How to Choose Advertising Channels for B2B Marketing

Introducing the 2025 GTM scorecard, just in time for annual planning ⤵️ Maja and I surveyed 195 B2B leaders about which GTM channels are working right now. We then mapped how popular different GTM channels are (x-axis) versus how likely they are to be impactful among adopters (y-axis). The shorthand for interpreting this two-by-two: 1. Tried-and-true (upper right) 2. Oversaturated (lower right) 3. The next big thing (upper left) 4. Figuring it out (lower left) I then cut the data for startups (<$10M ARR) vs. scaleups (>$10M ARR) & it's fascinating to see how the channels shift. The best channels for startups*: - LinkedIn (#1) - Founder brand (#2) - Warm outbound (#3) - Intent-based outbound (#4) - Intimate events (#5) *The magic tends to happen when you can combine these channels into a cohesive strategy, i.e. founder brand + LinkedIn + warm outbound & intimate events for those who engage. The best channels for scaleups*: - Large conferences (#1) - SEO (#2) - Intimate events (#3) - Big product launches (#4) - Ecosystem marketing (#5) *Scaleups are still seeing returns from their years of SEO investments. The question is whether they can translate their SEO into AI discovery or if they'll be leap-frogged by new entrants. The TL;DR: No matter what stage you're at, you might want to plan for more intimate events (dinners, happy hours, etc.) next year. They're not the most scalable, but they're one of the few things that seems to work. PS, the full report is available here: https://lnkd.in/ea_zYUzB #marketing #gtm #startups

the "boring" marketing channels that outperform your flashy one-off campaigns (data from actual b2b companies). while everyone's chasing the latest tiktok trend or ai-powered whatevs, the unsexy channels are quietly delivering the best roi. here's what the data actually shows: 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀: the silent revenue machine 84% of b2b decision makers say their buying process starts with a referral. yet most companies treat referrals like an afterthought. referrals have 3-5x higher conversion rates than any other marketing channel and 71% of b2b companies report higher conversion rates from referrals than other customers. but here's the kicker: only 11% of salespeople actually ask for referrals, even though 91% of customers say they'd give them. (stats from 👉 Referral Rock + Influitive + Propello) 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: email is defs not dead. if marketing sends more than 8 emails between deal creation and closure, the close rate increases by 47%. yet 94% of emails are sent before any pipeline qualification - meaning most companies abandon prospects right when nurturing matters most. the average conversion rate from email marketing campaigns in b2b is 2.5%, but companies with solid nurture sequences see much higher returns because they're playing the longgg game. (stats from 👉 Powered by Search + HockeyStack) 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 this is the most overlooked channel. 75% of marketers use abm for customer marketing as it helps increase client retention rates. existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more than new customers - yet most marketing budgets focus almost entirely on acquisition. (stats from 👉 Terminus (by DemandScience) UserGems 💎) 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 - longer-term thinking = compound returns - relationship-focused vs transaction-focused - less competition for attention - sustainable without constant optimisation the flashy stuff gets the conference talks.  the boring stuff gets the revenue.

