One trend that B2B firms should keep an eye on in 2017 is the growth of 'agile marketing', according to an expert.

Lauren Kincke, Oracle practice manager at marketing firm The Pedowitz Group, identified this as one of the concepts set to have a big impact on the B2B marketing sector next year.

Agile marketing is defined as the separation of various processes into components that can be viewed as manageable cycles, putting businesses in a stronger position to respond to change.

In an article for B2B Marketing, Ms Kincke said this is a concept that is "here to stay", regardless of whether some in the industry may dismiss it as a buzzword or a passing fad.

She added: "Long gone are the days when a programme could be built out over the course of months. Now marketing must be responsive to the needs of the business while still producing high-quality, compelling, converting programmes and campaigns."

The Pedowitz Group manager also pointed out that, with an increasing number of B2B marketing departments coming under pressure to do more with less, a system that enables more to be achieved through an efficient framework can be extremely beneficial.

Another concept that could prove significant in 2017 is the alignment of marketing and sales. Ms Kincke said many businesses could benefit from going further by encouraging collaboration and information sharing with other departments - marketing and IT, for example.

"There is no better way to ensure discordant, frustrated situations and failed projects than to try and act in isolation. Whether you are tackling a data cleanup project, implementing new technology or just revamping your lead-scoring strategy, do so with an eye towards teamwork," she advised.

In a recent study by Econsultancy, in association with Adobe, content optimisation was named the top digital priority for B2B organisations, followed by targeting and personalisation, marketing automation and multichannel campaign management.