AI in B2B marketing is driving audience engagement

3. Predictive analytics: Know what your audience wants before they do 

Today, data is key to successful marketing. You need to see what trends and future behaviours will determine where your audience lands. Thankfully, you have predictive analytics on your side. It does all of the above and more. By analysing treasure troves of historical data, AI is helping marketing teams anticipate what content, solutions, or campaigns will resonate most with their audiences. 

For example, AI can use predictive insights to enhance lead scoring, identify high-value accounts, and guide campaign decisions that will have long-term effects. This ensures you’re always one step ahead, delivering the right solutions to your audience before they even realise they need them. 

4. Conversational AI: Real-time engagement that matters 

Conversational AI, including chatbots and virtual assistants, has matured significantly. Back at the start of its inception, such platforms were glitchy and not always reliable. Most wants to speak to a human. That’s changing quickly. Platforms are now delivering 24/7 human-like conversations that qualify leads, provide immediate support, and guide prospects through their buying journey. Want more proof? A Statistica report from the end of 2024 indicated that 82% of customers would use a chatbot instead of waiting for a human representative. Plus, 96% think more companies should use for chatbots instead of standard customer support services. 

In the B2B world, where your sales cycles are long and customers demand timely, relevant information, conversational AI is creating consistent, valuable touchpoints. It helps your marketers nurture leads effectively without missing a beat, delivering that tailored real-time engagement that brings extra value. 

So, how can you take advantage?

As someone who’s seen and used AI in B2B marketing successfully, I’d recommend the following blueprint to get the best results: 

Think big, start small 

First of all, try not to get overwhelmed by AI technology. There are many tools out there and infinite ways to put them to work.  Like any part of your business endeavours, it’s best to have an end goal in sight. Go big. No, even bigger. This is AI we’re talking about. It’s not just a process automation tool or a gimmick – it’s your new innovative partner that can show you new ways to do old things. To shine a light on ideas you’d never have thought of...and to make them happen! 

At Fifty Five and Five, we ask ourselves “What if...?”. And honestly, that’s the best question to ask. Remember, it can do anything. This question puts no barriers in place. You’ll think something truly outlandish like “What if we just replace our entire team with AI?”. From there, you can narrow the questions down to something like: 

• “What if we save our creative team X hours of work every week?” 

• “What if we offload internal work entirely to AI and focus our efforts on clients?” 

• “What if our content writers skip approval processes and get AI to edit/proof their work?” 

By thinking big you can begin the incremental steps to getting those big ideas over the line and drive more engagement. And you know what that means? More revenue. 

Adopt AI marketing tools that align with your goals 

AI tools are everywhere. More get released every month. And then there’s the updated versions...yes, it’s a lot. So, choosing the right platforms is key to ensuring that you can get the most out of AI. But how can you pick the right tools from the wrong ones? By this point, you (should) have given thought to what you want to achieve with AI in B2B marketing. The long-term goals, and yes, the “What if...?” workshops. Using your objectives and AI marketing strategy foundations, you can handpick the ones that can closely align with your needs and vision. 

Here’s a few ideas if you need a starting point: 

• ABM marketing campaigns = Compass 

• Marketing research = Perplexity.ai 

• Video marketing = Sora 

• AI design = Midjourney 

Ok, so I’m very biased towards the tools that I’ve used (and the ones that Fifty Five and Five have created). However, by understanding the small steps that need to be taken to achieve the big things, you can select the AI tools that work for you right now. As you make progress on the small steps, you can adopt or expand on the AI platforms you use as your vision and goals grow. 

Empower your team to work with AI 

AI doesn’t replace your marketing team – it enhances their capabilities. Take the Fifty Five and Five team. Each of us has grown from an inexperienced AI novice to true believers of AI in B2B marketing. But that didn't happen overnight. But we knew that we had to be up to speed in this new world. 

It’s how we will stand out and deliver awesome work for our clients this year. And if you do the following, you can too: 

• Upskill your marketers: Your marketing teams needs leaders capable of showing them how they can collaborate with AI. Launch training workshops that cover the bare bones and build up to the complex aspects that can really set them apart from the beginners. We hold regular Learn & Shares that help every member of our team recognise how they can get the most out of AI. Don’t delay doing the same too, as 37% of business founders plan to do the same over the next two years. 

• Listen to their concerns: Believe it or not, over 75% of employees fear they could lose their jobs because of AI. Shrugging your shoulders isn’t the answer. Despite AI’s clear advantages, scepticism is still rife. And concerns about losing the human touch, over-reliance on automation, and ethical considerations are all equally valid. Transparency and trust are key to getting your marketers on side to seeing how AI in B2B marketing will drive audience engagement and generate exceptional results...and save them loads of time too. 

• Try and try again: Most people fall off their bike the first time. And the same may happen with your AI marketing experiments too. Don’t be disheartened if these early efforts fail. The best thing to do is get behind your marketing team and show them how far they’ve come. The little steps that have become the starting point to transforming how you grab the attention of your audience. That new AI personalisation strategy of yours might have backfired but it bears the fruit of future success. 

Keep the human touch 

AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. But then again, neither are humans. Just as you would delegate tasks to your team, now you need start thinking about how to delegate between human and AI tool. However, the key lies in striking a balance. 

Use AI in B2B marketing to help with the heavy lifting—data analysis, content generation, and automation—and other dull, trivial tasks that you have on the list. But remember, AI should augment, not replace, human efforts. Yes, your marketers should use AI to handle repetitive tasks, analyse data, and provide insights, so they can focus on creativity, strategy, and building genuine connections. However, AI can go beyond the dull stuff to making truly creative strategies and assets. A hybrid approach will ensure that your B2B marketing remains both efficient and authentic. 

Find out more about human-led AI, maintaining the human touch and why it’s best to leave AI alone —sometimes—in our article, AI-generated content doesn’t have to be human-led.  

AI is your competitive advantage

The businesses leading the way aren’t just dabbling in AI – they’re embedding it into their strategies. By using AI’s power to personalise, predict, and engage, B2B marketers can connect with audiences in ways that were previously unimaginable. 

If you’re not using AI yet, the question isn’t “if” but “when.” The sooner you adopt AI into your marketing strategy, the faster you’ll see engagement, relationships, and revenue soar. 

Now’s the time to get ahead – because your competitors are already on board.