Industry Leader Insights: AI's Role in Shaping B2B Marketing 

Imagine a marketing assistant who never needs coffee, understands your clients on an analytical level, and can crunch data faster than you can say "innovation." With AI accessible at everyone’s fingertips, algorithms are becoming the wingman of business growth. It’s clear that AI is here to stay and will continue to be an important conversation in 2024, so we looked to our very own industry experts for their insights and predictions leading into the new year. Read on to discover their first-hand experiences with AI and their take on its dynamic impact on B2B marketing.   

AI Tools and Technology

Yariv Drori, CRO 

“AI is certainly revolutionizing marketing, and B2B is no exception. While B2B adoption of marketing tech typically lags 5-10 years behind B2C, the overall acceleration of AI in marketing offers unprecedented opportunities for B2B marketers. Tools initially built with B2C in mind, such as Google PPC ads and SEO, have been leveraging AI unbeknownst to many. However, these tools don't always deliver desired results for B2B due to their consumer-centric design, leading to the question: what can B2B use? 

My suggestion is that B2B marketers should focus on generative AI, content writing, creative & design, and research of content and content production. Tools like Microsoft Copilot, which integrates CRM contacts into business practices, can be beneficial in summarizing information about prospects or clients. Anyword is another example, which provides predictive and performance analytics for your marketing copy. These tools can expedite content production, enhance B2B SEO advantages, and even be used to improve event booth design and creativity. 

However, the real game-changer lies in the exclusive data that B2B companies possess. I would encourage businesses to capitalize on their unique industry insights and exclusive access to create their own specialized AI systems. This could open up new avenues for targeted marketing and industry growth.  

Ultimately, it's not just about the AI interface you choose but the data that the AI can analyze. With hundreds of interface tools available, each excelling in different areas, it's important to leverage the right data to maximize the potential of AI when it comes to B2B marketing. Either way, we are still in the infancy adoption stages of the most disruptive technology since the internet, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.” 

AI Effects on Internal Operations 

Brandon Webb, COO

“From an operational standpoint, the predictive capabilities of AI offer a huge advantage with their ability to analyze historical data, forecast trends, and identify areas for improvement. In this way, AI has transformed the decision-making process, making it more efficient and giving us time back to focus on more advantageous ventures.  

We see these new processes affecting sales in huge ways as well. CoPilot has brought intelligence to our CRM, improving email efficiency by providing recommendations based on CRM information while composing emails. The seamless integration with Microsoft CRM has further streamlined sales reps’ operations, enabling them to focus more on strategic decision-making and relationship-building. This leads to enhanced productivity and ultimately, increased revenue.  

However, we try to avoid relying solely on AI and believe that human intuition remains an essential component in interpreting data and making strategic decisions. In addition, its effectiveness hinges on the quality of data input. If the data is unclean or inaccurate, AI tools will generate misleading information. This underscores the importance of maintaining clean, accurate data for AI to analyze and learn from, as well as backing it with human oversight.  

Looking forward, we see a future where B2B companies increasingly turn to AI to capitalize on the unique data they possess, driving innovation and growth for their business and affiliates. After facing challenges in finding SAAS AI solutions that fit our specific needs, we began toying with the idea of building our own private GPT. This system, dedicated to Multiview's data and inventory would optimize finding information across our business, thereby boosting efficiency. We envision this technology not only benefiting Multiview but also our association partners, creating added value.” 

Matt Hunter, EVP, Operations

“When integrating AI in B2B marketing, there’s going to be both challenges and opportunities, particularly from an operational perspective. One of the most significant hurdles is going to be achieving company-wide adoption. Convincing stakeholders and top-tier decision-makers to invest time and resources into AI can require a demonstration of its value and impact.  

Luckily, Multiview hasn’t faced much pushback on this new initiative since we’ve cultivated an environment of innovation and are consistently supported in new endeavors, especially when they’ll further advance company growth.  

One of these endeavors includes establishing an AI Committee to proactively establish AI cohesion within the company. This committee is dedicated to understanding AI, developing strategies for its implementation, and streamlining its integration within the company's operations and across all departments. A large focus of the committee is on team members educating one another about AI tools, acknowledging the varying skill levels within the organization. By leveraging the diverse expertise within the team, they've created a collaborative learning environment that fosters innovation and encourages the exploration of AI's potential in enhancing B2B marketing strategies. We look forward to seeing the increasing benefits this team can achieve while pushing Multiview into the future.” 

Creative Applications for B2B  

Amber Jones, Director of Creative Services

“B2B companies can absolutely leverage generative AI for creative assets.  

For instance, AI can significantly enhance ad copy, especially for social media headlines and descriptions. By combining AI tools with your understanding of the client, creative teams can craft perfect messages that resonate with the target audience. The point is not to replace human creativity but rather serve as a source of inspiration, keeping ideas flowing. 

AI also has advantages in video production, from writing scripts and phrasing to editing. It can automatically remove filler words like ‘um,’ ensuring clients present well without the tedious task of removing it yourself. AI can also assist in adding voice-overs to a video when needed.  

The main benefit of generative AI is, of course, creating compelling graphics and images for ads. It can transform mundane elements into something more engaging, particularly for niche B2B products and services. The beauty is that there are multiple free AI tools for creative tasks and you can employ all of them, so don’t limit yourself! Remember that generative AI's true potential lies not in whether it is designed for B2C or B2B, but in understanding how to use the right tools effectively and crafting strong prompts.  

What I want to assure people of is that using AI doesn't imply cutting corners; instead, it amplifies existing capabilities and enhances team efficiency. Overall, AI should be viewed as a tool to strengthen and streamline operations within the B2B industry – it takes the existing creative abilities of your team and magnifies them, allowing for greater innovation and productivity. The use of AI in this regard marks an evolution in the creative process, one that enhances (not replaces) human input.” 

Impacts on Industries 

Andy Keith, CEO

“Right now, AI is continually reshaping various sectors, including finance, education, retail, hospitality, healthcare, automotive, business services, and manufacturing. Notably, AI algorithms are being used in finance for trading, in healthcare for patient care and diagnosis assistance, and in retail for mastering consumer content and product suggestions. I’ve seen that the automotive and manufacturing sectors are leveraging AI to develop autonomous vehicles and enhance production efficiencies. 

The integration of AI has had a profound impact on Multiview's operations as well, making our already talented workforce significantly more efficient. Specific areas where AI has been particularly beneficial include content creation, audience targeting, programmatic trading, and campaign optimization. As it stands, AI has enabled our communication teams to spend more time conducting research and less time on mundane tasks, leading to higher-quality content. However, I don’t ever foresee AI replacing any of our employees in its current state. 

I also want to highlight that our association partners can leverage AI to achieve their goals alongside us. In my experience, non-profit CEOs prefer a private environment where they can maintain greater control over data input and output. With this in mind, Multiview is already playing a significant role among its 1,200 association partners, guiding them on how best to integrate this rapidly evolving technology into their operations.  

As for the future of B2B marketing with the continued integration of AI technologies, I believe it's a vast topic that would require extensive exploration. Overall, it's clear that AI will continue to play an increasingly significant role in shaping the industry's future.” 

Conclusion  

No matter the use cases of AI in B2C, there are tools that B2B marketers can and should utilize now. As we progress, the influence of AI in B2B marketing will undoubtedly grow, making it imperative for businesses to begin adopting and understanding this versatile tool. Those who do so position themselves to become tomorrow's market leaders, setting new benchmarks in customer engagement, operational efficiency, and overall business success.