THE FUTURE OF B2B MARKETING: 7 LESSONS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Morning!

I feel like everyone in B2B marketing is feeling a little bit lost. In the B2C world, marketers are thriving…

• They’re creating amazing social content.

• Brands are integrating with AI.

• Campaigns are going viral.

Then you’ve got B2B marketing, where everyone is trudging along and stuck in the mud.

So a few months back, I sat down with 5 of the best minds in B2B marketing and asked 3 simple questions:

• What is working right now?

• What trends are you meticulously tracking?

• What do you think the future of B2B marketing will look like?

Today, I’m going to be breaking down the key insights I took on what the future of B2B marketing will look like.

Let’s get into it!

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION HERE

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION

BREAKING DOWN THE STRATEGY

I feel like we’ve had 100 years of tech development in just the last 3 years.

• AI became mainstream.

• Software tools rapidly advanced.

• Complicated tech became accessible.

With that, marketing has also rapidly advanced.

5 years ago, it would have taken months to get a website built, developed and live. Today, I can whip one up with multiple pages in under 15 minutes.

(Without even mentioning how easy it is to write copy, design graphics, and edit videos nowadays).

Things are advancing exceptionally fast, and unfortunately for some brands… if you fall behind, you won’t be around for long. Yet, so many B2B brands are slipping behind and have no idea how to catch up.

So we created this report to solve that.

I sat down with:

• Dom McGregor

• Jack Frimston

• Sophie Miller

• Ash Jones

• Oli Hills

And got their best insights on the current state of B2B marketing, as well as the key trends we need to be jumping on.

Here are the 7 key things they told me:

Lesson 1: Your employees are your influencers

B2C brands figured this out years ago.

As clichè as it sounds, people buy from people. So, B2C brands integrated influencers into every element of their marketing.

• Their ads are UGC with influencers.

• Their socials are packed with influencers.

• Even their websites are covered in influencers.

Faces, faces, faces.

• Nike has athletes.

• L’Oréal has beauty influencers.

• Gymshark built its entire business on fitness creators.

And in B2B? The same strategy works, but instead of paying influencers, you already have them - your employees.

The best B2B brands in 2025 aren’t just running corporate LinkedIn pages. They’re treating their employees like content creators.

And the results speak for themselves.

Look at Semrush. I recently talked to the person who runs their internal Employee Advocacy Program, and she explained they have an entire team dedicated to supporting and encouraging employees to share content online.

The result? They now have 1M+ followers across social media and $376.82M in revenue.

Or take HubSpot - their CMO has openly said they’re investing in having more “faces” of the brand on social media. They understand that people follow people, not logos.

And the brands that don’t? They’ll keep wondering why their LinkedIn company page posts get 12 likes.

Lesson 2: Your attention issue is an entertainment issue

I can’t even tell you how many B2B marketers have sent me messages over the last year asking how they can get more attention on their companies’ brand.

But their issue isn’t an attention issue, it’s an entertainment issue.

B2B marketers have convinced themselves that the mysterious “B2B buyers” only care about logic, data, and education.

But if that were true, why do these same “B2B buyers” (yes, I hate that people call normal people this just because they’re at work) scroll TikTok for hours? Or watch YouTube? Or binge-watch Netflix?

Because attention isn’t earned through information alone - it’s earned through entertainment, and too many B2B marketers forget that.

But yet again, B2C brands figured this out a long time ago.

Take Duolingo - they could’ve stuck to posting dry language-learning tips. Instead, they turned their TikTok into a chaotic, meme-filled powerhouse that made people want to engage.

Or look at RyanAir - an airline that turned its brand voice into a snarky, self-aware character that went viral across social media.

The takeaway? People don’t just consume content that educates them. They consume content that entertains them.

And that’s where B2B keeps getting it wrong.

• They post infographics when they should be making thumb-stopping videos.

• They share dry 50-page reports when they should be telling engaging stories.

• They write thought leadership essays that get 2 likes and a pity comment from an intern.

You have to understand that B2B buyers are just people and they consume content (AKA marketing) the same way anyone else would. They want to be entertained, so entertain them.

Lesson 3: If you’re not on video, you’re dead in the water

B2C brands know video is king.

• Nike runs cinematic ads

• MrBeast dominates YouTube

• Even brands like Morning Brew (which started as a newsletter) are now moving to video content.

Meanwhile, most B2B brands are still stuck in text-only mode.

That’s why I keep telling people in B2B that they need to study HubSpot’s content playbook.

They’ve got:

• Multiple channels on YouTube putting out long-form video content.

• They have a thriving Instagram feed filled with Reels.

• Then have great lo-fi content going out on TikTok.

Because they understand the 3 massive benefits of video:

• It builds relationships: A face and voice create instant trust.

