If you’ve got anything to do with running marketing for a B2B SME, you really don’t need another shiny framework… what you do need are outputs that can deliver results quickly and compound over time. While the impact of technology is accelerating (more of that later) there are some common challenges we continue to address and delivery real world results.
1) Lead generation you can switch on (and off)
Sometimes you just need the pipeline moving – new conversations, qualified demo’s, requests for quotations, discovery calls in the diary and sales of products.
The fastest route is often a short, tightly targeted burst of paid digital activity: test a handful of clear value propositions, push them to well-defined audiences and send traffic to landing pages built for one job. Keep the scope narrow (one audience, one offer, one action) and run it as a pay-as-you-go experiment. Too many teams run “always-on” before they’ve proved the message or the maths.
Guardrails help: start with high-intent channels, cap daily spend so it can’t run away from you define a “stop/scale” line before launch. Own your data, set up tracking that actually works (cost per lead, increase in demo rate etc), build a simple dashboard sales will actually look at collect enough form fields to qualify without scaring people off – no more than six fields. Treat the first two weeks as research. You’re buying answers: which message, which audience, which keyword. Bank the wins and pause the fluff.
Why this first? Because lead gen is the quickest feedback loop you’ll get. While ambitions for the brand will pay dividends down the line, sometimes a quick hit is what is needed to kickstart everything else. The added benefit is that those fast, buying signals point directly to the next job: making sure the brand behind the click looks credible.
2) Brand identity that buys you trust
Once you’ve lit up demand, you need to re-enforce the identity that reassures people they’re in safe hands. In B2B, parity of product is common. Buyers judge on credibility: have you solved this for people like me will you still be here next year? Brand isn’t just a logo; it’s your story, structure and standards, how you look, what you claim and how consistently you show up.
If you’ve grown fast or bolted on new services, a brand MOT is a must. Map audiences and proof points, retire outdated claims and codify simple rules into a one-page style guide: logo usage, colour palette, headline style, do/don’t phrases and your core “why us” statements. Apply it ruthlessly to decks, proposals, your website and social, especially the unglamorous bits like case study PDFs and email signatures.
A consistent identity lifts conversion on the very lead gen you’ve just switched on. Familiarity breeds trust; trust removes friction.
3) A content engine (not random acts of content)
If the brand is set, you now need to say something worth hearing, repeatedly. Plenty of teams post often but say little. The fix isn’t “more content”; it’s a system that turns expertise into useful, repeatable formats. Start with your buyer’s questions across the journey: problem framing, solution options, proof, implementation, ROI (a bit like this blog!). Build a simple editorial calendar that hits those stages commit to a handful of hero pieces per quarter.
Then repurpose each one: a flow like this would work article → short video → slide carousel → email → PR pitch → sales one-pager. Prioritise topics where you have a strong opinion or proprietary data. Use interviews with sales and delivery to showcase real examples and objections. Make SEO work by aligning pages to specific intents (“how to choose…”, “X vs Y”, “cost of…”). And don’t neglect distribution: organic social plus targeted outreach and the occasional paid boost, often turns “nice post” into “new lead”.
Your content is the living proof of your positioning. It carries your voice and visuals into the market, keeping the promise your identity makes and it sets the tone for the experience that comes next.
4) Client experience that keeps revenue (and referrals) flowing
Winning a client is hard work; keeping them should be easier. Yet many teams make delivery feel heavier than the sale: scattered updates, unclear owners, wobbly handovers. A better client experience is a growth strategy in disguise, improved retention, bigger account growth and a steady stream of referrals.
Build a simple operating rhythm: a clean onboarding checklist, a shared plan with milestones predictable comms (weekly update, monthly reviews, quarterly value recaps). Centralise communication and assets in client portals or shared workspaces: one login, one truth. Layer in light-touch automation, where appropriate, reminders for approvals, satisfaction pulses after key moments, renewal nudges well before contract end. Celebrate outcomes publicly when you can: case studies, joint announcements, testimonials and awards.
Great content sets expectations; great experience meets them. When delivery is flawless and outcomes are visible, your content becomes more believable and your lead gen gets easier thanks to advocacy and social proof.
5) Practical AI support delivering real benefits
And then there’s AI… the bit nobody can ignore. In basic terms business will end up on one side of the fence or the other: using it to move faster and smarter, or watching competitors do exactly that.
Identifying use cases is the practical starting point: triage inbound enquiries and flag high-fit leads; generate first-pass summaries of calls and webinars; score prospects based on behaviour and content consumption; serve personalised copy blocks on your website by segment; add a simple chatbot that answers the top questions and books meetings when it can’t.
Keep a human in the loop for anything public-facing and train models on your brand voice and product truth. Start small, measure time saved or revenue influenced scale what proves itself.
Why AI last? Because it supercharges the previous four. Better targeting, sharper content, smoother delivery, it all gets easier when the repetitive bits are automated and the signals are clearer.
Same challenges, clear answers
Marketing outputs aren’t siloed tasks; they’re often linked. Quick, targeted lead bursts teach you what resonates. A consistent identity converts that interest. A content engine amplifies your best thinking. A great client experience locks in value and creates advocates. And AI can tie the whole system together, removing friction, personalising at scale and giving you back time to add value elsewhere in your business.
If you’d like a partner who can deliver the full stack, from rapid-fire lead gen and brand sharpening to content, client experience design and practical AI integration, EBY is set up to help. We focus on useful, measurable wins, wrap them in a plan your team can actually run and scale what works. That can be something as simple as a PPC campaign, or the mapping of an approach to AI delivery of your lead management. The tech may change, but the conversations often remain the same.
When you’re ready to turn priorities into outputs (and outputs into results), let’s talk.