Top 10 B2B Marketing Trends to Watch in 2025
B2B marketing is changing fast, and companies are finding all kinds of new ways to reach clients and stand out.
The focus? Making marketing feel more personal and less like a hard sell. These shifts are all about connecting with people in smarter, more genuine ways—and they’re set to make a big impact in the next few years.
If you’re looking to keep your business ahead, here are ten trends worth watching.
1. Podcasts Are Booming in B2B
Podcasts are no longer just for entertainment—they’re now a big deal in B2B marketing too. With businesses like HubSpot seeing millions of downloads for their podcasts, it’s clear that companies are tuning in.
In fact, Edison Research reports that podcast listening has more than doubled since 2014. How can you use podcasts to get in front of B2B customers?
You have two options: create your own podcast or you can advertise on podcasts that your target customers listen to.
2. LinkedIn is Making a Comeback
People are doubling down on LinkedIn. Searches for “LinkedIn followers” have jumped 143%, and businesses are seeing its value for B2B marketing more than ever.
LinkedIn might not be the next TikTok or a one-size-fits-all platform like YouTube, but for B2B, it’s tough to beat. It’s the only major social network purely focused on work and business—meaning that your clients aren’t just “on” LinkedIn, they’re in the right mindset for professional content when they’re there.
Why the resurgence? First, LinkedIn has added new features to keep things fresh. Video posts, for example, give users a way to connect in a more dynamic, engaging format.
Another reason: LinkedIn’s organic reach is still strong. Posts here tend to get more visibility compared to platforms like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter), meaning content goes further with less effort.
3. Video Is Still on the Rise
A study found that 92% of marketers see video as essential for their marketing efforts—and it’s not hard to see why. Video is versatile and can reach B2B audiences in all kinds of ways, including:
- YouTube videos
- Facebook Live streams
- Webinars (live and recorded)
- LinkedIn videos
- Explainer videos
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for B2B video marketing. It really comes down to what your business offers and where your customers spend their time online.
Successful B2B companies often use video in multiple ways. For instance, Business Insider has built a strong presence on YouTube, reaching their audience with a steady stream of valuable content. The key takeaway? Try different formats to see what connects best with your audience.
4. Content Marketing Is Getting Competitive
Content marketing has been a staple of B2B marketing for years, but over the last few years, its popularity has really skyrocketed. That’s made the space more crowded and expensive.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 56% of B2B marketing teams are investing more money into content creation. A big part of this budget is aimed at scaling up production, but a significant portion (36%, to be exact) is being spent on making sure their content stands out in a crowded market.
So, how can businesses create B2B content that actually drives traffic?
BuzzSumo recently analyzed 50,000 B2B articles and uncovered some important insights about what makes content successful. Their findings?
- Evergreen topics tend to get more shares and keep performing better over time compared to trendy news items.
- Content with specific headline phrases, like “The future of…” performed the best.
- Long-form content (more than 1,000 words) got more backlinks, shares, and engagement than shorter pieces.
In short, the more relevant and detailed your content, the better it will perform.
5. AI Tools Are Boosting Ad Campaigns
Artificial intelligence is starting to change how B2B businesses run their PPC ad campaigns. Take Google’s “Smart Bidding” feature, for example. Over the past decade, search interest in Smart Bidding has surged by 3,700%.
Smart Bidding automates much of the work involved in managing a Google Ads campaign. By analyzing numerous variables simultaneously, it can often optimize ad spending more effectively than humans.
That said, human input remains essential. AI isn’t yet capable of crafting compelling ad copy or designing eye-catching creatives from scratch. However, as ad platforms continue to integrate AI into their offerings, more B2B businesses are likely to leverage this technology to enhance their PPC campaigns.
6. Chatbots Are Becoming Essential
Chatbots might’ve seemed like a trend when they first appeared, but they’ve clearly become a key tool in B2B marketing, especially for turning website visitors into leads and sales.
They’re now a common feature on many B2B websites.
Why? Because chatbots help with “the last mile” of marketing. Here’s how it works:
You’ve already brought someone to your website through a piece of content or an ad. They’re checking out your plans and pricing pages. But a lot of visitors still need that little “nudge” to take the next step.
Sure, you could hire a 24/7 support team to handle live chat, but that can get expensive.
This is where chatbots come in. While they may not act exactly like a human, they’re infinitely scalable. And thanks to AI, they learn and improve over time as they interact with site visitors.
For example, chatbots helped the B2B company SalesRabbit boost leads from their website by 50%.
But chatbots aren’t just for lead generation—they’re also great for supporting existing customers. Available 24/7, they enhance the customer experience, answering questions, handling account upgrades, and even assisting with retention marketing.
7. Marketing Automation Is Getting Simpler
Marketing automation has been a major trend in digital marketing over the past five years. Google searches for “marketing automation” have more than tripled in the last decade.
When implemented correctly, it can lead to higher email open rates, more clicks, and increased leads.
However, setting up marketing automation can be complex. In fact, 41% of B2B businesses report they’re not fully leveraging their marketing automation tools, and half are seeking more affordable alternatives.
This has led many B2B companies to turn to simpler, cost-effective funnel tools. These tools offer a streamlined approach to marketing automation. One notable example is ClickFunnels, which reported an annual recurring revenue of $160 million.
8. Repurposing Content Is Key
Creating new content constantly can be exhausting and expensive, so many B2B brands are finding ways to repurpose what they already have. Got a great blog post? Turn it into a LinkedIn article or a quick video. Repurposing helps you get more mileage from the content you create without reinventing the wheel every time.
9. Customer Personas Help You Target the Right People
Customer personas are crucial for any company’s marketing, but they’re especially important in B2B. They help you visualize the exact decision-maker you want to reach. This could be a CEO, a C-level executive, or the head of IT.
Creating a persona allows you to pinpoint the right person to target, choose the appropriate marketing platforms, craft messages that resonate, and write copy that appeals to that specific individual.
For instance, ShipBob tailors its messaging to appeal directly to its target customers—direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce brands.
10. Storytelling Makes Brands Memorable
Storytelling marketing has become a big focus for B2B companies, with a 69% increase in interest over the last five years.
Traditionally, most B2B marketing focuses on product features and positioning your company as the best option. On paper, this makes sense—after all, the goal is to convince decision-makers that your product is the best choice.
But in reality, it’s not always that simple. Just like in B2C, B2B decisions aren’t made purely with logic. There’s a lot of emotion behind the choices, too. That’s why more and more B2B businesses are turning to storytelling to make their products stand out, be memorable, and ultimately close deals.
Take Salesforce, for example. They use storytelling to show how their CRM truly benefits customers, making the product feel human and relatable rather than just a set of features.
Another good example is Storybrand, a company that’s seen impressive growth by helping other businesses weave storytelling into their B2B marketing strategies.
Storytelling isn’t just a trend—it’s a proven way to connect with potential clients on a deeper level, creating lasting impressions that help businesses grow.
We are not new to storytelling—if you didn’t catch that from the name of our company. In fact, it’s what we do.
We start every engagement with a Brand Storytelling Session where we identify your unique brand voice. Then, our team uses bi-weekly client calls, and shared content calendars to make sure you know what’s happening.
Looking for Help Navigating These Trends?
At Digital Storyteller, we specialize in helping businesses like yours implement cutting-edge digital marketing strategies. The goal of an outsourced digital marketing agency is to understand your business and brand voice, then share your story with the world.
Our creative team is here to bring fresh ideas to the table, building a relationship based on trust and collaboration. That’s the beauty of digital marketing—your success is our success.
For those who are interested in learning more about the difference between outsourced marketing and in-house marketing, read on here.