B2B marketing from the inside: key mistakes and proven solutions for business
Businesses are used to thinking in terms of sales, operational efficiency, and scaling. But when it comes to B2B marketing, even experienced entrepreneurs often get confused. Why?
Because the ready-made recipes from B2C don’t work here: there are no quick emotional purchases, the transaction cycle can take months, and decisions are made by several people at the same time. However, B2B marketing is not just about lead generation. It’s about positioning, analytics, and strategic partnerships with businesses. And this is where most companies make mistakes.
So what does B2B marketing look like from the inside? What are the typical problems I see in businesses that ask for help, and why is the key to the result often not in the budget, but in the way of thinking?
Why your B2B marketing isn’t working: 6 common mistakes
I often face the same problems when working with companies:
1. The website doesn’t sell.
Broken forms, dead buttons, overloaded requests, template design. If all this is not set up, you will lose a part of your budget even before the start of marketing activities.
2. Broad positioning.
When a company writes that it provides “IT consulting, development, support, and a dozen other services” at the same time, it is a signal of a lack of focus. As a result, the business is “everywhere and nowhere”: it does not receive normal traffic and is not remembered by the market.
3. Poor communication.
Many B2B companies use stock photos, banal wording, and general promises. As a result, a potential client does not understand why they should choose you.
4. Betting on channels that don’t work.
Cold emails or LinkedIn lead generation rarely yield quality results. However, many businesses continue to spend their budgets there instead of focusing on additional points of influence.
5. Analytics by month.
With long B2B cycles of 90-120 days, monthly slices give a false picture. The solution here is cohort analysis: take data not by calendar, but by the date of lead acquisition, and track how this cohort “closes” over several months. When the cohort is at least 80% closed, you can draw conclusions about the effectiveness of channels, the cost of leads and customers. This approach allows you to avoid panic (“advertising in January didn’t work”) and see the picture in dynamics.
6. Wrong target audience.
Another important point for B2B is the correct understanding of the audience. In many businesses, marketing is focused on the “manager who submits a request” rather than the owner or decision maker. A simple recommendation: communicate directly with customers. An hour-long interview with current customers often provides more insights than dozens of internal brainstorming sessions. You’ll quickly understand who really makes decisions, what their pains are, and what values are important.
Brand and creative: what to do instead
It’s a mistake to think that only B2C companies need a brand. In B2B, it works even harder: it adds credibility, builds reputation, and influences top management decisions.
Creative tools should not be underestimated either. A strong YouTube channel, high-quality content on LinkedIn, or even outdoor advertising can give a business an advantage that is not visible in “dry” performance metrics.
Conclusion: marketing as a strategic partner
B2B marketing is not about “driving traffic” or “building a website.” It’s about a strategic approach where marketing becomes a business partner, not a task contractor.
This is what I advise every B2B business to do right now:
1. Check the basic functionality of your website and application forms;
2. Focus on a few key products or services;
3. Clearly define your audience and understand who makes decisions;
4. Measure results on a cohort basis, not by month;
5. Invest in brand and creativity, even if it seems that in B2B it is “not important”.
Those companies that learn to think strategically will not only be able to attract more customers, but also build a long-term competitive advantage.
