A lot has happened in the last ten years in regards to marketing strategy and the tools being used. The internet, of course, is primarily responsible for these changes. Here we’ve highlighted five of the biggest advancements in marketing over the past decade.

Digital Marketing Commands A Greater Share Of Marketing Budgets

Although digital marketing really got started in the 90’s, it has taken until the last few years for companies to invest in it as much as traditional methods. Today, nearly 50% of marketing budgets are spent on digital initiatives and that number continues to steadily increase. It’s almost unheard of for larger companies to not be using some kind of automation platform and small businesses are not far behind in that regard. Content creation and social media marketing are now a must for any B2B organization looking to grow. The vast majority of B2B buyers perform an online search and view multiple pieces of content before considering a purchase, thus the drastic increase in digital marketing budgets.

Account-Based Marketing Becomes Vital To Attract Key Accounts

With so much content and so many solutions available, marketers have begun to lean on account-based marketing campaigns to land their most sought-after accounts. With personalization being so important in marketing today, narrowing your audience and speaking directly to specific pain points has become necessary to gain the attention of prospects. Finding your niche and focusing your efforts on those industries, verticals or companies has never been more important. Doing so allows you to tailor your products and services, as well as your messaging, to a focused audience.  B2B buyers want to do business with companies that specialize in their market, making ABM an essential piece of your overall marketing plan.

Direct Mail Makes A Comeback Via Personalized 3D Mailers

Direct mail had all but died as a B2B marketing strategy, but with digital channels becoming more flooded every day, it has become a way for companies to stand out. However, gone are the days of mass mailers sent out to a broad audience. Direct mail is now best used to target high-level decision makers within key accounts. Using three-dimensional mail pieces that offer value and elicit some kind of response is a great way to get the attention of higher-ranking prospects within large companies. With it being so difficult to reach these contacts via phone or email, direct mail has once again become a useful marketing tool for B2B organizations.

Teleprospecting Takes On A More Specialized Role

Teleprospecting is no longer a stand-alone strategy. It is best used in conjunction with email marketing, social media and other inbound marketing techniques. Teleprospecting is a great tool for qualifying inbound leads. It is also a necessity when it comes to setting appointments with high-level decision makers. Rather than embarking on a cold calling campaign, email is used to shake out interested parties and make them familiar with your company. Content such as eBook and whitepapers are used as fulfillment pieces to provide more information than a typical email or voicemail. Social media is used along with teleprospecting to build relationships and share content. While cold calling may never go away, teleprospecting is far more effective when the prospect has been warmed up in some fashion.

Social Media Marketing Becomes A Necessity

Social media was just barely in its infancy ten years ago.  Now it is one of the most critical marketing tools out there. Social can be used to distribute content, generate leads, build brand awareness and, most importantly, build relationships with prospects. When B2B buyers research a company, one of their first stops is their social media pages. A well optimized and kept up with social media page provides them with details on your company, content that educates and entertains and simply lets them know your company is legitimate. Online presence is a big deal, and just having a website is not nearly enough. Marketers need to feed their profiles with content and engage with their prospects on social media in order for digital campaigns to be effective.  With more platforms being created all the time, and buyers increasingly looking toward digital channels for information, social media will only continue to grow in importance.