• It holds attention: People scroll past text but stop for a compelling video.

• It’s shareable: A great video gets reposted, engaged with, and spreads organically.

The best part is that B2B video doesn’t even need to be high production anymore. Simple, face-to-camera content is outperforming polished corporate ads.

This is a trend I’m already all in on.

Lesson 4: How to overcome AI? Unique POVs

AI has made content production faster than ever. Which is honestly kind of scary because the marketing roles that were so vital just 1-2 years ago are slowly going extinct.

• It can write SEO optimised blogs in seconds.

• Write great social content in minutes.

• And even analyse all of your data.

But with that, there’s a tsunami of generic, AI-generated content flooding every platform.

But here’s the problem: If everyone is using AI to create content, how do you stand out?

My answer: Use AI to optimise & improve all of your processes, but use your brands’ unique perspectives and values to drive direction.

You have to look at the things AI can’t do right now:

• Unique insights → First-hand experiences, case studies, and fresh data.

• Creativity → A distinct tone, visuals, and storytelling.

• Personality → A strong brand voice that AI can’t replicate.

The reality: AI can create content, but it can’t create your unique POV.

B2B brands that treat AI like a shortcut will blend in.

The ones that treat it as a tool - while doubling down on creativity - will own the conversation.

Lesson 5: Own Your Audience (Before It’s Too Late)

For years, B2B brands have relied on rented platforms—paid ads, SEO, and social media—to reach their audience.

It worked for a while. But that game is getting harder.

• Ad costs are up.

• SEO is getting more competitive.

• Social algorithms are unpredictable.

And here’s the brutal truth: if your entire marketing strategy depends on platforms you don’t own, you’re one algorithm change away from disaster.

That’s why the smartest brands are shifting their focus to owned media.

Things like:

• Newsletters

• Podcasts

• Communities

Once again, if you keep track of the leading B2B companies, you can already see this trend panning out.

HubSpot, known for their SEO dominance, are now investing heavily in newsletters and podcasts. They even paid $27M to acquire The Hustle (newsletter) and MFM (a business podcast)

And it makes sense.

• No algorithm can bury your email list.

• A newsletter doesn’t disappear overnight.

• A strong community compounds in value over time.

That last point is key. Because when you own the relationship with your audience, you’re not just marketing. You’re building an asset that works for you, not against you.

If you’re still relying 100% on ads or SEO, now is the time to hedge your bets. Start treating your newsletter, podcast, or community as your primary growth engine.

Lesson 6: Think like a media company

The best B2C brands don’t just sell products - they own a conversation.

Look at Red Bull. They’re not just an energy drink company. They run a global media empire with events, documentaries, and viral content that keeps them culturally relevant.

Nike, Gymshark, and Apple? Same story. They don’t rely on ads alone - they create content ecosystems that pull people in.

B2B brands need to do the same.

Companies like HubSpot, Stripe, and Salesforce are already shifting—investing in newsletters, podcasts, video series, and research reports to become the go-to source for their industry.

B2B brands that only sell will struggle. The ones that entertain, educate, and inform will own their market.

Lesson 7: The Brand vs. Demand Debate Is Over—You Need Both

For years, marketers have argued about brand vs. demand - and people are quite passionate on both sides.

One side says: “Brand is everything.” Build awareness, stay top of mind, and customers will come to you.

The other side says: “Demand is all that matters.” Track every click, optimise for conversions, and squeeze leads through the funnel.

But the best B2B brands? They don’t pick sides - they master both.

Look at HubSpot. Their brand is everywhere - events, content, community. But they also run highly targeted demand-gen campaigns to convert that attention into revenue.

Or take Gong. They dominate LinkedIn with organic content (brand), but they also have laser-focused outbound strategies (demand).

The brands that win in 2025 won’t be arguing about brand vs. demand. They’ll be building both because attention alone doesn’t drive revenue, but revenue without brand is impossible to sustain.

If you want to see the full report we released (it’s free), you can access it HERE.

 🌱 THE GREENHOUSE

Things I’ve saved this week that are worth seeing:

• 13 B2B trends I’m meticulously tracking. (SEE HERE)

• See the full report here. (SEE HERE)

TL;DR

1. Your employees are your best influencers.

2. B2B’s real problem isn’t attention—it’s entertainment.

3. Video is non-negotiable.

4. AI can’t replace originality.

5. Own your audience.

6. Think like a media company.

7. Brand vs. Demand is a false debate.

I am so excited about where B2B marketing is going, but I’m genuinely worried about the great B2B brands that have no idea how to adapt to the changes.

Hopefully this report helped at least a few brands get ahead, and hopefully, you found it useful too. If you did, why not share it with a friend or colleague?

Until next Sunday.

— Niall

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