Everything You Need to Know About B2B Marketing in 2025

‍What is B2B marketing? What are the rules and trends that you should be aware of to help your business succeed? Buckle up as we answer all your burning questions.

What is B2B marketing?

Business-to-business marketing means promoting products and services to other businesses.

It’s different from B2C (business-to-consumer marketing), where companies promote directly to the end user.

Of course, some companies are both B2B and B2C. One example would be Microsoft that provides enterprise-level solutions, with security, collaboration, and other options important for business and marketing teams. At the same time, it also has a B2C approach, providing similar or sometimes the same solutions for personal use. 

B2B marketing: key features

So, even if it’s sometimes very similar to B2C, B2B marketing still comes with its own set of rules and features. Here are some of the most important ones. 

1. The target audience is more informed. People usually don’t conduct thorough research before purchasing something at the supermarket, or even a clothes store. When businesses purchase something, however, they usually evaluate lots of options, clearly define their needs and pain points to find the optimal solution.
2. The decision-making process and sales cycle are longer. Since the audience is better informed, it goes without saying that B2B purchase decisions take a lot longer. On top of that businesses will often request additional information, and even free trials before committing to a purchase, which gives sales teams a lot more work. 
3. Value proposition is often about ROI, efficiency, scalability. Although problem-solving is always involved, as with any good B2C business model, B2B marketing is often focused on growth as well. 
4. Long-term relationships: With the longer sales cycle, decision makers within a company or organization often prefer to build long-term connections and become recurring customers. In contrast, B2C often involves impulse purchases and one-time buying 
5. Channels are sometimes different. Although social media and online stores are relevant for everyone, B2B businesses often have specific marketing channels, such as trade shows, professional networks, and even direct sales. 

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How to develop a B2B marketing strategy?

A B2B marketing strategy might look the same like every other. However, let’s get into it a bit deeper, and discuss some of the specifics of catering to a B2B market.

Creating an effective B2B marketing strategy requires a structured approach tailored to the needs of your target business audience. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you build a robust B2B marketing strategy:

1. Define your goals

Setting clear goals is paramount for B2B marketing. While many small businesses primarily strive to make a profit and stay afloat, building lasting customer relationships and a strong brand is what B2B marketing is all about.

Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight.

When creating your goals and objectives, make sure they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).

So, you might want to start with, e.g. lead generation. A SMART goal might sound something like “collect 100 top and mid–funnel leads in the first month”. 
Don’t expect or plan to realize all of your goals at once. Instead, think of them as steps and set up a roadmap of how you plan to achieve them one by one. 

2. Understand your target audience

Just because you might not be selling directly to an end-user, doesn’t mean you don’t need to define your target audience. 

In fact, for this very reason developing buyer personas is usually a much bigger task with B2B companies. 

Here are the steps you need to take. 

• Develop buyer personas: This is going to be the ideal end-user. So, you need to focus on their needs and pain points. Let’s say you’re selling design software. The end-user is a professional designer working in a design company. They’ll be concerned with things like functionalities, collaboration options, add-ons, integration, etc. To create a valuable buyer persona make sure you include details like industry, job title, pain points, decision-making process, and goals.
• Define the stakeholder and decision makers: Although the end users and decision makers are sometimes one and the same, it’s not always the case. In B2B marketing you also need to have a clear understanding of who makes the purchase decisions, based on what, and how the decision making process works. If we use the previous example, this might be the CEO of the design company, the project manager, and perhaps an art director. Along with the performance of the software, they’ll want to know the price point, options for subscriptions or one-time purchases, number of users, etc. 
• Segment your audience: Most B2B companies cater to different industries. So, besides segmenting your audience between decision makers and end-users, you’ll also need to consider the different industries and their needs. If we again use our design software example, this might extend to creative/design agencies, and large companies with an-in house design team. Ordinarily, a design agency will require a much wider set of functionalities. Companies, on the other, might prefer a one-time purchase of a software package that satisfies their design needs. 

3. Conduct competitor analysis

If you’re selling a consumer product, such as a dessert or drink, of course you’re going to conduct market research and see if similar products already exist. However, at the end of the day, your recipe will probably differ slightly from what’s already on the market and cater to people who’ll simply like the taste of your product.

With B2B companies, things tend to get a lot trickier.

Before you can launch your product or service, you’ll need to conduct a thorough market research and identify if the need for your product even exists. 

One of the most famous examples of that is the company Slack. Before they came about, companies used different communication channels, such as emails, web calls, and even certain messaging platforms.

However, through their market research, Slack’s founder Stewart Butterfield famously found out that most teams said “nothing”. Of course, he knew this wasn’t true, but instead pointed to a need for a unified communication platform.

