While the British economy won't enter recession in 2023, it is still expected to shrink by 0.2%, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

This will likely make it more difficult for marketers to convert B2B leads. The prospect of a protracted economic downturn and persistently high interest rates has forced business leaders to rethink their growth strategies.

Listed below are three reasons why marketers need to work harder and smarter in 2023.

The mass marketing era is over

Sending mass marketing messages without a clear objective or strategy, spray and pray marketing techniques are outdated today.

Although these techniques were never satisfactory, it is true that sending out mass marketing messages does tend to capture a few qualified leads, even with the least intention.

However, due to increasing expenses, more cautious buyers, and a lower overall return on investment from campaigns, marketers must step away from untargeted mass marketing.

B2B marketers should instead focus on segmenting their target audience, developing personalised messaging and leveraging a multi-channel approach to increase the chances of a successful campaign.

A sales team starts by either purchasing highly-targeted prospect data or categorising existing leads and B2B customers.

Company roles, sizes, geographies, industries and verticals must be accurate. B2B buyers' priorities can vary enormously based on these categories.

B2B lead generation strategies can be personalised using these categories of customer information to predict future behaviour and needs.

The application of data-driven marketing will make B2B marketers more effective at generating leads and converting them.

The need for shorter sales cycles

A typical B2B sales funnel takes more than two months from lead to close. In 2023, this will be a significant challenge for outbound lead generation.

Currently, budgets and expenditures are closely scrutinised, and carefully considered for its value and ROI.

The closer the sale is to the generation of a sales lead (contacting decision makers), the better for your cash turnover.

Lead generation is key to achieving this. Use LinkedIn messaging, email marketing, and B2B telemarketing calls to identify and qualify prospects more quickly.

Shifting customer priorities

During the pandemic, organisations around the globe turned to online sales, thus resulting in a very different landscape in the B2B market.

In 2023, brands and businesses may finally be paying more attention to customer experience, according to a recent survey from CRM platform Insightly.

Over half of B2B professionals surveyed say that improving customer experience is a top strategy for the coming year, as expectations rise as the landscape expands to include smaller disruptors.

Change is accelerating due to tailored experiences, added value content, and dynamic engagement.

The power of education content

B2B marketing is all about education. Today, businesses have more choices when it comes to choosing suppliers and partners. B2B buyers want to partner with businesses that are trusted, reliable, and progressive - with extensive knowledge of their industry.

Therefore, companies should showcase their expertise and share current industry developments with their prospects through educational, interesting content.

The best use of educational content in email marketing is to demonstrate that a business is aware of the pressures their customers face, and how the solutions they offer will work.

When creating content, companies should make sure it contains practical information and answers prospects' questions about a specific product or service.

Today, the success of a business is heavily dependent on its B2B lead generation strategy.

It is crucial for any marketing team to focus their resources on key areas of their marketing strategy, and to employ marketing tactics that allow them to connect with a specific target audience.

The B2B company that thrives will be that which orients itself around building customer value, and using the right lead gen techniques to demonstrate this to high quality leads.