Perhaps the most exciting thing about working in B2B marketing is the pace at which new technology and strategy is created and utilized. There’s always a new tool to adopt, and with the abundance of big data made available through social media platforms, it’s easier than ever to prove the worthiness of new tactics, or to quickly readjust when needed.




2017 will see many existing B2B marketing trends accelerate their trajectory, and will also give rise to new and innovative strategies for success. Let’s take a look at the 5 B2B marketing trends that the team at The Mezzanine Group predicts will be the most influential for 2017:

1. More Sales OnlinE

Though E-Commerce has traditionally been a B2C dominated sphere, 2017 will see an increase in B2B transactions taking place online. Forrester has reported¹ that in 2017, 56% of B2B buyers will be conducting at least half their purchases online. B2B E-Commerce sales have been growing by 7.7% each year, and are estimated to reach $1.13 Trillion in 2020, up from $304.91 Billion in 2014!

2. Repurpose to Save Money

According to Sirius Decisions, 60 – 70% of content goes unused². That’s right: Many companies have been so focused on content creation that they’re not using all the assets available to them. 2017 will see many companies repurposing existing content for different uses (say, contests, promotions, email marketing), allowing them to impact the bottom line with low spend.

3. Increase in Paid Advertising on Social Media

In an effort to please investors, social media platforms like Facebook are decreasing organic reach so that they can push companies towards paid advertising. It’s estimated that² in 2017, advertisers will spend $35.98 Billion in paid social media advertising- up 33.5% from 2015.

4. User Generated Content

Millennials represent the majority of the voting population, and the workforce. They’re a sought-after demographic that craves authenticity. In fact, only 1% of millennials³ are influenced by traditional advertising. In 2017, we’ll see more B2B marketing strategies that allow the user to generate content⁴, increasing a brand’s trustworthiness. You’ll see UGC incentivized through contests, community-based initiatives, and feedback portals.

5. Video Content

Research has shown that 4 times as many consumers⁵ would rather watch video content than read text-based information. It’s no wonder then, why 69% of marketers report they’re increasing” or “significantly increasing” spend on video production. 2017 will see more timely, relevant, responsive video content delivered to the marketplace than ever before.

At The Mezzanine Group, we make it our business to remain ahead of the curve on B2B marketing trends, delivering proven, cutting edge solutions to our clients. According to all of our research, it looks like we’ve got an exciting year ahead. For more information on The Mezzanine Group’s B2B marketing services, contact one of our marketing specialists today.

References: 

[1] Internet Retailer, “B2B E-Commerce Sales Will Top $1.13 Trillion by 2017”, https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/04/02/new-report-predicts-1-trillion-market-us-b2b-e-commerce

[2] Business 2 Community, “7 New B2B Content Marketing Trends to Watch in 2017”, http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/7-new-b2b-content-marketing-trends-watch-2017-01618223 - 0xdzG1BhCMIvI0dq.97

[3] Huffington Post, “Millennials Want Brands to be More Authentic. Here’s Why That Matters”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-tyson/millennials-want-brands-t_b_9032718.html

[4] CMS Connected, “4 B2B Content Marketing Trends You Need to Know for 2017”, http://www.cms-connected.com/News-Articles/August-2016/4-B2B-Content-Marketing-Trends-You-Need-To-Know-fo

[5] DMA, “7 Trends that Should Shape your 2017 Marketing Budget”, https://thedma.org/blog/data-driven-marketing/7-trends-that-should-shape-your-2017-marketing-budget/