marketing (ABM) is table stakes for B2B marketers. A tried-and-true ABM strategy is foundational for connecting with clients and prospects in a targeted, relevant way — but it's not the only B2B marketing strategy. Setting your brand apart from the rest and driving real, sustainable growth requires more.

For B2B marketers in 2024, it's imperative to keep the "95-5 rule" in mind when charting your course. The "95-5 rule" states that only five percent of your total addressable market is actually in-market for your products at any given time. Connecting with that five percent is vital. But what about the other 95 percent?

Brand-building today enforces brand recall tomorrow. As marketers, we know this truth sits at the core of our discipline. And yet, this reality is all too often set aside in the B2B space in favor of a laser-focus on ABM. Increasingly, it's not enough. Here's how to go further.

Rethinking Channel Mix

The importance of extending B2B campaigns beyond traditional channels and experimenting with other channels — ones that connect with B2B audiences across the entire funnel — cannot be overstated. While traditional B2B avenues still hold tremendous relevance, the digital age has ushered in a multitude of alternative avenues that offer unique advantages in reaching and engaging business audiences.

Social media platforms — not just LinkedIn, but personal social media channels as well — provide a dynamic space for B2B interactions, enabling companies to establish a compelling online presence, foster industry relationships, and showcase thought leadership. Additionally, the rise of connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home (DOOH), podcasts, and contextual advertising present invaluable opportunities to connect with business stakeholders in more personalized and immersive ways. These channels allow B2B marketers to tailor their messages based on audience behaviors, preferences, and interests, ensuring a more targeted and impactful outreach.

Segmenting for Success

Segmenting B2B audiences with high-quality data — and leveraging that data for planning, activation, measurement and analytics—is imperative for businesses seeking to optimize their marketing efforts and enhance overall campaign efficiency. High-quality third-party data allows for the precise categorization of businesses based on various criteria such as industry, company size, geographic location, and purchasing behavior.

This segmentation provides a nuanced understanding of the diverse needs and preferences within the target audience, enabling marketers to tailor their messaging, content, and offers to specific segments. By employing such granular segmentation, businesses can deliver more personalized and relevant communication, resonating with the unique challenges and priorities of different audience segments. This not only enhances the effectiveness of marketing campaigns but also fosters stronger connections with B2B clients, establishing a foundation of trust and credibility.

The B2B Marketer's 2024 Checklist

As B2B brands and agencies chart their course in the modern buying landscape, here are the questions and core initiatives that should guide them.

Planning

• Does the brand or client have a firmographic persona or understanding of its total addressable market? This is the starting place for strong segmentation.
• How should the audiences be bucketed? What distinctions matter most among prospects? Segment accordingly.
• Are the creative and landing pages tailored to the audience? Each segment should be addressed based on wo they are and where they are in the buyer journey.
• How much content does the brand have? Does the content fit the audience? If not, make sure you're developing the tools needed to nurture and convert each segment.

Activation

• Are you starting with reach? Remember the "95-5 rule." Make sure you have a plan to reach your total addressable market, and then increase frequency on identified buyers.
• How will marketing and sales work together throughout the campaign? Remember that an estimated 90 percent of the B2B buyer journey is complete before a buyer reaches out to a salesperson, so ensure your sales team is equipped to take them that final mile based on what the data demonstrates about that firm and buying team.
• Are you building social media into your program? Use social channels — but use them differently for different audience segments.
• Are you considering channels beyond the traditional B2B mix? It can be valuable to test new channels that are more popular for B2C marketing, especially emerging cookieless options.

Measurement and Analytics

• Are you prepared to capture metrics in a way that supports your segmentation and ABM program? Use data to measure impressions and performance at the company level.
• Are you leveraging data and insights to their fullest extent? Consider using both B2B and B2C data for additional learnings about your buyers post-campaign.

Adopting a full-funnel B2B marketing approach is not just a strategic choice; it's a fundamental necessity in today's competitive landscape. By seamlessly guiding prospects from initial awareness through consideration to final conversion, businesses can build trust, foster long-term partnerships, and ultimately drive sustained success. In the ever-evolving B2B ecosystem, a holistic marketing strategy that goes beyond ABM to encompass the entire customer journey is the key to staying ahead, meeting diverse client needs, and securing a lasting impact in the market.

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