As the software developed from a gaming platform, Butterfield was able to develop a communication tool that was easy and fun to use. 

Besides case studies and focus groups, here are some cool tools you might want to use in your market and keyword research:

• SEMrush
• Ahrefs
• SimilarWeb

4. Create valuable content

If there’s one thing that truly distinguishes B2B marketing, it has to be content marketing. 

Remember that as a B2B company you cater to professionals, with specific interests, expertise, and expectations. So, chances are there’s a lot you can connect over than your product or service alone.

Building a stellar B2B content marketing strategy is often one of the pillars of success for such companies. Positioning yourself as a thought leader means that you can attract businesses from your niche more easily, and build trust before converting leads into potential customers.

Here are some content ideas you might want to consider

• Blog posts
• White papers
• Case studies
• Infographics
• Webinars
• Videos and podcasts

5. Optimize your website

A professional website is a must nowadays, even for local brick and mortar businesses. And B2B companies need to excel with their web presence.

Designing a professional website is a long process, from the ideation and research, to creating the first mockup and prototype.

How to make a website for a startup would take up an entire article of its own. But in the interest of time-saving, here are some key tips you need to bear in mind. 

• User experience is paramount. Many B2B websites are the equivalent of a physical storefront. So, you need to make sure that users can easily find information with clear navigation and fast loading times. 
• Focus on the value proposition and CTAs. These are by far the two most important aspects of your website. Use the hero section to highlight the value you bring, and 
• Create landing pages tailored to specific offers or audiences. As we’ve already mentioned B2B companies often cater to a pretty wide audience. So, it’s wise to create sections of your site to improve SEO and help visitors find what they need. For example, our own website has a landing page dedicated to each type of graphic design service we provide.

6. Leverage SEO and PPC

Besides a user-friendly design, another key aspect of a well-performing website is SEO optimization.

If you’ve already got a content strategy in place, you probably know which keywords you’d like to target. Make sure they’re incorporated into your content as well as your pages’ metadata. 

Next, you should ensure all media (images, videos) are optimized for web use so as not to slow down loading speed. Mobile-responsive websites also rank better in search engine results, so this is something to pay extra attention to.

Finally, you can create a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign on Google Ads to drive traffic to your website and boost its performance.

7. Invest in email marketing

According to a B2B marketing survey, 50% of marketers say email is their most impactful channel. This is hardly surprising, as emails are often used to educate subscribers about a product or service. In the B2B worlds, this is the kind of knowledge decision makers and stakeholders will want to access and share within their organization.

Building an effective email marketing strategy rests on two building blocks: audience segmentation and email automation.

As a B2B marketer you might send emails to different people, such as the end-user, decision makers, or stakeholders, such as investors. A well-defined email audience will help you send relevant and targeted messages every time.

And believe it or not, automated emails generate a whopping 320% more revenue! Automated emails will help you build a relationship with prospective customers, and provide information about your brand and offer. 

8. Utilize social media

Social media may be slightly more important for B2C brands. But it’s very far from being irrelevant in B2B.

The first step is choosing the right social media channels. It’s . For most B2B companies LinkedIn is the best platform to focus on. Depending on your niche, you might also want to invest in YouTube marketing (especially if you have longform video content) and X (Twitter) to engage in conversations with people from your or other relevant industries.

Don’t forget that Facebook is still the most popular social media platform, with over 3 billion active monthly users. So, even if you don’t plan to have a very active presence, it’s good to have a Facebook account (it also gives you access to Facebook Ads Manager so you can create ad campaigns for all Meta platforms).

9. Partner with influencers and thought leaders

Establishing trust and authority is key for B2B marketing. So, finding the right partners to help you build brand awareness is very important.

Webinars, guest blogging and co-branded content are all great ways to reach a wider target audience, and build a mutually beneficial relationship with an expert from the field. 

10. Implement marketing automation

We’ve mentioned just how effective email marketing can be. Still, there’s no need to stop there.

Some studies show that 47% of marketers believe marketing automation helps move leads through the marketing funnel faster. 

You can use tools like Marketo, HubSpot, or Pardot to streamline workflows, track leads, and measure the performance of your marketing campaigns. 

11. Track and optimize

As any experienced marketer knows,  your job is hardly finished with a well-thought out marketing plan. 

In B2B especially, marketing is a constant work in progress. Setting up KPIs will help you track your results and adapt as needed. Some metrics you might want to consider are:

• Website traffic
• Conversion rates
• Lead quality
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• Social media performance (engagement, followers, reach, etc.)

Even if you deploy the help of a B2B digital marketing agency, it’s still advisable to know and understand your performance metrics.

