Welcome to What We're Reading, a weekly rundown of news stories, marketing columns, and B2B industry news that caught our eye.

Using SMS messaging as a B2B brand

Has your B2B organization used SMS marketing? If not, MarketingProfs makes a case for it being a powerful tool to connect with your audience. As well as sharing that 90% of consumers read texts within five minutes, it outlines different strategies to get started.

The importance of empathy

The Drum questions whether B2B marketers are doing enough when it comes to showing empathy and how a lack of it in marketing efforts can lead to alienating potential buyers. It gives the example of the much-targeted (but often misunderstood) CIO, with research to back up the impact of choosing a simplified message over one that understands.

The return of experiential marketing

Marketing Dive shares how, in both the B2B and B2C space, experiential marketing is set to jump over 10% this year, rising above pre-pandemic levels for the first time. For B2B businesses specifically, this highlights the effectiveness of conferences and industry events, with exhibit booth rental fees rising almost 12% in 2023.

A look at the future of B2B e-commerce

With B2B sales typically longer, larger, and more complex than B2C transactions, it’s important to get the e-commerce experience right. Forbes outlines four findings that reveal what the future of B2B e-commerce looks like, from improving the digital buying experience to using external partners.

What makes your B2B brand unique?

Find out how to tell a brand story that resonates with your audience.