B2B Wins #12: The Resolutions
Discover more from B2B Wins by Steve Zakur
B2B Wins #12: The Resolutions
Five themes for 2023
I don't do resolutions. I'm pretty bad at keeping them. I've also found them too inflexible. They're the exact opposite of agile. They're the opposite of thinking big, starting small, and going fast. Resolutions are the waterfall method of managing personal development. Don't be that person.
I've found another way of focusing my year. I've chosen to do a yearly theme. Yearly themes are broader. Think guiding principles versus action items. Themes are flexible.
My theme for the year is: The Year of Figuring It Out. There's a lot to unpack in that but my key area of focus will be figuring out where emerging conversational and reasoning technologies can be put to practical use for B2B companies. There's a lot of hype right now. I'd like to cut through all that to seek value. I may do that by working with an established company. I may do that by starting my own company. Stay tuned.
Below are five themes that I believe will be even more important for B2B execs in the coming year. You might adopt these to organize your development during the coming year.
Shift to first-party data
I know that the Death of Cookies seems to be perpetually on the horizon. We have Google to thank for not ending the pain. Of course, Google is trying to figure out how to honor the privacy needs of the folks with the pitchforks, you know, the people we want to do business with, without impacting their cash flow.
I love Google's flexible morality on this. They recognize that they have to do something to honor the privacy needs of the masses but they're not going to rush into anything lest it upset the annual bonuses. They've tipped their hand. Cash is king. Morality is a distant second.
For all of us, that means that we don't have to wean ourselves of third-party data for at least another 18-24 months. That said you have to get your first-party data game going for two reasons.
First, all those people who you're doing business with want it to be so. There's no magical regulator in the sky that is insisting on better data governance and management. It's all the people who have had their data stolen or been subjected to creepy personalization who are demanding change. These are the same people you want to do business with in the long run.
The second reason is you're going to have to be ready for Google to finally pull the plug. Not only will you be prepared with a strong first-party game but you'll also be in control of your own destiny. Giddy up! Get going!
Tamp down AI expectations
There's been all sorts of noise about AI in the past six months. It gives one the impression that suddenly AI's promise has become reality. AI-powered everything. Tomorrow. Nothing could be further from the truth.
What we've witnessed in the past six months is yet another leap forward in AI. Ten years ago one had to create AI capabilities by starting with a blank page and writing Python or a handful of obscure languages. Then Amazon, Google, and Microsoft created platforms with libraries of capabilities that we could take off the shelf to build applications. But all that stuff was still for programmers. Lay people really couldn't put their hands on "AI".
What happened in 2022 is suddenly tools appeared that not only brought more miraculous AI to the works (e.g. DALL-E) but gave mortals a user interface to interact with the technology directly. That has increased the near-term expectations that AI tools were going to directly transform business. It's not so.
Yes, product managers and engineering teams now have a whole new set of powerful tools at their disposal. But those tools are months, if not years, from manifesting themselves as technology that can help you meet your sales and marketing goals. Start experimenting. But don't expect miracles and don't promise your boss anything. Manage expectations.
Do more with AI
The flip side of the AI coin. Start experimenting.
One of the great things about surges in AI tech is that it brings forth surges in AI applications. You're going to be tempted to listen to the account executives from your current vendors about how they've incorporated the latest shiny object into their platform. Don't believe them. It is highly unlikely that the most game-changing tech is going to come from Salesforce or Microsoft or Oracle.
Look to the early-stage companies that are going to emerge in the next 2-3 quarters. Experiment with those technologies. In particular, I think we're going to see some very interesting things come out in:
Content Generation-clearly this is the near-in capability that is going to change how marketing gets done. Look for domain-specific technologies that help you communicate with your prospects and customers.
Decision Making-you have lots of data. It's hard to make sense of it. Applying generative AI to testing and discernment of important patterns in marketing and sales is going to be as eye-popping as DALL-E.
Data Cleaning and Enhancement-AI is going to find the patterns in the data itself to make sure that your data is clean (e.g. de-duped), free from errors, and ready for consolidation in those data marts/lakes/warehouses that you've been investing in. Streamlining data processes with AI is a near-term reality.
I expect 2023 will give you plenty of technologies to experiment with that, unlike ChatGPT, can have a real impact on your business.
Make content elsewhere
As we've discussed in the past, your best prospects are not coming to see your assets in the early and mid-funnel. They're going elsewhere. You need to be in those places.
Digital data sources, both free and subscription offer myriad choices.
Technology Profilers: BuiltWith, Wappalyzer, NetCraft. SimilarTech.
Review Sites: G2, Capterra, SourceForge, TrustRadius,
News Sites: TechCrunch, TheVerge, Wired, Digital Trends, Crunchbase
"Bloggers" (or whatever we're calling them these days): Medium, Substack, Quora
Socials: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit
In order to meet your buyers where they're going your research you're going to have to make sure a decent portion of your marketing spend and content creation is focused on these and other places. Some of these efforts will be paid and earned. Some of them, like review sites, are going to be content generated by the most important third-parties in the mix--your customers. Having personnel and programs focused on mobilizing your customer base on your behalf will yield disproportionate returns.
Prepare for a changing of the guard
It won't be this year but there will be two fundamental changes that begin this year. The first is the Death of Twitter. If Twitter continues under its current leadership and its current chaos-based strategy its toxicity will mean that reputable brands won't be there. The slide has already begun and will accelerate this year. The second major change will be the Death of Google. During the coming year, several companies will emerge that have conversational search technologies that will blow away anything that Google will be able to get to market.
Twitter has already begun circling the drain. Twitter isn't going away. I suspect that one will find it a reliable place to spew all manner of garbage far into the future. It is going away as a credible place for marketers, especially B2B marketers, to find and engage customers. The personas that you're after are going to go elsewhere. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of great options right now. If you're using Twitter right now as an engagement platform, it may be time for something else. The only thing that saves Twitter's bacon is if the debt holders sell out to someone like Microsoft. Adult, B2B-oriented supervision could save the day.
Google is going to catch a serious head cold this year. It will be a self-inflicted wound. Google's LaMDA and their boatload of cash give them the resources to sustain search leadership for all of time. They will blow it. Their risk-averse nature and unwillingness to impact near-term revenue will give a rival(s) and crack in which to enter the market. What may save Google's long-term prospects is that they can likely acquire (see that pile of cash) any contenders though anti-trust scrutiny may preclude them from doing so. Regardless, you should begin wrapping your head around Google not being the only search engine in town. It's a long-term play, but one you should begin preparing for.
[UDPATE: If you’ve rolled your eyes at my prediction about the decline of Google you can look at IBM as a cautionary tale. Like Google, IBM had to change to accommodate a new landscape and instead chose to pursue short-term earnings and stock price. Google’s decline, while not certainty, can easily happen.]
Should these be your resolutions for the coming year? No. As I said, I don't believe in resolutions. Should you be thinking about these things as part of your theme for 2023? Yes. Yes. Yes. Change is a certainty and the prepared mind (budget/organization/technology) is going to be the one that wins in the marketplace.