Design plays an integral role in B2B marketing, and as we’ve discussed in the past, graphic design in the B2B sphere differs in some significant ways from B2C. B2B companies and their products often involve a lot of complexity, so it’s critical that design connects with its target audience. A lot of thought goes into the B2B design process. And because B2B marketing is constantly evolving, you need to keep up with what works.
As the year comes to a close, let’s take a look at what we can expect from B2B graphic design in 2020.
1. More personalization
No surprise here, but personalization will be big in 2020. Personalization is playing an increasingly large role in B2B marketing in general. In ABM specifically, businesses are making efforts to target their marketing to industries, businesses, job titles, and stages of the buying cycle.
For graphic design, this translates to highlighting the information a particular audience needs to know. That might mean calling attention to a product benefit that would matter to a certain persona or using imagery that would resonate with them. If you’re targeting a specific industry, design should meet the expectations of that industry. The bottom line is you always need to keep the audience in mind, and in many cases this means creating designs that can be customized for different audiences.
2. A rise in illustration over photography
The time has passed for generic photos that don’t do your brand any favors. As a result, we’ll likely see more illustration in 2020. Illustrations are eye-catching, efficient to produce, and cost-effective. They’re also easy to customize and lend themselves well to use in infographics. Bonus: They’re original content, which makes them Google-friendly.
3. Increased simplicity
People have short attention spans these days, so B2B marketers need to convey important information quickly. This means that in 2020, we’ll continue to see designs that help viewers get straight to the point. Landing pages will be simple, with clear CTAs, few distractions, and key information when and where the audience needs it.
4. Animation
Everyone’s inundated with ads. So when ads aren’t relevant or they’re poorly designed, people are more likely to ignore them. To combat this ad fatigue, marketers need to find new ways to draw attention and engagement. In the coming year, more marketers will use animations to get the job done. These could include website animations, animated social graphics or ads, and even animated CTAs.
Animations don’t have to be complicated, either. Simple movement can catch eyes in social media feeds and on websites. If you haven’t explored this type of graphic design already, 2020 is the time to do it.
5. Bright colors
B2B marketing doesn’t have to be boring. Bright colors capture attention and evoke positive feelings. A bright color palette can also help you stand out from the crowd. While graphic designers likely have to stick to a company’s style guide, there may still be room to explore using attention-grabbing colors for buttons and to highlight key pieces of information. Pay attention to how graphic designers are using color in the new year; you might get some creative inspiration for what you can do with it.
6. Informative design
Because marketers have a short amount of time to communicate with prospects, graphic design must facilitate fast communication. Content needs to answer buyers’ questions, simplify concepts, and ultimately provide value as quickly as possible. Successful B2B designers in 2020 will be those who can make this happen, grabbing the interest of prospects and helping nurture them toward conversions.
As you head into the new year, consider whether your organization’s graphic design is working for your audience and if you could implement some of these trends. If you have questions about B2B design, we’re happy to help.
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