As tech founders and CMOs, you’re navigating a rapidly changing digital landscape where audience behavior and platform preferences are shifting. In 2024, effective B2B marketing is no longer just about maintaining a presence on Google. Success now hinges on identifying the right channels, understanding where your audience spends their time, and crafting strategies that resonate across multiple touchpoints.
A solid SEO strategy alone won’t cut it anymore. Today’s B2B buyers engage across various platforms, each offering unique opportunities for connection. The challenge is to be present where it counts, delivering the right message at the right time. In this blog, we’ll dive into the top B2B marketing channels to focus on in 2024, supported by actionable insights tailored to your growth goals.
The decline of traditional search engines
For years, Google has been the cornerstone of digital marketing strategies. It was the go-to platform for capturing inbound leads through organic and paid search. But recent shifts in consumer behavior reveal a new reality: Google’s dominance is being challenged by platforms that offer more engaging, personalized experiences.
Imagine a startup founder who has relied heavily on Google Ads to drive traffic and generate leads. Over time, they’ve noticed a steady decline in ROI, despite increasing their ad spend. The problem? Their target audience—primarily younger decision-makers—are no longer relying solely on Google. Instead, they’re spending more time on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, where content is more engaging and personalized. Realizing this, the founder knows it’s time to diversify their marketing efforts.
These statistics underscore a critical trend: Google is no longer the default starting point for information. To remain competitive, your strategy must extend beyond traditional search engines to encompass a broader range of channels.
Exploring new gods of search: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and beyond
As the digital landscape diversifies, so too must your marketing strategy. Today’s B2B buyers are scattered across multiple platforms, each with its own strengths and engagement styles. For tech founders and CMOs, the key is to identify which channels offer the greatest ROI and align most closely with your audience’s behaviors.
Picture a CMO at a SaaS company focused on scaling their customer base. They’ve traditionally invested in Google Ads and LinkedIn for lead generation, but recent shifts in customer behavior prompted them to expand their efforts to YouTube and Instagram. By diversifying their strategy, they’ve managed to capture the attention of a wider audience, particularly younger professionals who are more likely to engage with video content and visual storytelling. This shift not only increased their lead volume but also improved lead quality, as they were able to reach prospects earlier in their decision-making process.
Key insight for tech founders and CMOs:
Your audience isn’t confined to one platform, and neither should your marketing strategy be. By strategically investing in the platforms where your audience is most active, you can create a more robust and resilient marketing strategy.
B2B marketing channels to invest in 2024
In 2024, the most effective B2B marketing strategies leverage a combination of platforms, each playing a specific role in the buyer’s journey. Below, we break down the top channels and how you can maximize their impact.
Google search (still relevant, but cautiously)
While Google remains an essential part of your digital strategy, its role has evolved. It’s no longer the singular focus but part of a broader, multi-channel approach.
How to attract the relevant audience on Google:
- Identify the most promising keyword clusters
- Test selected clusters with paid traffic first for relevance and conversion
- Build a holistic ecosystem for the most relevant clusters
- Off-page: get into relevant top-lists and publish guest posts related to the topic on high-quality domains
- Focus on expert content
- Update the content regularly
Opportunities:
- Scale content production with AI
- Get most of algorithm update that prioritizes content created by experts
- Invest in omnichannel thought leadership
Threat:
- Google SGE can drop organic traffic
Key insight for tech founders and CMOs:
Google may no longer be the sole focus, but it’s still a vital part of your marketing mix. The key is to integrate Google into a broader strategy that includes other high-impact platforms.
YouTube: The rising star
Video content has become a cornerstone of modern marketing, and YouTube is at the forefront. For B2B companies, YouTube offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate and engage with your audience.
How to attract the relevant audience on Youtube:
- Keywords and content field research for YT are as important as for Google.
- Strategically include keywords in the video file name, title, description, tags, and within the video script.
- The YouTube Culture and Trends Report can help with formats and emerging topics.
- Post regularly
- Engagement is the key to driving reach.
Opportunities:
- Utilize Youtube shorts
- Engage with interactive features like polls, Q&As, and live streams
- Simplify content creation with AI tools, like Sora.ai or maekersuite.com
- Incorporate YT Shopping with Shopify
Key insight for tech founders and CMOs:
YouTube is a platform where education meets engagement. By delivering valuable content that answers your audience’s most pressing questions, you position your brand as a trusted authority.
Winning content examples in the category and who to follow on Youtube to learn how to do it right:
| How to start? ThinkMedia |
|
| How to analyze? VidIQ |
|
| How does the algorithm work? Little Monster Media Co. |
|
| What’s changing? Creator Insider |
|
| Why do it? garyvee |
|
LinkedIn: the B2B powerhouse
LinkedIn remains the premier platform for B2B networking and professional engagement. Its new features and algorithms that favor thought leadership make it indispensable for any B2B marketing strategy.
How to attract the relevant audience on Linkedin:
- Utilise relatability + authenticity + expertise as foundations for your strategy
- Advance professional discourse with personal stories
- Climb the digital social elevator via collaborations
- Build thought leadership on steroids – utilize more formats: articles, video, newsletters
- Employ phygital networking
- Open the dialogue—valuable engagements are rewarded
Actionable steps:
- Leverage LinkedIn’s new features: Collaborative posts, LinkedIn Live, and newsletters offer diverse ways to connect with your audience.
- Build thought leadership: Regularly publish articles, videos, and case studies that demonstrate your expertise.
- Utilize LinkedIn Learning: Engage in courses to bolster your brand’s credibility and establish your company as a thought leader.
