B2B Buyers Prefer Video, Upper Funnel Media Types Report, Marketers Weigh In On Events, & Meta’s New Monetization

Viva Video: B2B Buyers Prefer It Over Written Content, Study Shows
A leading 70 percent of B2B buyers favor video when it comes to creating awareness of business problems, topping second-place research reports at 44 percent and webinars at 40 percent, while 95 percent have said that they’re more receptive to sales communications after viewing video from an organization — two of numerous findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in recently-released survey data. MediaPost

In-person events are back. What do marketers think about it? [Survey]
While virtual events were still leading the way when it comes to marketing budgets, marketers said that networking opportunities were the leading reason for a return to attending in-person events, while webinars were seen as the top non-event marketing tactic, according to newly-released survey data. SmartBrief

“For some types of events, in-person attendance will always be preferable.” — Harry McCracken @harrymccracken Click To Tweet

Analysis: Type of B2B Content Consumed May Signal Purchase Intent Timeline
B2B executives have said that research reports, white papers, and articles are the top content formats for those looking to buy within three months, while tips and tricks guides, eGuides and cheat sheets came out on top for buyers with timelines of a year or longer, according to recently-released report findings. MarketingCharts

LinkedIn Shares New Insights into the Most In-Demand Marketing Skills and Roles [Infographic]
Social media marketing specialist, marketing manager, and content writer were among the most in-demand occupations according to newly-released LinkedIn (client) data, while marketing departments in the North American Region experienced a 121 percent increase in the share of remote jobs — two of several findings of interest to digital marketers released by the professional social network in infographic format. Social Media Today

Meta to start testing money-making tools for its metaverse
Facebook parent firm Meta has started testing virtual classes and several other initial areas, with new selling tools for Meta’s Horizon Worlds virtual reality (VR) platform, along with a new creator bonus program for certain users of the nascent platform, Meta recently announced. Reuters

Advertisers Rate Their Most Effective Media Types Across Upper- and Lower-Funnel Goals
When it comes to meeting advertising campaign objectives, digital video, paid search, and paid social occupy nearly 90 percent of top eight media content types — one of several statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-released marketing survey data. MarketingCharts

Instagram’s Removed In-Stream Video Ad Placements from its Advertising Options
Meta-owned Instagram has implemented a change that makes its Reels format the suggested replacement for in-stream video ads, which the platform will no longer offer, as part of its move away from its Instagram TV (IGTV) video application that wound down in March, Instagram recently announced. Social Media Today

Elon Musk Wants to Buy 100% of Twitter for $43 Billion in Hostile Takeover
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has initiated an offer to purchase social media platform Twitter for some $43 billion, seeking to make the firm a private company, while shareholders and Twitter’s board may present obstacles to the attempted takeover maneuver. Gizmodo

Snapchat Adds New ASL Alphabet Lens to Improve Awareness Around Sign Language
With American Sign Language (ASL) gestures now available, Snapchat’s latest camera lens offering aims to boost communication options on the social media platform, which in turn could bring new options for digital marketers looking to utilize platform, Snapchat recently announced. Social Media Today

Global Social Media Ad Market Expected To Skyrocket In Years To Come
By 2028, the global social advertising market is expected to top $262 billion, a 12.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), with growth being led by virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI), according to newly-released social media advertising budget survey data. MediaPost

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

A lighthearted look at “shopping cart abandonment” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist

3 ways to grab listener attention in a presentation, according to science — Fast Company

TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Joshua Nite — MQLs, messaging, and the changing face of events – This is the weekly wrap up for April 12, 2022 — Cronycle
• Lee Odden — B2B Will Rock You [Video] — Ann Handley

Have your run across your own top B2B marketing news for the week? Please let us know in the comments below.

Thank you for joining us for this week’s edition of the TopRank Marketing B2B marketing news, and please come back again next Friday for another array of the most relevant B2B and digital marketing industry news. In the meantime, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page, or at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news.