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Jenny Stanley
Jenny Stanley 6 April 2021

B2B Marketing Survey: Reasons to be Optimistic

With such a turbulent year behind us, it’s good to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel, with the positive findings from our 2021 B2B marketing survey, it’s just the boost our industry needs. At Appetite Creative, we are continually striving to be the best we can in our ever-changing marketplace and this year is no exception.

Spending on the Up

In our recent B2B Marketing Survey, it’s good to see marketing investment bouncing back in 2021, despite Covid-19 and economic challenges. With 62% of our respondents looking to increase their digital marketing spend, the majority were prepared to spend between £1,000-10,000 on their website development with 40% willing to spend even more.

The majority of our survey respondents are willing to increase their digital marketing spending and this is just the boost our industry needs. My advice for those looking to bounce back from last year is; don’t be afraid to take a few risks and try experimenting with new revenue streams. 
 
Our ‘new normal’ is a great opportunity to push out of our comfort zone, test and learn and take new approaches. At Appetite Creative, we've already done this with much success over the last 12 months - and I can thoroughly recommend it!
 
Last year and not surprisingly, Brexit and Covid had a hugely detrimental impact on the UK economy and were responsible for cuts to ad-spending in the final months of 2020. The good news is that markets have continued to adapt to ever-changing conditions and government restrictions.

This was also picked up in our survey with c-suite respondents looking for new ways to diversify marketing investment in 2021. Well over half  of respondents (61%) are looking to use video updates and social media activity, with over half  (57%) considering website refreshment.

Boosting Sales

There are a number of ways to boost B2B sales through marketing – and my advice includes: 

  • Know and listen to your target audience: This sounds obvious, but sometimes companies can take their eye of the ball.
  • Be proactive: Engaging with customers with a variety of social media.
  • Clients, management and talent : These are the most important factors for continued growth​, so invest in them.
  • Diversify: Don’t rest on your laurels, keep being innovative
  • Grow your accounts and drive value: Our survey respondents said 68% of those surveyed considered B2B marketing to be “very important” to their business plans this year, which is encouraging.

There are numerous ways to diversify your marketing approach, options that our clients have recently invested in include virtual conference platforms, virtual reality training programmes and using QR codes via connected packaging to give customers access to games, rewards or education programmes.

Our social media services and websites re-designs have also surged, with companies realising the importance and value of digital platforms. 
 
I feel really positive about the opportunities digital creative companies will have this year, as more brands rely on high-quality, innovative and data-driven digital channels to connect with customers. 
 
The time is now to make the most of the accelerated digital transformation and new technology we’ve seen develop and launch over the last 12 months. Don’t get left behind…

Jenny Stanley is Managing Director at Appetite Creative. For more information visit: www.appetitecreative.com

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