Winning content examples in the category and who to follow on Linkedin to learn how to do it right:
| How to start? Salina Yeung |
|
| How to do it smart? Mett Lakajev |
|
| Updates? ‘Grow on LinkedIn’ newsletter |
|
Key insight for tech founders and CMOs:
LinkedIn is more than just a networking site; it’s a platform for building influence. By focusing on value-driven content, you can establish a strong brand presence that resonates with decision-makers.
Instagram: The visual engagement hub
Instagram might not be the first platform that comes to mind for B2B marketing, but it holds significant potential, particularly when targeting younger professionals or industries that value creativity and design.
How to attract the relevant audience on Instagram:
- Keywords and content field research for Instagram are as important as for Google.
- Visual appeal attracts, authenticity and relatability engages, expertise converts, and testimonials & UGC build trust. Your confidence comforts the audience
- Promote content through partnerships & collaborations
- Drive engagement with Engaging captions & Instagram Stories stickers 🙂
- Interact with compassion, kindness and value. It builds community.
Actionable steps:
- Share Instagram Reels consistently: Use short, engaging videos to showcase product features, company culture, or industry insights.
- Ask followers to add you to their Favorites feed
Winning content examples in the category and who to follow on Linkedin to learn how to do it right:
| How to start? @hootsuite |
|
| Updates? @smexaminer |
|
Key insight for tech founders and CMOs:
Instagram is where you can humanize your brand and create a visually compelling narrative that appeals to decision-makers who value design and creativity.
TikTok: A high-risk, high-reward option
TikTok’s potential for B2B marketing is often overlooked, but its influence, particularly among Gen Z, is undeniable. While it’s a higher-risk channel, the rewards can be substantial for those willing to invest in creative, engaging content.
Actionable steps:
- Collaborate with influencers and content creators: Partner with influencers who align with your brand to tap into their established audience.
- Optimize with SEO-driven hashtags: TikTok’s search functionality relies heavily on hashtags. A strategic mix of popular and niche hashtags can help your content reach the right audience.
- Experiment with educational content: TikTok users appreciate content that is both entertaining and informative. Short tips, industry insights, or quick explainer videos can resonate well.
Key insight for tech founders and CMOs:
TikTok is an opportunity to stand out in a crowded market. If your brand is looking to disrupt the norm and reach a younger audience, TikTok could be the unexpected channel that delivers high returns.
ChatGPT: the supergod that could change everything
57% of business owners believe that ChatGPT will increase traffic to their websites, and 47% think it will improve their credibility.
How to attract the relevant audience on ChatGPT:
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is a combination of SEO + SERM across all platforms
- Clear website: name the category, target industries, features you offer, with all keywords optimized
- Marketplaces, reviews and top-lists are a GEO navigation tool. Narrow the segments you address to the top-5 for your specific ICP’s
- Add the location on the website, as it takes into account users’ locations
- Active posting on social media, PR & cooperations with opinion leaders to make you visible
Opportunity:
- AI is still learning how to define the trustworthy sources and how to understand what people are looking for. You can train it with the proper information about your company. It can help AI to better understand and maybe even share your company information with other users when they ask
Threat:
- If you are not in top-5 or top-10 according to the needed criteria, you don’t exist for the GEO.
Choosing marketing channels in 2024: a checklist
Goal:
- Choose marketing channels that are most impactful for your audience by finging 3-4 where they spend the most time.
Step 1. Define goals, ICPs & buyer personas
Outline your ICP and buyer persona, services/product description, and goal.
| For example, let’s take a B2B marketing agency: |
|
Step 2. Analyze media behavior and shortlist channels
Identify 3-4 marketing channels where your audience spends the most time (use reports on time spent by age, occupation, gender, and geography). Analyze the inbound demand for each channel to develop a shortlist.
Example:
Step 3. Research the demand in selected channels and develop an omnichannel strategy to attract the relevant audience.
Step 4. Analyze buyer behavior in your category and build a plan to engage with the audience.
The goal is to streamline the sales process by building a loyal community.
Step 5. Identify the core drivers of customer satisfaction, influence them with relevant marketing approaches.
Delight customers and convert them to brand advocates.
For steps 3-5, focus on building an Inbound Marketing strategy that incorporates these channels.
Your strategy should be more than just a checklist of activities. It needs to be a dynamic plan that adapts to changes in the market and your audience’s behavior. By focusing on integration and consistency, you’ll be able to build a strong, resilient brand that thrives in 2024 and beyond.
Winning strategy to grow beyond Google: a case study
Client & challenge
Zeeto is a self-serve lead generation platform and specific advertising tool that uses questionnaires to generate a base of high-motivated prospects.
Goal:
- Get 200 demo requests & 20 new customers in 6 months
Challenges:
- Low brand awareness
- Extremely competitive niche
- Foggy inbound demand: unclear intent behind the search queries
- Limited budget
Winning strategy
- Analyzed the CRM and identified promising ICPs & buyer personas
- Focused on Instagram, Reddit & Linkedin
- Built test campaigns for the most promising ICP’s. Identified the mosts responsive ones for scaling
- Scaled the campaigns by expanding to new channels, such as native ads platforms, and more
- Built the conversion path with special offers in remarketing
- Built a nurturing path via email
We won 35 customers in 6 months
Read full case here.
Conclusion
The B2B marketing landscape is in constant flux, and tech founders and CMOs are uniquely positioned to lead this evolution. The channels you choose to invest in will shape your brand’s future. By strategically leveraging Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, you can create a powerful, multi-faceted marketing strategy that drives growth and ensures your brand remains relevant.
At 42DM, we understand the complexities and challenges of B2B marketing. We’re here to partner with you, helping you navigate this landscape with confidence and precision. Together, we can craft a strategy that not only meets your goals but propels your brand to new heights in 2024.
Let’s grow your brand beyond the traditional and into the future of B2B marketing.
