The Future of Visual Content Creation for B2B Marketing
The landscape of visual content creation for B2B marketing is evolving rapidly, with several key trends emerging for 2024 and beyond. These are the ones on our radar:
Video Content Dominance
Video remains a key player in B2B content marketing, as 84% of marketers incorporate it into their strategies. This trend is projected to expand, as 69% of B2B marketers intend to invest in video content within 2024. The effectiveness of video lies in its capacity to captivate audiences and communicate intricate messages effectively, making it especially beneficial for B2B communication.
Rise of Interactive Content
Interactive content is transforming the interaction between B2B buyers and immersive experiences. In 2024, there has been a notable change in the use of engaging content, including quizzes, calculators, and interactive videos. This advancement not only boosts engagement but also enables the gathering of valuable data, which is advantageous for B2B marketers.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
While traditionally associated with B2C marketing, UGC is making inroads in the B2B space. This includes visual content like product use videos, photo contests, and video testimonials. UGC is seen as more credible and authentic than brand-created content, making it a powerful tool for building trust with prospective B2B buyers. However, businesses will be challenged to control the quality of this content and could struggle to see consistent ROI in this area.
Visual Storytelling through Case Studies and Customer Stories
Case studies and customer stories remain highly effective in B2B marketing, with 53% of marketers citing them as one of the most effective content formats. In 2024, we are seeing an emphasis on visual elements in these formats, such as infographics, data visualizations, and video case studies, to make them more engaging and digestible.
Short-Form Visual Content
While long-form content remains important in B2B, there's a growing trend towards shorter, more digestible visual content. This includes short videos and visual social media posts. In fact, short articles and posts are the most popular content format, used by 94% of B2B marketers. Leveraging short form video on LinkedIn has become an important part of a B2B marketing plan.
Emphasis on High-Quality, Original Visuals
As the internet becomes increasingly saturated with content, there's a growing need for B2B companies to stand out with high-quality, original visual content. This trend is driven by the need to differentiate content and capture attention in a crowded digital landscape. While this can mean higher production costs, these can be offset by strategic reuse of that content across multiple channels.
Integration of Visual Content Across Channels
B2B marketers are increasingly adopting an omnichannel approach, integrating visual content across various platforms including LinkedIn (the top-performing social media platform for B2B), webinars, email marketing, and company blogs. Starting with media that is designed to be multichannel can greatly increase your ROI. This is something we wholeheartedly believe in. That’s why we structure our our whole production process with this in mind.
Data Visualization
With the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making in B2B, there's a growing trend towards sophisticated data visualization in content marketing. This includes interactive dashboards, animated charts, and infographics that make complex data more accessible and engaging. On the media creation side, this means leaning more heavily on our animation and VFX partners to meet client’s needs.
It’s clear that the B2B media landscape is becoming more diverse, interactive, and technologically advanced. Marketers who can effectively leverage these trends to create engaging, high-quality visual content will be well-positioned to capture their target audience and drive business results into 2025. We are working with our clients to do this through strategic content creation and management.
Top three trends for B2B Companies to Invest in for Maximum Impact
A well-crafted on-camera interview helps humanize your brand, establish an emotional connection with your audience, and communicate your company's core values.