I don’t run TOFU, MOFU, BOFU campaigns anymore. I run two types of campaigns, because there are only two things that matter: ↳ Building mental availability and consideration with out-market prospects ↳ Convincing in-market prospects to choose you over competitors Out-market campaigns hit our total ICP list. We run high-frequency ads built around strategic, data-backed messaging to drive reach and recall. The goal: “When they move in-market, we’re the name they remember.” We mix ad formats but optimize for audience penetration, frequency, engagement rate, and dwell time. To measure success, we track ICP company visits, share of search, and growth in engaged ICP accounts over time. This tells us we're not just hitting vanity metrics, but actually getting on the vendor list. In-market campaigns are laser-targeted. I recently shrunk this audience from 40K to ~8K. Given our full ICP list is ~180K, that tracks as only ~5% are in-market at any time. The goal: convert pipeline, drive revenue, shorten sales cycles, increase AOV and LTV. Here’s what that structure looks like: We ditched generic retargeting (website visits, video views, ad clicks). Instead, we focus on high-intent page visits—service, pricing, offer pages. Add in AI-driven intent-signals from Dreamdata and G2. Then, layer an ICP filter over the top to ensure we're not wasting spend on poor-fit prospects. Unlike most B2Bs, we don’t exclude existing pipeline from targeting. We keep reminding them why we're the best option. They’re not closed until they’re closed. Funnel logic makes sense for a linear funnel. But B2B buying journeys aren't linear. Smart B2Bs market the way buyers actually buy. Not the way they wish they would. 🤘 — P.S. Struggling to make LinkedIn Ads work? Have a KlientBoost Growth Strategist build your custom free marketing plan based on proven playbooks like this one. Hit the link to get yours: https://lnkd.in/eMpcnvQX

B2B Marketers spend 46% (!) of their budget on Google Ads* The rest is distributed as follows: • 41% LinkedIn Ads • 8% Meta Ads • 5% other So Google takes by far the biggest chunk. Which is interesting… because Google Ads performance is moving in the opposite direction. In just one year: – Costs are up 29% (non-branded keywords in B2B) – CTRs are down 26% (probably because of AI results ) So we’re putting almost half of our budget into a channel that’s getting significantly more expensive… while fewer people are clicking. This is not a “Google Ads is bad” post. I love Google Ads. And we use it for almost all of our clients. But I do believe in B2B, we’re over-relying on it. Why? Because it’s: – Fast – Easy to measure – Easy to justify But it is also very short-term focused. Search only captures demand. And you’re competing for the same demand as everyone else, so it's super expensive. Research has pointed out over and over again that this is not the highest ROI activity in the long term. My advice: Take a portion of that 46% Google budget and move it upstream. Invest in: – SEO/GEO – Social content that builds preference before intent exists – LinkedIn campaigns that distribute that content In short: stop overinvesting in short-term demand capture → start investing in longer-term, higher ROI marketing activities *Dreamdata's latest research

Sounds crazy in 2025, but your best B2B marketing channel might not be digital at all. When the sales cycles are long, trust is more important than clicks. Everyone’s fighting for attention online, but people buy from people they know and trust. Real relationships still win. Some of my highest ROI deals came from offline plays: ✅ Customer dinners that created real connections ✅ In-person events with the right buyers in the room ✅ Partner recommendations that tapped into trust and credibility ✅ Sending a book to a lead with a bookmark on the page that talks about their problem Digital marketing is powerful and irreplaceable. I say this as a CEO of a marketing agency. But it can also be crowded, transactional, and easy to ignore. Especially in B2B. Offline channels take more effort, but they create leverage in ways digital often can’t. If you're working with ABM, long sales cycles, or large buying teams, add offline channels to your mix. That's where relationships are made.

Google Ads or Facebook Ads? Wrong question. The real question is: 👉 Are you capturing demand? 👉 Or are you creating it? Here’s how to decide which channel actually grows your business: ✅ CAPTURE Demand → Google Search & Shopping Best when people already know what they want. Think: “urgent care near me,” “affordable CRM for coaches,” “buy electric standing desk” • Start with Search (Lead Gen) or Standard Shopping (e-commerce) • Segment brand vs non-brand terms • Use Max Conversions or manual CPC to start • Once it’s working → layer on PMax to scoop warm traffic But if your Search Impression Share + Click Share > 80%? You’ve likely tapped out the market. That’s where most brands stall. ✅ GENERATE Demand → Meta, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok Best when people don’t know they need you yet. Or they’ve never even heard of your product or service. • For B2C → Start with Meta (broad reach, creative matters most) • For B2B → Start with LinkedIn (laser targeting by role + company) • For eCom → Meta (low AOV, young demos) • For higher-ticket or visual brands → YouTube (after Meta) Pro tip: These are top-of-funnel platforms. Don’t expect neat attribution. Instead, watch for brand lift, higher direct traffic, and search volume spikes. Make sure you measure the backend of your business and consider typical time to conversion. 🎯 Use Advantage+ and PMax strategically These are warm-traffic engines. • Meta Advantage+ scoops up website visitors • Google PMax works best when fed high-quality cold traffic from somewhere else → Use other campaigns and channels to feed PMax They're not top-of-funnel systems. They shine after you’ve built awareness. The truth most brands miss? They pour more money into the same campaign types... …without realizing they’ve already maxed them out. Your next level of growth doesn’t come from picking the “right platform.” It comes from mapping the right campaign type to the right stage of your buyer journey. That’s how you scale sustainably.

