We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve won Gold at this year’s Fintech B2B Marketing Awards for Best Use of Innovative Content with our client Quantexa.
It’s probably not the first time you’ve heard us talk about this campaign. Our co-founders Lorna and Renaye spoke about it at this year’s Ignite USA conference in their keynote speech, and it’s been nominated for Best Use of ABM at this year’s B2B Marketing awards! One of the things about this campaign that has really resonated with people is the way we engaged a notoriously hard-to-reach audience (CFOs in enterprise financial institutions) with such an emotive and creative campaign.
But this approach, this commitment to creating unforgettable experiences, is embedded into our DNA. Turning abstract concepts and complex technology into something memorable is what we do. We believe that every touchpoint in a campaign, whether it’s content, ads, emails or even a single LinkedIn message, need to be valuable. They need to be human. That’s why we don’t let ourselves be constrained by tradition or conform to ‘B2B’ expectations.
The perfect example of this is our weekly creative inspiration sessions, where we share things that have excited us, intrigued us, or captured our attention in some way (think B2C campaigns, artwork, exhibitions etc.). Another is our unconventional book club, where we share books, blogs, podcasts and videos that have challenged our way of thinking that month.
This desire to create extraordinary experiences, paired with our strategic thinking, is our recipe for success when it comes to creating unforgettable campaigns and innovative content. But you know us; we’re not ones to rest on our laurels.
That’s why we’re sharing four of the best and brightest content innovation trends that our teams will be leveraging over the next year. Each will help marketers to create even more meaningful experiences for their campaigns and break out of the B2B mould.
So, what will innovative content look like in 2024?
More and more B2B brands are using emotion in their content to break down walls with buyers and create authentic relationships. Why? Because 84% of B2B buyers say that they base their decisions on emotion.
There are some truly hilarious and quite simply heartbreaking pieces of content being created right now, with brands unafraid to embrace both ends of the spectrum.
And that raises an interesting point. Previously, more ‘negative’ emotions (sadness, anger etc) were not really used much in content. Brands preferred to steer clear and use more positive ones. But, marketers are increasingly realising that these negative emotions are just as powerful, if not more so, than their counterparts. A study conducted by Outbrain showed that negative headlines have 30% higher click-through rates than positive ones.
We all know that B2B is becoming more and more consumer-like. Buyers are bored of corporate messaging and cookie-cutter campaigns. They want fun, humorous experiences! It’s why the metaverse and gamification is skyrocketing.
What’s different as we look into 2024 is the explosion of choice. We now have TikTok, virtual reality, interactive video, B2C influencer collaborations, hybrid events… Marketers have an opportunity to create more playful (and personalised) campaign experiences across every channel.
Buyers want to see things from B2B brands that are unexpected. Like music videos…
Our client, Addleshaw Goddard (an international law firm), recognised the need for more harmony between General Counsel (GCs) and the boardroom. And with rival firms flooding inboxes with thought-leadership pieces, an ordinary whitepaper wasn’t going to cut it. But what better way to cut through the noise than with music? Pin your ears back, and get ready to listen to the best songs you’ve never heard — all communicating that everything’s better with the GC!
Pssst. Did you know this video is nominated for Best Use of Thought Leadership at this year’s B2B Marketing Awards?
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What does it mean? Well, it’s a fancy way of saying bitesize or snackable content. But the phrase ‘atomisation’ reflects how content needs to be distilled into its simplest form without losing value. You need to be able to meaningfully deliver your message or content in as few words as possible. Then, your audience can decide whether to dive deeper in your content universe and absorb all of the information that’s on offer.
McKinsey is great at this. They create a quarterly report which can either be digested in five or 50 minutes. And we’re even seeing it on TikTok with hour-long TV shows like Top Boy being broken down into 3-minute clips.
So, when it comes to building out your content calendar in 2024, you’re still going to need your whitepapers, your webinars, your long-form content. They’re your bread and butter for thought leadership and lead gen. What’s different is how you share it and how you offer audiences a distilled version of it that packs a punch.
Everyone and their aunty has a podcast in 2023. Even B2B brands! While the channel isn’t new, the way marketers are using it is. We’re seeing more and more companies use this format as a way to humanise their brand and create space for meaningful discussions on thought-leadership topics ranging from sustainability to customer success stories. We’re even seeing true-crime-inspired podcasts making their way onto Spotify from B2B brands like Medius.
The other trend that will skyrocket in 2024 is the use of first-party data to support thought leadership. There are more ways than ever to collect insights from your target audience, from intent data to mass-surveys. What clever marketers will be doing is using this data in two ways:
- To gather insights on the way their audience thinks and behaves (both inside of work and in their personal lives). This can be used to personalise outreach strategies and even content
- To publish industry-leading content that uses this proprietary data as a hook. These don’t have to be your traditional ‘state of play’ or ‘industry snapshot’ whitepapers. It could be an interactive infographic, a live benchmarking tool, or even a microsite.
What’s important is that you can capture your audience’s interest with your thought leadership and then engage them in meaningful conversations. You need to be able to create content that reflects their own interests back to them in a way that feels really valuable and genuinely interesting.
2024 and beyond
So that’s it! A quick roundup of the B2B trends we’ll be using to create more meaningful (and hopefully award-winning) content in the year ahead.
If you’ve got any questions about our approach to content strategy, or want to know about our campaign with Quantexa, please drop us an email at hello@digitalradish.co.uk.
Selbey Anderson Group of agencies