B2B marketing is something I work with often. Simply put, it’s about promoting one business to another business.
We use it when we want to sell products, services, or SaaS solutions to other companies—not to individual consumers.
If you’ve ever tried to get the attention of company decision-makers, you already know why this kind of marketing matters.
A strong example is how Monday.com builds its B2B brand on LinkedIn, speaking directly to businesses and professionals.
Another standout is Gong, which even runs Super Bowl ads—something you’d normally expect from B2C brands.
Both companies sell tools that help other businesses move faster, work smarter, and improve efficiency, much like many of the solutions we deliver for our own clients.
In my experience, the core purpose of B2B marketing is straightforward: find the right leads and convert them into customers. But in today’s digital landscape, you can’t depend on cold selling alone.
Now, success means capturing and keeping a prospect’s attention quickly and effectively. Educational content—like white papers and high-value blog posts—can play a big role in making that happen.
B2B marketing is often seen as less exciting than B2C, but the reality is the opposite.
We’re in a period where B2B marketing is expanding faster than ever and producing strong results across industries. When you do it well, you don’t just close deals—you build long-term business relationships that keep delivering value.
Today’s B2B buyers want more than feature lists. They expect fast, simple, personalized experiences that help them compare options and buy with confidence—just like they get from top B2C brands.
That’s why B2B teams need to raise the bar across the entire customer journey: create a great customer experience, stay transparent, and show value at every touchpoint.
In this guide, you’ll discover proven B2B marketing strategies that still work in 2026—and learn how to build your own plan from the ground up.
How do you do B2B marketing?
B2B marketing focuses on selling products or services to another business or agency. Because these purchases affect the company, more stakeholders are usually involved, and sales outcomes and ROI matter more. In many B2B decisions, buyers lean on logic and clear business value rather than impulse or pure emotion.
When we make B2B buying choices, we’re typically trying to solve a problem, improve operations, or achieve a measurable return on investment. The key question is often: “Will this actually help my business?” That way of thinking is very different from how people shop for personal products.
In B2C, you might only sell one pair of running shoes to one customer. That contrast highlights how much the buying process, the conversations, and the marketing approach change. In my experience, B2B plays by different rules—and when you understand those rules, you can build stronger, longer-term business relationships.
For example, selling supply chain tools to a procurement team of 12 people in a B2B setting is a completely different game than selling a single consumer product.
The Way B2B Marketing Works These Days
Today's B2B buyer is a lot like today's B2C buyer:
- They begin on the web.
- They do a lot of study.
- They talk to their friends.
- Before they talk to sales, they want to learn more.
Gartner says that 83% of a typical B2B buyer's choice to buy is made before they talk to a sales rep. In other words, your marketing needs to do most of the work.
The path isn't straight either. One person could download an ebook. Someone could follow your LinkedIn company. In two months, a third may attend your seminar. You must always be visible and useful.
When it comes to B2B today, digital-first, multi-touch, always-on marketing wins. Before the sales team even comes in, it's all about building trust.
How to Do Core B2B Marketing That Works
Although there isn't a single fullproof way to grow your B2B business, there are a few tried-and-tested methods that always work. All of these are important parts of your marketing mix because they help you get leads and turn them into customers.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a key part of any B2B strategy that delivers results. Here’s why:
- It helps you demonstrate expertise and build authority in your market.
- It addresses buyer questions across every stage of the customer journey.
- It keeps your brand consistently visible and top of mind.
- Strong content—such as blog posts, white papers, and customer success stories—builds trust and confidence long before a buyer is ready to purchase.
Content plan by sales funnel stage
- Top of the funnel (awareness)
- Articles focused on industry trends and insights
- Middle of the funnel (consideration)
- Case studies that show real results
- Solution guides and webinars to help buyers evaluate options
- Bottom of the funnel (decision)
- ROI calculators to support the business case
- Product comparisons and clear pricing pages
Do study on SEO to help you choose topics, and remember to write with your ICP's problems in mind at all times. Keep old content up-to-date to keep it useful, and use internal linking to move people further down your sales process.
Blogs, white papers, guides, and case studies are all good ways to teach and grow your audience. For instance, Entrust, a company that makes security software, puts out a yearly report on fraud that is useful for their business, finance, and government clients.
Long-form SEO-driven content establishes your authority and attracts visitors at the top of the path. Connect your plan to the flow. To give you an idea, TOFU works best for blogs, MOFU for case studies, and BOFU for landing pages.
