B2B marketing predictions always make us choke on our eggnog.
Here come the “experts” with their brilliant takes that just happen to line up with their agenda.
If they’re the head of a business that sells, let’s say, a solution for owned media, you can bet your a$$ their top prediction for the new year will be:
“In 2024 smart marketers will embrace owned media.”
Wow! How insightful. So incredibly valuable.
Ugh!
We’ve made some predictions in the past, but this year we’re taking a different approach, and there are three specific things we want to share with you as you wrap up 2023:
1. What we’re actually picking up from marketers
There’s no relief.
Seriously, can you tell us what’s changing going into 2024?
This is the reality:
- Companies are still pushing for growth
- Projections are based on the funnel
- CAC has gotten ridiculously high
- Resources are not matching up
- Competition is higher than ever
- Channels are completely saturated
- Marketing isn’t magically getting easier
Bottom line?
There are no hacks. No cute little tricks. No tiny tweaks for massive gains.
Marketers are well aware of how hard this game is now. We’re all past the “I can just create endless demand by putting out our POV” phase. The jig is up.
2. Ok, a couple of predictions – can’t help ourselves
Here’s the funny thing:
Although we as marketers are clear on how tough it is now, next year it’s gonna be business as usual inside most companies.
This is our main prediction.
CEOs and leadership teams will keep doing things the same way.
Growth targets for 2024 will be largely unrealistic relative to resourcing and global CAC.
Plus it’s all based on the idea of the funnel:
“We’ll convert X% from this stage and then Y% from this stage and eventually Z% to paying customers. The math is clear! You just gotta fill enough in at the top!”
Which leads us to our second prediction:
(No drumroll needed because we’ve already dropped our Marketers Are Under Attack rant.)
Everything will look like a marketing problem.
“There’s not enough coming in at the top of the funnel.”
You know, that whole pre-sales thing. Then…
“Not enough demo requests.”
“Leads not closing fast enough.”
“Not getting up-market fast enough.”
“Buyers don’t see how ‘great’ we are.”
“Marketing isn’t obsessed about revenue.”
And the list goes on.
Just blame Marketing for every growth-related issue.
Even though we know now that growth is a team sport and the responsibility of the entire leadership team.
Again, ugh!
3. What our agency Elevate Demand is doing in 2024
We’re dusting ourselves off after an admittedly challenging start to 2023.
(How challenging? You’ll see in the little docuseries we’re dropping next month.)
We lost a bunch of business in January, got lean and needed to recalibrate.
And from there, it quickly became apparent…
We had to reconnect with the foundation that Elevate Demand was built on. To make sure we could truly deliver for our clients and the broader B2B marketing community coming out of this.
It started with absolute clarity and a new level of depth around our narrative.
We now have more conviction than ever about what it actually takes to drive growth in B2B.
Sure, we realize it’s still tough out there, but we won’t make excuses.
Real winners don’t keep complaining about the macro environment. They’ve already adapted.
As challenging as it may be, that’s how we’ve decided to carry ourselves going into the new year too.
With a winner’s mindset. And with confidence in our plan and execution. Based on the groundwork we’ve laid and the progress we’ve started to see.
We wish nothing short of that for you as well.
Happy Holidays!
- Your partners in growth at Elevate Demand