Everything you need to know about how AI, ABM and more will evolve in the year ahead
2025 is here – can you believe it? In the fast-paced world of B2B marketing, the speed of change shows no signs of slowing down. Here, we’ll take a look at the B2B trends that will come to the forefront this year.
Artificial Intelligence, real results?
AI is no longer a novelty, or even a ‘nice to have’; it’s fast becoming a rising element of digital marketing. Increasingly, it assists with core marketing tasks such as analysing user data, improving customer service and even assistance in content creation.
There are new capabilities and new claims for AI emerging almost daily. However, according to market research company Kantar , 36% of marketers think their teams lack the necessary skills to employ AI, and 43% of consumers say that they don’t trust ads that are AI-generated.
In 2025, success will come from blending proven marketing expertise with the thoughtful application of emerging AI capabilities. Marketers who learn to use AI as one of many tools in their professional toolkit – while maintaining the pre-eminence of their strategic thinking, creativity and human insight – will be best placed to win the trust of their audiences and build meaningful connections.
Hyper-personalisation at scale
This year, audiences will demand even more relevant and meaningful brand content. You can’t be all things to all people – but, with hyper-personalisation, you can apply data to deliver unique experiences across varied channels, from the production of targeted ads to tailored video content.
Hyper-personalisation will be powered by a combination of AI, advanced data analytics and seamless integration across marketing technology platforms. It will mean tapping into real-time behavioural data and applying predictive insights to anticipate customer needs and deliver timely messaging.
To be effective, brands will need to show consistency across all touchpoints, ensuring they deliver seamless personalised experiences, whether buyers engage through social media, websites or apps.
ABM on the uptick
Reaching new markets and buyers is always important, but sometimes there’s value in thinking smaller when it comes to your targets.
What if you could do more by hyper-focusing your marketing efforts to a tightly targeted core audience of highly-valued accounts? Such as an audience of one buying department, or even one key decision maker, with access to a large budget? This is the essence of Account Based Marketing. (ABM).
Here’s why we believe we’ll see an uptake of ABM strategies.
- Advances in AI and data analytics will make it easier to identify, segment and target the right accounts. The resulting enhanced ABM techniques will drive higher engagement and conversions, making it increasingly useful to B2B marketers.
- As ABM integrates with advanced marketing technologies such as CRM, it will become increasingly accessible and practical for mid-sized businesses. With the emergence of different types of ABM tactics (One-to-One, One-to-Few and One-to-Many), ABM will no longer be just for large enterprises but for medium-sized businesses with complex buying cycles.
- ABM campaigns promise increased ROI and its techniques are also effective for upselling and cross-selling to existing accounts, as well as supporting advocacy. ABM also serves as a potential point of significant competitive differentiation in a saturated market.
What’s more, ABM campaigns require sales and marketing teams to work in much closer alignment, reinforcing another important industry trend.
New channels and formats gaining prominence
As B2B marketing continually evolves, brands will need to explore innovative ways to capture attention and engage audiences as the year progresses:
- Shortform videos are already viral in B2C – and can do the same for B2B:
By their very nature, shortform videos are highly shareable across platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and they’re moving to other platforms. They can be used to reinforce long-form videos while also offering significant exposure for brands.
- Next-generation platforms – Leveraging AR, VR, and AI for greater audience engagement:
2025 will likely see the further emergence of untapped channels such as immersive Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality experiences and conversational marketing through AI-powered assistants. These evolving platforms include Meta Horizon Worlds (Meta’s VR platform), Snapchat AR, Apple Vision Pro (Apple’s mixed-reality headset) and Google ARCore (a toolkit for creating AR applications). Additionally, Google, Meta and Microsoft each have their own AI-Powered Assistant that can be integrated into existing applications, offering brands new ways to engage with audiences.
The rise of social commerce – Will it spread to B2B?
Social media platforms have already begun integrating e-commerce features, allowing users to shop directly in app. So the question is, will LinkedIn, the pre-eminent B2B platform, follow suit?
At the same time, social media marketing faces significant challenges. According to Kantar, only 31% of people globally claimed that ads in social media platforms captured their attention – a striking decrease over last year’s reported 43%.
So in 2025, B2B brands will have to work harder to stand out on LinkedIn.
What does B2B marketing success look like in 2025?
The evolution of B2B marketing will be driven by the convergence of AI, hyper-personalisation and emerging technologies and formats. To succeed, the industry will need to ensure the effective adoption of AI innovation, stay adaptable and align with social change (not just social media). To keep competitive and relevant, brands must anticipate these trends, use new tools and, as ever, create relatable, personalised experiences that connect with their audiences.
If you’re looking to amplify your marketing strategy with an agency that understands the ever-evolving B2B landscape, then we’d love to hear from you – get in touch today.
