Traditional B2B marketing is dead.
Let me explain.
90% of B2B buyers choose vendors from their day-one shortlist. That’s a Bain & Co. stat that should terrify you.
But here’s the problem – your buyers don’t look like they did three years ago.
Decision committees are younger, more diverse, and increasingly cross-functional. Yet most marketers keep using the same tired tactics to get on that critical day-one list.
Your ICP Is Wrong
Your ideal customer profile (ICP) is probably too narrow.
Most marketers target the most senior person within one business function. Big mistake.
The reality? Vital decision influencers often don’t appear in your CRM data:
IT leaders who secretly vetoed your last deal
Finance stakeholders who joined one call but killed your proposal
Product teams who influence purchasing but never speak directly to sales
Over 60% of B2B executives believe sales/marketing alignment is critical for growth. Start there.
Finding Hidden Decision Makers
The fastest-growing B2B brands do something different.
They talk to their sales and onboarding teams obsessively. They map complete buyer groups, not just traditional personas.
Try this: Build a matrix of influential job functions beyond your standard targets. Test campaigns with titles from those groups.
Use geo holdouts and market splits to test different functional areas simultaneously. IT titles in one market, product in another.
Bombora or LinkedIn Buyer Groups can supercharge your targeting accuracy. But targeting is just the beginning.
One Message Doesn’t Work Anymore
Your winning ad assets probably suck for these expanded audiences.
Think about it: your “request a demo” CTA means nothing to an IT security specialist who doesn’t care about your features.
Each functional role needs specific value props that resonate with their daily challenges:
IT cares about security and integration
Finance wants ROI metrics
Product needs implementation timelines
How to Scale Without Going Crazy
Creating personalized content for everyone is overwhelming. Do the math:
5 job roles × 4 industries × 3 company sizes × 6 ad formats = 360 unique pieces
Many marketers just swap headlines and call it “personalized.” That’s lazy. It doesn’t work.
Here’s what actually works:
- Isolate value props for each segment
- Bake them into the underlying ad concept
- Create dedicated landing pages
- Promote targeted content for each group
A SaaS client in customer engagement expanded beyond their core marketers to include data/analytics, tech integration, and sales roles. By isolating relevant features for each segment, we generated record-breaking opportunities.
The Bottom Line
B2B buying patterns have evolved. Your marketing must follow.
Expand your ICP. Discover hidden influencers. Create function-specific messaging.
The brands getting this right are crushing their competition.
The ones who don’t? They’re not even making the day-one shortlist.
Your move.
