By Elizabeth D’Arcy-Potts, VP of ROW Sales
With pressures on headcounts, budgets, and targets in B2B marketing ever present, teams are constantly searching for ways to do more with less, through innovation, or with the help of new technology.
For 85% of B2B marketers that means leveraging Generative AI, according to the findings of Pipeline360’s latest report: The State of Pipeline Growth H2 2024.
And 76% of those surveyed are satisfied, or very satisfied, with the results, suggesting that the technology is a powerful tool for driving B2B growth and is likely to become increasingly significant in the months and years ahead.
Generative AI is artificial intelligence that can be used to create content, from text to images, and unlike traditional AI – which follows pre-set rules – it uses deep learning to produce original assets tailored to user prompts. So, the more detailed a user can be, the better the results, making it less robotic and formulaic and more creative and original, just like a human may produce if they still had the time to do it.
The technology emerged over a decade ago, in the 2010’s, but didn’t gain momentum in marketing circles until the pandemic when offices shut, buyer’s journeys stopped, and everything went digital, forcing teams to examine every shortcut and possible saving available.
While it is clear that B2B marketers have jumped on Generative AI to speed up and increase their content creation, and possibly plug the gap left by reduced resources, Pipeline360’s report also found that 62% of those surveyed are consolidating teams or relying on contractors.
So, it hasn’t taken over yet – as many fear it will – and replaced people, rather it is just another tool to dig-out leads, as building and fostering connections is still very much a human technology. The findings do, however, present a very pressing question: is AI truly a game-changer, or is it simply another device to help businesses do more with less?
How Are Teams Using Generative AI?
B2B marketing teams are mainly using Generative AI to develop content (51%), with 39% of participants citing reduced resources as the reason.
In terms of the how, 45% are tapping into the technology for brainstorming topics; 41% for content personalisation, and the same number for meeting summarisation. So, rather than doing all the work like a full-time employee might, the technology is being used more as an assistant, helping the process, covering little jobs, and making tweaks. Just 15% of respondents said they weren’t using it at all.
While more than a third were very satisfied with the results and 45% were satisfied, just 8% weren’t happy or were very dissatisfied, indicating that the majority of B2B marketers already using it are likely to continue doing so.
And while the technology, at least for now, is being used in a limited way, the potential growth is huge. It can be utilised to create content at scale, such as blog posts, social media updates, email campaigns and product descriptions – and with a few commands around personalisation and targeting – within seconds it can provide multiple options to suit any persona, improving engagement, and automate routine tasks to optimise efficiency.
AI-driven insights from customer data, also allow teams to craft correspondence and content that better resonates with target audiences and optimise it for lead generation and nurturing at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
The emergence and increasing reliance on AI was further backed up by those surveyed indicating that content remains the single largest area of investment, 49%. Marketing operations and technology was close behind, reflecting a dual focus on effectiveness and efficiency.
Data compliance and accuracy were also a high priority for participants, 67%, and 39% used AI to do this.
The Benefits – Speed, Scale, Targeting
In a challenging market, B2B marketers need all the help they can get, and Generative AI can solve a lot of problems, quickly, and in a budget friendly way.
It can automate content creation, allowing teams to produce high-quality content quickly at scale, while also reducing the need for large, unaffordable teams. Given most companies within the industry are already lean, the technology, rather than replacing jobs, will simply support currently stretched marketers to deliver on the request of ‘do more with less’.
AI can also help marketers quickly tailor messaging around buyer behaviour – making content more relevant, improve engagement, and ultimately, conversion – and data insights can be used to refine targeting strategies, making it easier to reach buyers who prefer the path of least influence on their journey to purchase.
The Downside – There’s no Substitute for the Human Touch
While it could be argued that technology is only as good as the user – and in the case of Generative AI that is somewhat true – it is still relatively new, and learning, so has a few obvious shortcomings, especially around tone.
Relying too heavily on the technology may save teams time, but it will cost them brand authenticity and may cause potential customers to disengage. Content that doesn’t sound authentic, won’t land, especially with buyers who have come to expect a more personalised, B2C experience.
This personality problem will be acutely felt in niche markets, where industry nuances may be missed, and tone and language are paramount.
Worst case scenario, relying on Generative AI may result in errors, or outdated information being included, and may raise data security and privacy fears, which could cause reputational damage that’s hard to overcome. In short, you can’t let Generative AI do the whole job.
Companies that embrace, or start to rely, on the technology may also generate another unwanted outcome – job displacement fears amongst their staff, especially if the tech is performing.
For now, Generative AI provides an easy solution to teams struggling with budgets and resources. It can do the legwork, be a fountain of ideas and knowledge, and offer scale to companies that could never afford to achieve it manually.
But while it is easy to use, and can perform well – if managed correctly, just like real employees – the tech is far from ready to take over. It’s a tool, a really helpful one, and B2B marketers shouldn’t be afraid to embrace it.