SEO (Search engine optimization)
For most B2B buyers, search is the first step. If you don’t rank for high-intent keywords, you’ll lose warm leads who are actively looking for a solution like yours—so SEO should be a core part of any B2B growth plan.
Start by using keyword research tools to understand which terms your audience uses at each stage of the buying journey. Don’t limit your focus to brand keywords: prioritize informational and commercial keywords, too. For B2B, even keywords with low monthly search volume can drive meaningful results when they closely match what buyers actually need—so let relevance, content quality, and search intent guide your choices.
From there, apply the basics consistently: optimize page structure, titles, meta descriptions, URLs, and internal linking; build authority with high-quality backlinks from credible, relevant websites; and add schema markup so search engines can better interpret your content and surface it more effectively in search results.
Email Marketing
Email remains one of the most effective B2B channels because it’s personal, direct, and measurable—but generic “blast” campaigns no longer perform.
The strongest programs start with intentional list growth: use lead magnets such as checklists, templates, forms, or paid content to attract qualified subscribers, then segment your audience by persona, industry, funnel stage, and behavioral signals (e.g., pages visited, downloads, or product interest).
From there, build automated drip and nurture flows that educate over time with value-driven content—practical frameworks, tools, and insights—not just sales-heavy calls to action.
Finally, treat email as an optimization loop: track open rates, click-through rates, and replies, run consistent A/B tests on subject lines, messaging, and CTAs, and refine your segmentation and sequences based on what the data proves works.
Paid Ads
Organic takes some time. When you're after high-value buyers, paid gives you speed and scale. Getting it right is key. When you focus your ads and send smart messages, you get the best results with paid B2B ads.
You can reach people who make decisions on LinkedIn by job title, industry, and business size. You can get people to find your business when they look for it on Google.
Show show or video ads to people who have visited your website again to stay in their minds. Track your UTM links to see how well your ads are doing, and keep improving your copy and creatives. When used with a strong organic plan, paid ads work best.
Webinars and live events
When done right, webinars and internet events are great ways to get new leads. You can teach possible buyers, show off your skills, and talk to them in real time during these events.
The best ideas are ones that are related to problems that people are looking into. Bring in experts in the field, use polls to get people interested, and make the replay a gated treasure after the event. Email, social media, and paid ads can all be used to promote your webinar.
What’s the difference between B2B and B2C marketing?
The biggest difference between B2B and B2C marketing is how buyers think and make purchase decisions. Here are the most common ways they differ:
B2B online marketing
- Focused on ROI, efficiency, and measurable business outcomes
- Longer sales cycles, often involving multiple stakeholders
- More complex products or services, with higher-value deals
- Content is educational, detailed, and grounded in facts
- Messaging targets decision-makers and purchasing teams
B2C advertising
- Driven by emotions, desires, and personal benefits
- Shorter buying journeys, usually with a single decision-maker
- Lower price points and more impulse or quick purchases
- Content is entertaining, persuasive, and brand-focused
- Messaging targets specific audiences based on interests or lifestyle
Because these buying behaviors are so different, the types of content that perform best also tend to vary between B2B and B2C audiences.
How to start from scratch with a B2B marketing plan
A solid B2B marketing plan starts with three basics: who you’re targeting, what you want to achieve, and how you’ll measure success. Once those are clear, everything else becomes easier to decide.
Define your ideal customer
Start by clarifying your ideal customer profile (ICP): the types of companies that are the best fit for what you offer.
Describe them in simple terms (industry, size, type), then add the practical details that shape your marketing: their biggest problems, what makes them act now, who’s involved in buying, and what usually blocks the decision. Use real inputs like customer calls, win/loss notes, and CRM data—don’t guess.
After that, define the key buyer personas inside those companies. Focus on what each person cares about, what success looks like for them, and what proof they need to buy.
Set clear goals and KPIs
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Choose goals that connect to business outcomes—like leads, sales-qualified leads, pipeline, revenue, CAC, and customer lifetime value—not just traffic or impressions.
Agree on definitions with sales (for example: what counts as an MQL vs. SQL) so everyone is working toward the same targets.
Choose a few channels and commit
You don’t need to be everywhere. Pick 2–4 channels where your ICP already spends time and where you can show up consistently.
