Our marketing manager Lydia Bryant peeks into her crystal ball to share this year’s top B2B content marketing trends. Of course, Artificial Intelligence features heavily, but we’re predicting that to utilise it successfully businesses need to cast it as the supporting act, rather than the star of the show.
Let’s get stuck in.
“AI is definitely a force to be reckoned with, but when businesses use it as a tool and not as a crutch in marketing strategies it can streamline processes and help cultivate the human essence of a business that is going to become ever more important as we move into unchartered territory with the technology”. Lydia Bryant, marketing manager at Revvd.
AI – what can you do that it can’t?
Content marketing is all about creating and sharing content like videos, blogs and social media posts, that attract, engage and retain customers. Needless to say it should be a big part of any marketing strategy and AI, with its ever expanding capabilities, has already had a profound impact on the space.
In general, we can say that AI has increased volume and reduced quality when it comes to content. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are great at increasing speed and efficiency of day-to-day marketing operations, but if we’re not using our own expertise and experiences to inform the content we produce, we’ll end up with the same regurgitated material as everyone else. Eventually there will be no differentiation, and our audiences will get content fatigue and disengage, a big no-no for any business!
Our recommendation is to reverse this and focus instead on quality audience-specific content, using AI as a supporting tool for content rather than the sole generator. For example, I can ask Perplexity to name 5 of the most-used CRM systems of 2024, and then do my own research on the pros and cons of each, and write the round-up myself, including personal experiences & my expertise to add real value, instead of using AI to do all the legwork.
AI has also changed how we search online, with many search engines using it to keep users from clicking on to other sites. You may have noticed the likes of Google providing AI-generated content right at the top of the results, so many users now don’t even click on another site. As frustrating as this might be, especially if you’ve invested heavily in SEO, it’s important to move with the times and shift focus from content like ‘how to’ articles to more indepth thought-leadership pieces that attract visitors who want the level of detail you can offer in your B2B space. Again, it’s all about adding that unique value.
To summarise, in 2025 you need to work out what AI can’t create & focus on that. Think webinars, expert interviews, reports & white papers. Produce video content that promotes authenticity, personal branding & consider in-person and virtual events that offer the human interaction AI simply cannot (at this stage!).
Community – identify your tribe & let it thrive!
Staying on the theme of AI ‘junk’, for lack of a better word, and content fatigue, businesses should focus attention on nurturing their communities, as customers look for more engagement and personalisation in 2025.
In an act of defiance almost, we predict that customers will tune out the rapidly produced but generic content of AI, and opt for community focussed interactions, on platforms like Slack, LinkedIn and private member sites. The B2B industry can capitalise on this, ensuring their audience segment is well defined and communicated with so that a community can thrive. This leads me on to my next trend of…
ABM – add that personal touch
Otherwise known as Account-Based-Marketing, where businesses can tailor experiences and offer a level of personalisation in communications and content that otherwise can’t be attained using broader marketing strategies. The goal of ABM is to ensure you are focussing on the ‘right leads’ instead of opting for ‘more leads’, where each account is treated like its own unique market. AI can conduct analysis to help identify and target customers for ABM strategies, but ultimately content needs to be highly personalised for it to be successful.
LinkedIn – lights, camera, action!
Maybe somewhat surprisingly (considering the professional nature of the platform), the short-form vertical videos, as seen on TikTok and Instagram Reels, are set to be one of the top tools on LinkedIn this year. Businesses should focus on producing short and snappy videos suitable for mobile use, but don’t forget the content still needs to offer value, because that’s where you get the all-important engagement, through comments, likes and shares. Expert Q&As, personal interviews, ‘sneak-peeks’ behind the scenes of a business are all great video themes, just ensure they stay around 1 minute long.
Additionally, LinkedIn newsletters are set to continue to be a key tool in 2025, so if you’re not already implementing them, it’s time to! They’re great for nurturing your community and showing your value as a business. Share industry tips, news and best practices, that will help reinforce the business as trustworthy and credible, two important factors when it comes to building and maintaining business relationships. Just make sure that you commit to a realistic schedule, so that you can consistently post a newsletter, rather than let it become unpredictable and sporadic.
To summarise, AI is definitely a force to be reckoned with, but when businesses use it as a tool and not as a crutch in marketing strategies it can streamline processes and help cultivate the human essence of a business that is going to become ever more important as we move into unchartered territory with the technology.
If you’re looking for B2B marketing support, whether it’s help with developing a content strategy for 2025 or more project based , we can help, simply fill out the form on our contact page and we’ll be in touch!