7 Examples of B2B marketings to learn from

Theory is all well and good, but how about something a little more practical? Here are some of the best examples of B2B marketing tactics, and what you can learn from them.

Hubspot: Content marketing reigns supreme

If you’ve ever read a single article on digital marketing, there’s a good chance it was one of Hubspot’s.

Hubspot was one of the pioneer companies to realize the importance of inbound marketing, and thus their blog was born. A true treasure trove of knowledge, their blog covers virtually every marketing-related topic imaginable. And they do so in a reader-friendly, but detailed way.

You’ll also find that their content caters to different target audiences: from beginner-friendly articles, to actionable tips for versed professionals. 

Of course, the work here is never done - Hubspot writers update their content regularly (e.g. annual trends and predictions) to keep ranking high in search engine results. 

Hubspot also has different content formats, such as newsletters, videos, podcasts, and downloadable resources, which help with lead generation.

The key takeaway from Hubspot’s story is a bittersweet one: if you want truly great content, you’ve got to work for it!

Slack: Keeping up with the social media

From a failed gaming company, to a B2B industry giant - Slack remains a groundbreaking company in many aspects.

However, one that deserves special attention is their social media strategy. Slack manages to strike that perfect balance between education and entertainment across all their platforms.

Different content formats (short videos, infographics, silly memes, and user generated content) keep their social media fresh and ever evolving. One of the best and most famous examples is this short video ad called “So, yeah We Tried Slack…”

It’s a playful take in the style of the popular TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. However, along with the funny lines (“Make sure you show me doing a magic trick”), the video does a great job of effortlessly promoting the product and highlighting some of its key features. 

Moz: Knowledge-sharing made simple

Along with Shopify, Moz is one of the best examples of B2B brands with an awesome YouTube presence.

In their regular series, Whiteboard Fridays, they share actionable tips on various topics, such as the use of AI, content and keywords, backlinks, sale, and much more.

The great thing about these videos is their simplicity. You won’t see lots of bells and whistles, or even fancy motion graphics. Just one of Moz’s team members standing in front of a whiteboard, with a bitesized lesson.

Of course, most of the videos use some of Moz’s features, which is also a great way to promote your product without seeming pushy or too salesy. 

Microsoft & LinkedIn: An organic partnership

Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in June 2016 for $26.2 billion. This strategic partnership has led to a number of integrations and collaborations aimed at leveraging LinkedIn's professional network with Microsoft's productivity tools and cloud services. 

LinkedIn data began to integrate with Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics 365, bringing professional insights into platforms like Outlook and CRM tools.

You can also use Microsoft Advertising for LinkedIn Profile Targeting - this means running ads targeted specifically at certain LinkedIn profiles. 

In more recent years, Microsoft’s own AI technology Azure is used to power LinkedIn features, such as job recommendations.

Salesforce: Event marketing at its best

Salesforce Dreamforce is an annual conference hosted by Salesforce, designed to bring together professionals, customers, partners, and industry leaders to explore the latest in Salesforce technology, innovations, and industry trends. 

Held in San Francisco, Dreamforce is one of the largest global tech events, attracting thousands of attendees and millions virtually through Salesforce+, its streaming platform. The event is a mix of product showcases, educational sessions, and networking opportunities.

The conference is known for its dynamic keynote presentations, often led by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, where new product features, tools, and updates are announced. These keynotes are complemented by hundreds of breakout sessions and hands-on workshops tailored to various industries and roles, ranging from sales and marketing to IT and customer service. 

Beyond the technical focus, Dreamforce emphasizes community building and philanthropy, often including initiatives around sustainability and volunteering. 

Of course, no successful event is complete without a little entertainment. The so-called Dreamfest is a key aspect of the event, which features performances from renowned artists. 

Zendesk: Customer’ stories tell it all 

This might not be an example of B2B marketing that everyone knows about. But it’s still a great one to learn from.

If you head over to Zendesk’s website and explore the section customer stories you’ll see plenty of in-depth stories of how their customers used Zendesk to grow and achieve their business goals.

It’s also a great example of landing page design, with results and notable quotes clearly highlighted. 

Mailchimp: Killer design helps you stand out

Mailchimp’s 2018 rebrand is definitely one of the most famous and successful rebranding examples in history. 

Nowadays, with one look at their signature yellow color, and most of us know what company it is. But beyond that, from email design to social media posts, Mailchimp has maintained their youthful on-brand design that sets them apart from the rest.

Conclusion 

We hope this sheds some light on the question “what is B2B marketing and how to do it right”.

As you can see, it takes a lot of work, research and some groundbreaking ideas to get in with the greats.

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