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My wife brought home a pack of mince pies last week.

For my non-UK readers, these are traditional British pastries full of dried fruit, spices (and sometimes alcohol) typically served during the holiday season.

They are also a sign that the end of the year is almost nigh. And that has got me thinking about what we can expect to see next year in terms of marketing trends for B2B solution providers.

So here it is - 9 B2B marketing predictions for 2023.

But first…

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» ChatGPT (and other dialogue-based AI chatbots) will increasingly be leveraged by content creators and strategists to take ideas from 0>1. But we’re a long way from any marketing role being ‘replaced’ by this technology, despite what anyone thinks.

» TikTok is a new frontier for smart, creative B2B brands. It’s not just SaaS or tech companies that can benefit. VILPE, Silvi Materials and Apex Motion Control prove you can work in non-software businesses and still build HUGE audiences.

» There’s a resurgence of companies spending a lot of money on tradeshow booths (put it down to excitement from the sales team to see people post-pandemic) but this plateaus in H2 2023 as it becomes increasingly harder to justify against a bottom line impacted by the recession.

» B2B marketers find more creative ways to leverage sponsorships. It’s no longer acceptable to sign a cheque in return for ‘logo placement’ - trade media needs to evolve the way it delivers value (through content and community) otherwise it will die.

» Influencers. There will be more experimentation in working with solo creators but most B2B companies will fudge the execution by trying to exert too much control over the end result.

» Smart companies invest in training their front-line employees to advocate on social media. Selling solutions is all about being perceived as knowing where the industry is going. Best way to do this with scale is to equip individuals with the tools they need to build a personal brand.

» Return to lead-gen - kind of. Marketers realise that collecting leads isn’t inherently a bad strategy in building pipeline, but there is a need to be more considerate and deliberate on how those contacts are qualified and nurtured.

» Top marketing teams will help their sales colleagues leverage owned podcasts as a new business development and customer insights tool.

» Marketing budgets will continue to be slashed in organisations susceptible to the recession as executive teams look to preserve profitability. Launching new programmes without direct, short-term ROI will be tough if there isn’t already a strong marketing mindset internally. Opportunity exists for companies ready to invest in demand gen.

❤️ Some articles I’ve recently read and loved:

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9 B2B Marketing Predictions for 2023