How strong brands build stronger B2B pipelines

B2B marketers are under pressure to deliver pipeline, but the old playbook of MQL chasing, generic content and paid ads isn’t cutting it anymore. To drive growth in an AI-saturated, attention-poor market, we need to refocus on what really moves the needle: building a brand that stands out, connects with buyers and earns trust.

The limits of MQLs in an AI-first world

Traditional, MQL-focused lead generation isn’t doing well. Brands that don’t stand for something relevant or dissolve into generic messaging will not increase share or retain customers. 

Outdated success metrics force us to double down on tactics like paid advertising or AI-crafted content that do not differentiate our brand and products and propel our product message toward the wrong audiences.

Experts have been discussing brand building as the future of B2B marketing for some time. Abandon those MQL shackles, they say, and focus on original content or research tailored to your audience to get your sales teams in the door.

Many want to move in that direction, but our leadership isn’t quite convinced. We need a measurable proof of concept that fosters collaboration and helps us build a pipeline together. Shared goals between sales, product and marketing could be the catalyst of success.

Marketing will need to play a strategic role — both at the top of the planning process (brand, messaging, audience analysis) and at the bottom, where the messaging flows through the mix of channels and engages the right audiences.

Since we are critical to the success of this evolving strategy, let’s stay ahead of the trends.

Dig deeper: Why B2B marketing needs brand building more than lead gen

Shifting sands of B2B lead generation

We’ve focused so much on short-term results (those quarterly earnings reports come around super fast!) that most B2B lead generation has been like a quick handshake rather than a conversation over coffee.

Transactional marketing, like a one-time discount code blasted out to the entire email list, was great for lifting MQL counts but not for customer experience, brand building or long-term retention. It drove a short-term spike in sales, yet it stole full-price sales from the future and hindered a genuine connection or understanding of the customer’s long-term needs. This approach is expensive and unsustainable.

Too much B2B marketing is diluted, repurposed offers. We’re in content shock. There’s too much out there, and most of it sounds the same. In the rush to drive results, so much urgency is baked in that our marketing often feels like unsavory clickbait.

I get it. Marketers are pressured to deliver tangible results, usually leads and pipeline. However, content marketing and paid advertising, especially search, have diminishing returns. To move forward, B2B marketers must become true advocates for the customer, helping our brands stand out and communicate what sets us apart.

That’s not always easy. There’s often internal resistance to embracing product differentiators. Sacred cows remain, leading us back toward tired messaging or increased frequency without adding anything unique.

Instead, we must focus on the broader customer experience, not just isolated touchpoints.

Dig deeper: Why the MQL model is failing B2B marketing and what to use instead

Customer experience starts at the brand

Creating experiences that resonate is hard. It requires upfront investment in brand and audience analysis, plus a robust messaging overhaul. The skills needed go beyond traditional lead gen analytics, digital tools or ad copy. Marketing leaders need to engage their teams — because you never know who might have the mind of a product marketer just waiting to be tapped — and make the case for investing in more specialized resources.

It can be challenging. Few people enjoy pointing to diminishing returns as a reason to spend more money, and even fewer succeed with that argument. That’s why you must focus on shifting from product-centric messaging to delivering valuable, tailored experiences that match how B2B customers want to buy.

Solid research supports this approach: The Harvard Business Review Ecommerce Report (thanks to Coveo for the share!) and the Salesforce State of Marketing Report highlight how vital customer experience is in B2B buying. Bain and Company found that a 5% increase in customer retention can result in a 25–95% boost in profitability. That’s a meaningful lift and a compelling reason to shift from a narrow focus on early-stage MQLs to a broader customer engagement strategy.

Let’s also acknowledge that marketers already influence and create much of the customer experience. That’s the key to building a brand while also building pipeline. When we focus on how people want to buy rather than just what we have to sell, we drive more meaningful MQLs. There may be fewer of them, but they’ll be more qualified and more likely to convert.

The brands succeeding today are building pipeline by leading with education, thought leadership and community — not just product promotion. And that kind of experience-led growth relies heavily on strong product marketing.

The indispensable role of product-market fit

Achieving product-market fit (PMF) — the cornerstone of effective product marketing — is a prerequisite for successful lead generation. You could argue that a brand isn’t formed until PMF is established. That alignment between product value and customer need is the brand. From there, it’s the job of brand designers and storytellers to communicate that essence and bring the brand to life in a way that resonates.

How do you get there? The concept is simple, but execution is complex because it requires cross-functional collaboration.

• Marketing brings insight into the market, buyer behavior, media mix and competitor positioning.
• Sales understands the buyer journey and helps reveal the “why” behind buyer behavior.
• Product contributes knowledge of customer needs, market trends, user experience and product capabilities.
• Customer service brings frontline knowledge of pain points, satisfaction gaps and brand perception.

When all parties align on a shared goal, you’re well on your way to a strong, authentic value proposition. The process is iterative and requires customer feedback, market analysis, and internal alignment. It can feel daunting, but it’s essential. Don’t skip it.

For a proof of concept, focus on content across the buyer journey. The key to effective customer experience is understanding the buyer’s needs. The content journey map is an area of the customer experience that marketers (mostly) control, so it’s a reasonable place to start. Pick an area focusing on engagement and test new ways to broadcast promotions to prospects and help them move along the journey. Since no buyer journey is linear, it may take more than one kind of content and multiple channels.

Low-cost proof-of-concept initiatives include content audits, small-scale content testing or leveraging customer feedback to inform messaging. You can also use practical, cost-effective research methods like interviews, surveys or a deeper dive into existing cross-functional data. Don’t obsess over perfect metrics; look at trend lines. They’re often more insightful and can spark smart testing hypotheses.

We recently worked with a client to bring test learnings into the weekly marketing huddle and the monthly cross-functional meeting with sales and product. Putting test data on the table showed marketing was actively tuned into customer behavior, and it sparked great discussions. In one meeting, the product team was stunned by buyer reactions: “Wait, people don’t care about that feature? But that’s a favorite!” Data told a different story, and we used it as a jumping-off point to refine the messaging and reassess the product narrative.

These healthy, grounded conversations build the internal alignment around PMF and brand positioning, critical to generating meaningful leads.

This phased, insight-driven approach lets you show early wins and gradually earn support for broader investment in customer experience. Over time, it becomes easier to justify more expansive brand and content initiatives because the business can see the impact.

Dig deeper: 5 suggestions for moving beyond MQLs

Driving two sides of your marketing brain toward long-term value

If we don’t invest in brand, fewer people will convert because they don’t know what they’re buying or why it matters. The MQL side is constantly torn between immediate gratification and building long-term value. When budgets are tight, the pressure to show quick results often drives teams to buy leads or run short-term campaigns focused only on near-term wins.

But brand building should work with demand gen, not against it. Done right, it accelerates inbound interest. It isn’t about chasing Super Bowl-level fame. It’s about running targeted awareness campaigns that communicate who you are, what you do and why your audience should care.

Ask leadership, “How much are you willing to spend on brand without expecting immediate ROI?” If you can land on a reasonable number — say, $2,000 or $5,000 a month — consider testing education-focused brand campaigns for 6–12 months. Then, track how it impacts conversions over time.

Marketers have a say in our destiny

Let’s be honest: we marketers created this MQL-at-all-costs monster. We promised it would solve the revenue problem, and we promised leads in abundance.

Now, it’s our responsibility to step up, educate (and re-educate) our colleagues and executives, and lead the collaboration needed to shift toward strategies that build brands and pipelines that last.