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. The successful ones all do one thing differently. They identify where their customers already gather before building their strategy. The unsuccessful ones burn through their funding trying to make Google Ads work on a shoestring budget. Here are the 4 levels of customer aggregation that determine your success: 𝟭. 𝗔𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗔𝗖 These are organized groups where your targets are already members: healthcare councils, technology councils, trade associations. In Nashville, we have a healthcare council with about a thousand healthcare companies as members. The built-in trust means higher close rates and faster sales cycles. When you connect through an aggregator, you get instant credibility you haven't earned yet - their trust transfers to you. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 These are service providers who work with your target market but aren't organized groups. Maybe a law firm that specializes in small businesses. They serve a common group of your target customers and could introduce you to their client base if they trust  you. This would give you access without the built-in credibility of formal aggregators. 𝟯. 𝗡𝗼 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 This is where most small businesses die. You're competing with companies that have millions to spend like Rent the Runway while you have thousands. When your customers don't cluster anywhere, you're forced into expensive direct marketing that most early-stage entrepreneurs simply can't afford. Your only viable path becomes finding 5-7 customers with acute pain, then leveraging them to introduce you to their network - essentially building word-of-mouth to offset high direct marketing costs. 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 I find that B2B companies with aggregation points succeed more than direct-to-consumer businesses. If you can't find where your customers cluster, the work to get to market becomes extremely hard. 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬: Most entrepreneurs pick channels first - deciding on LinkedIn, trade shows, or Google Ads - then hunt for customers within those channels. This is backwards. Before building your customer acquisition strategy, identify if your target market already gathers somewhere. The channel decision follows from finding the aggregation. - - - P.S. If you liked this post, you'll love my 2-minute newsletter. Subscribe here > https://lnkd.in/g2T7Htfw

i've watched WAY too many marketing teams burn out trying to be everywhere at once. and the reason most multichannel strategies fail (or fall off), is because the approach is backwards: → pick trendy channels first → force content to fit those channels → spread resources way too thin → wonder why nothing works after helping dozens of teams fix their channel strategy, i've found a better way. step 1: map the journey before picking channels instead of chasing platforms, start here: → how does your customer realize they have a problem? → where do they go to learn more? → who influences their decisions? → what objections do they need to overcome? → when are they ready to buy? only THEN choose channels that naturally fit this journey. step 2: follow the 40/40/20 rule → 40% resources to content creation → 40% to distribution and promotion → 20% to measurement and optimization ❌ what most do instead: → 80% on creation, alignment, revisions and back and forth → 15% on a prayer → 5% on wondering why nothing worked step 3: set realistic timelines every channel has a different path to results: → paid search: 1-2 months → seo: 3-6 months → linkedin organic: 3-4 months → email: 1-2 months → podcast: 6-12 months step 4: prioritize channels using the 70/20/10 framework instead of spreading yourself thin: → primary (70%): proven channels for your business → secondary (20%): supporting channels that amplify primary → experimental (10%): new channels with potential bonus: know which channels to SKIP entirely yes, sometimes the best strategy is knowing where NOT to be. skip a channel if: → your ICP doesn't actively use it → you lack resources to maintain quality (the biggest issue i've seen so far) → you can't commit to its unique culture think b2b financial services really needs to be on tiktok? probably not. how to track what's actually working: multi-touch attribution is complex, but here's what works: → first/last touch attribution for trends → utm parameters religiously applied → survey data at conversion points → increment testing (pause channels to measure impact) remember: perfect attribution is impossible. focus on directional data. want my multichannel planning template? DM me and i'll send it your way. the goal isn't to be everywhere. it's to be exactly where your customers need you, when they need you. what's your biggest channel strategy challenge? drop it below 👇

