5 tips for small businesses to include in their marketing
Marketing is shifting faster than ever before. With technological advancements, sustainability at the forefront, and the rise of AI, businesses — particularly B2B organisations — must adapt to remain competitive.
For small businesses operating in the B2B space, staying ahead of marketing trends isn’t just an advantage, it’s a necessity unless you want to get left behind. Understanding how to leverage emerging strategies in 2025 will be key to enhancing brand visibility, fostering customer loyalty, and driving growth efficiently.
Here’s a look at my predicted B2B marketing trends for 2025 and how they can shape your marketing strategy for your small business.
1. AI for B2B marketing efficiency
Artificial Intelligence is now a foundational tool for enhancing marketing strategies. For small B2B companies, 2025 will see AI increasingly integrated into daily operations, improving efficiency and content personalisation in particular.
AI offers significant benefits like streamlining repetitive tasks, generating content ideas, repurposing existing assets, and even identifying market trends. Marketers are beginning to incorporate AI with impressive results. According to Smart Insights, the most common applications of AI were using it to support copywriting for email marketing, organic search and social media. In fact, according to the Content Marketing Institute, 81% of B2B marketers are using generative AI tools and for those that do 45% are seeing more efficient workflows, 42% experience improved content optimization, and 38% see improved creativity.
But businesses must tread carefully as Jennifer Cooper from Jennifer Cooper Timesaver advises:
“In 2024, many marketers dabbled in AI, testing its capabilities. In 2025, the focus will shift to mastering the correct ways to use this game changing tool. We’re beginning to see that AI isn’t a replacement for marketers—it can't replicate the authenticity, nuance, and creativity that only a human can bring. However, when used wisely, AI can save significant time, helping to overcome creative and practical blocks, streamline content repurposing, and support high-stakes communications.”
The focus should be on training your marketing teams to use this technology strategically, rather than adopting every new flashy tool on the market (however tempting it is!) and establish clear company guidelines for implementing AI.
2.The rise of brand authenticity
More than 80% of buyers now expect transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful environmental commitments from companies they engage with. This isn’t just for show; brand authenticity builds trust and strengthens long-term client relationships.
B2B decision-makers increasingly value businesses that prioritise corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Showcasing your brand’s values through authentic storytelling and ethical business practices is the way forward. Transparency helps you stand out, especially as customers demand more accountability in a world where online transactions are often impersonal.
Ensure your website matches your authenticity claims. A cold, faceless, templated or outdated-looking site can raise red flags. One way to overcome this is the use of a solid "About Us" section. Here you can promote your brand story, feature team profiles, and outline your sustainability initiatives.
3. Email marketing gets smarter
Email continues to perform strongly as a channel, remaining one of the top three for B2B marketers. However, basic newsletters won’t cut it anymore. The focus is shifting toward more sophisticated personalisation and automated workflows, inspired by the B2C world.
Claire Witz, a top-ranked Mailchimp Pro Partner, highlights the potential of data-driven automation in the B2B space:
"In the email marketing arena, automations and behavioural personalisation is an established approach for B2C (think abandoned cart emails and recommended products linked to past purchases). But it's less common in the B2B sector, where I see a continued lack of awareness and once that potential is recognised by a business it's usually a no-brainer to take it forward.
Integrations between your company data sources (for example your CRM, apps, enquiry form and website tools) and your email marketing provider can open up a whole host of opportunities for email automation and behavioural personalisation. This allows you to educate, nurture and strengthen relationships with your contact database, moving them from prospect, to customer, to loyal customer, to referrer in a more efficient, but nevertheless personalised, way. I regularly come across businesses that simply don't know about the potential, so naturally don't ask the right questions when shopping around for their website development / platform, SAAS and proprietary software development. This can have a significant knock-on effect so it's worth getting an understanding of what those possibilities are before making key purchasing / development decisions. Sometimes even just including an extra key question or two on your newsletter subscribe form can make all the difference. “
To get the most out of email marketing, it’s worth considering integrating with your CRM system and revamping your approach to customer journeys. You can then leverage customer insights to create robust email sequences that nurture leads from prospects to loyal clients seamlessly.
4. Video marketing takes the lead
There is no surprise that video content is set to dominate marketing once again in 2025 offering a powerful way to communicate messages and engage audiences. From demonstrating product functionality to sharing customer stories, video has become a versatile medium for B2B marketers. Stats back this up— According to Wyzowl 87% of marketers say video content directly drives sales.
But it’s not just any video content that makes the cut. Short-form videos are booming, thanks to platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube. And a 2024 LinkedIn survey highlighted that B2B marketers found short-form social videos produce the highest ROI. Think 30-60 second video snippets featuring case studies or product highlights. Meanwhile, long-form educational videos, such as webinars on emerging tech within your industry, remain essential on platforms where audiences seek comprehensive insights. These particularly resonate with Gen Z who have an increasing influence on B2B purchasing decisions.
You can now invest in easy to use AI-assisted tools for creating personalised and high-quality video content while keeping costs manageable. AI can handle repetitive editing tasks so you can focus on creating compelling narratives.
5. Sustainability becomes essential
Sustainability is no longer a differentiator—it’s an expectation. With so many businesses on the path to achieving net zero by 2030, buyers and suppliers are placing greater importance on eco-conscious business practices.
Brands that communicate their sustainability initiatives stand to build stronger relationships with customers and enhance their competitive edge. Whether it’s sourcing ethically, optimising supply chains, or implementing transparent environmental policies, your sustainability efforts should become a central pillar of your brand strategy. Dave Carter, a fractional sustainability leader, advises:
“In 2025, being able to confidently communicate sustainability efforts will be essential for B2B businesses. B2B spaces are becoming increasingly focussed on environmental and impact disclosure - especially in the arenas of bids, tenders and proposals - whilst consumers continue to drive demand for genuinely sustainable products and services. Marketing teams play a vital role in making sure ESG efforts within organisations are being showcased in the best possible light, to drive commercial value. Authentic, transparent and evidence backed materials not only foster stronger relationships with customers, clients and partners alike but also minimise any risk associated with greenwash. The only businesses who have to worry are those not communicating on the topic at all, or those who aren't telling the whole story.”
There are lots of steps you can take as a small business. Partner with a local sustainability initiative to get expert help and work with other like-minded businesses. You can also develop educational content on reducing the environmental impact in your sector.
Optimising your B2B marketing strategy in 2025
To capitalise on these trends, small businesses need a proactive and flexible marketing strategy. Here are some practical steps to get started:
Assess your current position—How authentically does your brand tell its story, and is it easy for people to trust what you promise?
Audit your content—Look for opportunities to add video formats, automate email sequences, and create AI-driven assets
Set sustainable goals—Break down long-term sustainability objectives into actionable tasks
Invest in training—Educate your marketing team on implementing tools like AI to improve workflows
Building a resilient marketing strategy in 2025 means adopting new tools and trends without losing the human touch—and staying true to the values that define your business.
Read more from the blog including 5 reasons to use AI for copywriting and 10 common small business marketing mistakes.
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