In the B2B Agencies Report 2015-2016, created by B2B Marketing and Circle Research, it was found that ‘the vast majority (86%) of agencies described the state of the market as ‘strong’ or ‘good’ in 2015, with a positive outlook for the months ahead’. Now, although this finding looks good on the face of it, there was in fact a deeper discovery…

Of the 86% of respondents mentioned above, the proportion that described the state of the market as ‘strong’ in 2015 was 27%. In this same report from 2014 though, the participants which selected ‘strong’ was 40%. So, it would seem that although general confidence in current marketing and the expectations for the coming 12 months is high, only a quarter of agencies are truly positive about what’s round the corner.

What to expect in 2016

The world of B2B marketing is ever-changing, and the channels and methods which we use today may be obsolete by the second half of the year. However, there are always changes which we can see coming, and prepare for. For example, continued growth in the popularity and results generated by video marketing would suggest that this channel will definitely need to be utilised more over the next year. In addition, inbound marketing and the use of content continues to generate higher quality leads at a fraction of the cost of outbound strategies, so this too should warrant a larger proportion of the budget in 2016. Ultimately though, one of the biggest changes facing B2B marketing over the next year or two is preparing for the changes in the Data Protection Act. The inescapable truth is that the new General Data Protection Regulation will require changes from marketers, and some of these can start being implemented now.

How to get the best out of 2016

With large-scale industry changes such as the data protection updates coupled with more typical developments such as new strategies or channels, it’s unsurprising that B2B marketers can become overwhelmed. Given that ROI and results must be at the heart of everything we do, developments with a steep learning curve can be the enemy of marketers looking to continually prove their worth to the C-Suite. Thankfully though, there is a solution available to all marketers… outsourcing.

Where marketers will look to educate themselves and generate results from new strategies and channels over a few weeks and months, expert marketing agencies can offer advice and support that is capable of generating ROI almost immediately. Whether it’s total B2B marketing support, assisting with a selection of tasks, or merely offering advice and guidance on specialist techniques, agencies will be able to help you adapt to changes and generate results quickly and efficiently.