We're planning our $40M marketing budget for 2026. Here's how we're thinking about it - and why most teams waste money by doing the opposite. 1. Accept the power law 1-2 channels will drive 80% of your customers. Most teams spread thin across 8+ channels when they have 1 or 2 that are really working. Our rule: don't move to the next channel until you nail the current one. What does "nailed it" mean? ROAS of 2x or higher. Right now? We've nailed Meta, LinkedIn, Search, CTV, and events. YouTube - you're next. 2. Ignore what other companies are doing Go back to first principles: → Who is my audience? → Where do they hang out? → Who do they trust? We target performance marketers. They're hyper-aware of ads and respect great execution. So our best growth lever? Being known as one of the best companies running paid ads at scale. 3. Channels don't saturate - audiences do Before you say "this channel is tapped out," ask yourself: Are you actually covering your entire TAM? We were only targeting B2C advertisers. Then we launched new features and opened the door to B2B advertisers and marketing agencies. We basically tripled the size of our market. Our 2026 plan: → 75%+ of budget stays on what we've mastered: paid ads & events → 25% to experiment and mature: partnerships, content, outbound, ooh

The only thing marketers are poor at is marketing. We have become exceptional at the technical side: analysis, data, reporting, and tracking. Unfortunately, this has come at the expense of focusing on the first principles of great marketing. Here's what I believe every B2B marketer should focus on if they want to improve their ability to consistently drive results: 1. List Building: To improve here, I recommend that you enrich your current customers in ZoomInfo and then use modern AI tools to run a regression analysis. In this analysis, you want to make client MRR or ACV the dependent variable and all the enriched data from ZoomInfo the independent variables. Your goal is to identify the exact, targetable traits that makes an account a perfect fit. 2. Mapping Channels to Personas/Targeting: To improve here, you need to have discipline and think differently about targeting. I consistently hear about "targeting" multiple personas across the buying center in B2B, but I struggle with such a blanket approach. Here's an example. You are a B2B org who has a high contract value (think > 250k+) and you need to get buy-in from Director to C-Suite across finance, IT, security, and operations. I would run direct response ads to the POC/champion (Director/VP), but i'd only run video ads to the C-Suite. I know C-Level execs don't do demos so I am not going to try and change their behavior. I want to embrace reality and match my campaigns, channels, and offers to each role and their responsibility in the buying process. Creative: To improve here, ask a simple question: "would this ad work on me? do I actually like my ad?" I know this sounds simple and basic, but our greatest sin as marketers is treating our creative work like a checklist and then wondering why our uninspired ads aren't working. Become emotionally invested in your work and do the work to get into a creative state (you are creative, you simply have to proactively act creative. Try doing creative work outside your normal workspace, go to a coffee shop, it'll help.) Offers and Incentives: To improve here, you need to master the art of integrating offers and incentives into your marketing. Humans are busy and organizational value props in B2B are almost always commoditized and weaker then the CEO thinks. In reality, you need to get a human from apathy and action. To do so, come up with an offer that is compelling and manufacture intent for the product or service you sell. The best marketers in the world consume their own marketing. They are harsh critics. They are obsessive. They are emotionally invested. They are consistent in building a swipe file of every ad/campaign they ever noticed. They are believers in the impact of marketing. They are willing to do the research. They are bought into the fact that they are a creative person. The best marketers want to be great and push themselves every day to be better at the craft.