The field of B2B marketing is constantly changing, and it’s important to keep tabs on new and emerging tactics and technologies. Doing so allows us to better address the evolving needs of our target audiences and, at the end of the day, close more business.
So here are four takeaways gleaned from attending sessions and chatting with fellow marketers at the recent B2B Sales & Marketing Exchange in Boston:
Pipeline-driven metrics are a must
More and more marketing teams are establishing goals based on pipeline generation and conversions. Why? Because boards care about pipeline and revenue. A few popular marketing-centric pipeline metrics to track include:
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Marketing-sourced pipeline |
Marketing-influenced pipeline |
Pipeline acceleration (Sales velocity) |
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How much pipeline is generated via marketing (leads and/or opportunities where the first touch was driven by a marketing activity) |
How much pipeline has been touched by marketing along the way (leads and/or opportunities that have engaged with a marketing activity throughout their sales journey) |
How marketing activities contribute to the rate with which a lead and/or opportunity moves through the sales cycle |
That’s not to say you shouldn’t still measure inbound lead acquisition and MQL conversions – these numbers are useful for forecasting, budgeting, and program management. Not to mention, if you don’t continue to fill the funnel, you won’t have anything to convert down the line.
The main takeaway is to identify metrics your team can track and own that resonate with executives (hint: numbers with dollar signs attached).
It pays to be customer-obsessed
To be customer-obsessed means you develop content and activities that provide tangible value to your prospective customers. Sure, your product or service might serve them once it’s up and running, but what about leading up to then? How can you provide value from the get-go?
Forrester highlights the importance of collaborating cross-functionally to address buyer value. As explained in their February 2023 Vision Report, “The B2B Customer-Obsessed Growth Engine,” marketing, sales, and product teams should focus their efforts on delivering value to buyers; doing so can contribute to revenue growth.
Demand leaders are already using AI
More and more marketers are using generative artificial intelligence to amplify their demand efforts. Sales teams are also taking advantage of AI-powered tools to increase productivity.
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Content Development |
Sales Productivity |
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Generative AI applications like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Bard are used to produce marketing and sales collateral (blogs, papers, graphics, etc). |
AI embedded into platforms can be used to generate email sequences, surface relevant data, automate lead management tasks, and more. |
Some benefits of leveraging AI tools include:
- Resource savings (time and budget)
- Faster content production
- Real-time analytics
- Personalization
| TIP! Leveraging AI applications and platforms can come with a learning curve. If sales and marketing teams find themselves short on time, another way to reap the benefits of AI is to work with a third-party vendor like DemandSkill. Our B2B demand generation services utilize AI to execute personalized, data-driven programs to help teams meet their goals at every stage of the buyer’s journey. |
Your competitors are using intent data
Both Marketing and Sales teams can benefit from the time-sensitive, behavioral insights intent data offers. With intent data on hand, marketers can:
- Deliver more personalized content and campaigns
- Better understand where a prospect maps to in the buyer’s journey
And Sales teams can use intent data to:
- Better prioritize opportunities
- Craft more personalized follow-ups
It’s no wonder, then, that more teams are opting to partner with media agencies that offer intent signaling capabilities and full-funnel programs. This leaves organizations without intent data in their arsenal at a disadvantage.
As Forrester analyst Brett Kahnke suggests, "not leveraging intent data at all” is the #1 biggest intent data mistake for B2B marketing and sales teams.
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These are just four insights to keep in mind for the second half of 2023. Together, they emphasize the importance of delivering engaging data-driven and customer-first experiences to prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
If you’re looking to uplevel your demand strategy with AI and intent data, DemandSkill is here to help. Our services come with AI and intent built in from the get-go! Get in touch with us to learn more.
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