Choose channels based on what they’re best for. For example: SEO for long-term growth, LinkedIn for reach and targeting, email for nurturing, and webinars/events for trust and high-intent leads. Keep it focused, and make sure each channel has a clear role in your funnel.
Make a content plan
Build your plan around your audience’s problems and match each topic to the sales funnel.
In the awareness stage, publish helpful, search-friendly content that answers early questions and brings in the right traffic. In consideration, share proof and deeper content—like webinars, comparisons, and case studies—to help people evaluate options. In the decision stage, remove doubts with clear product pages, pricing, FAQs, and next steps.
Test and improve
B2B results take time, so improve through small, consistent experiments. Test what drives action—ad copy, landing pages, headlines, and calls to action—then review performance regularly and double down on what increases conversions and pipeline.
What to keep an eye on in B2B marketing
To stay competitive in B2B marketing, you need to follow what’s changing across search, social, and buyer behavior—and adapt your content and campaigns accordingly. Here are the key areas to watch.
1) AI-powered content creation (use it for speed, not shortcuts)
Tools like ChatGPT, StoryChief, and Writer can help teams move faster and reduce production costs. The biggest win isn’t “more content”—it’s better workflows:
- Faster first drafts and repurposing (blogs → emails → social posts)
- Stronger consistency with brand and tone guidelines
- More time for strategy, editing, and subject-matter expertise
2) Video that builds trust (especially on LinkedIn and YouTube)
B2B buyers want proof, not hype. Short, clear videos help people understand your product and trust your team faster:
- Customer testimonials (social proof)
- Product walkthroughs (reduce friction)
- Founder or team videos (human credibility)
Focus on LinkedIn for distribution and YouTube for long-term discoverability.
3) Account-based marketing (ABM) is becoming mainstream
ABM isn’t just for enterprise anymore. With better targeting and automation, more mid-market and smaller teams can run ABM-style campaigns.
ABM works because it helps you:
- Personalize content and messaging for specific accounts
- Align marketing and sales around a shared account list
- Shorten sales cycles by focusing on high-value opportunities
- Improve conversion and close rates through tighter follow-up
4) First-party data is now a growth asset
As third-party cookies decline, first-party data becomes essential. The brands that win will invest in ways to earn email and preference data through value:
- High-quality newsletters
- Gated content (guides, templates, benchmarks)
- Webinars and events
- Communities and member-only resources
The key: give buyers a real reason to opt in.
5) Sales and marketing alignment is non-negotiable
Marketing can’t stop at “lead generation.” In B2B, marketing must also support revenue by creating assets that help sales close deals:
- Sales enablement content (case studies, one-pagers, battlecards)
- Shared KPIs (pipeline, revenue influence, conversion rates)
- Better CRM integration and feedback loops
Alignment isn’t a meeting—it’s a shared operating system.
6) Conversational marketing is getting smarter
More B2B websites now use chatbots and live chat to reduce time-to-answer and speed up qualification. The difference today: chat can feel more human when it’s built with thoughtful flows and real context.
Use conversational tools to:
- Route questions to the right team faster
- Qualify inbound visitors
- Book demos and reduce friction in the buying journey
FAQs
How do you do B2B marketing?
B2B marketing means selling products or services to other businesses. Common channels include SEO, content marketing, email, webinars, LinkedIn, and paid campaigns—focused on building trust and proving value.
How do you sell to businesses?
Start by defining your ideal customer profile (ICP): who you’re targeting, what they struggle with, and why you’re the right fit. Then pick channels where those buyers actually research (often SEO, LinkedIn, email, paid, and events). Track what works, improve your message, and repeat with a process you can measure.
What does content marketing do for B2B?
It builds trust and authority, helps buyers understand their options, and brings in organic traffic through SEO. It also supports sales with helpful assets like use cases, comparisons, and customer stories.
How do you generate leads in B2B marketing?
Focus on the right audience, then use a mix of SEO, LinkedIn, and email nurture to capture and build demand. Add paid campaigns to speed things up, and use webinars or offers like templates, ebooks, demos, or trials to convert interest into leads.
Conclusion
B2B growth requires a digital strategy that matches modern buyer behavior: buyers want value in every interaction, and proof that your solution works.
Focus on trust-building content, strong SEO, first-party data, ABM where it fits, and close sales–marketing collaboration. Then measure what works—and keep optimizing.
Free tool: Analyze your target audience, brand voice, content pillars and competitors. Try it now.
