Imagine you’re choosing a new supplier for your company.
There are many players on the market, but would you consider the offer of a completely unknown brand? Probably not—and that’s no surprise. Studies show that as many as 96% of B2B purchasing decisions are made in favor of brands known to all members of the buying committee. Unknown suppliers are usually ruled out right from the start. A known brand means less risk for decision-makers (no one wants to make a bad decision on a large scale), and its recognition and reputation make closing sales easier and reduce pressure to compete on price. In other words—a strong brand builds trust, which is priceless in the B2B world.
Why does brand matter so much in B2B?
Today’s B2B buying process looks different than a decade ago. First, more people are involved in purchasing decisions—a typical buying committee now includes 6–10 decision-makers. Such a group is more likely to reach a consensus by choosing a company with an established brand that everyone recognizes and trusts. Second, customers educate themselves—before even contacting a supplier, they may have already gone through up to 70% of the purchasing process, gathering knowledge from the internet and recommendations.
They don’t immediately call sales reps or ask for a quote—they first check publications, reviews, and the company’s online profiles. If your brand can’t be found there—or if all they find are dry sales materials—it likely won’t even make their shortlist. Third, there’s growing awareness in B2B of the risk associated with choosing a new supplier. This results in FOMU (fear of messing up), which further encourages selecting proven, well-known brands.
As a result, brand has become one of the key success factors in B2B marketing. A strong brand acts like a shield—it reduces decision-makers’ concerns, shortens the path to trust, and facilitates sales. Building a brand through valuable content, social media presence, and creating an expert image is now the foundation of many B2B companies’ long-term growth strategies.
B2B communication strategy: balance between brand and sales
If brand plays the leading role, does that mean traditional sales activities lose significance? Absolutely not—the key is the right balance and synergy of both approaches. The most effective strategies combine consistent brand-building with tactical sales activities in the here and now. Short-term campaigns aimed at lead generation (so-called sales activations) deliver quick results, but they are not lasting. On the other hand, investing in the brand ensures sustainable growth and “works” for future customer decisions.
It’s worth remembering the 95/5 rule: at any given moment, only about 5% of your potential B2B customers are actively planning a purchase; the rest (≈95%) don’t currently have that need. Reaching out only with a message focused on immediate sales means ignoring the vast majority of your audience. That’s why a B2B communication strategy must include actions that build brand recall and affinity among those 95% of “sleeping” customers—so when their purchase need arises, your company comes to mind immediately. This is achieved through, among others, brand awareness campaigns, market education, and a constant expert presence. On the other hand, when a customer showing buying signals enters the sales funnel, marketing should pass the baton to demand-generation actions (offers, demos, sales contact) targeting the 5% ready to buy. Both pillars complement each other—ignoring either limits growth potential.
Importantly, modern B2B marketing increasingly leverages technology to achieve this balance. The use of data and AI for precise segmentation and communication automation has become essential. More and more companies are turning to Account-Based Marketing (ABM)—an approach where marketing and sales jointly identify the most promising accounts (companies) and focus efforts on serving them individually. This message personalization, supported by data analysis (e.g., intent signals) and often automation, enables more effective targeting of the right message to the right people. This trend is transforming organizations internally—marketing and sales tighten cooperation, share insights, and measure joint success metrics. In marketing jargon, this is even called “smarketing” or “Revenue Operations,” highlighting that the goal is one: shared revenue growth through a coordinated brand and sales strategy.
Consistent customer experience – CX as a brand element
In B2B marketing, customer experience (CX)—the overall experience a client has with a company at every stage of the relationship—is playing an increasingly important role. From the first visit to the website, through contact with a sales rep, to post-sales support—every touchpoint influences brand perception.
A strong brand is therefore not limited to a good logo or expert content—it also means consistency, ease, and quality of interaction across every channel. That’s why more and more B2B companies are investing in an omnichannel approach, which ensures smooth, integrated communication across all channels—online and offline. A customer who starts their journey on LinkedIn, then reads an expert blog article, signs up for a webinar, and later contacts a salesperson—should feel like they are interacting with the same, consistently operating brand.
In practice, this means, among other things:
- unified narrative and communication style across all channels (website, social media, emails, sales meetings),
- well-integrated CRM and marketing automation tools that enable a personalized approach,
- fast and competent contact at every stage (including via chat or contact form),
- smooth lead handoff between marketing and sales.
In the digital era, companies that care not only about content but also the form of experience gain the upper hand—because for the client, it’s not only about what you say, but also how you say it. A brand that delivers positive, consistent, and convenient experiences becomes more credible, memorable, and trusted. That’s why CX and omnichannel are no longer just the domain of B2C—they are becoming equally vital pillars of strong brand building in B2B.
Building trust through education and thought leadership
Since clients actively seek knowledge and compare brands, the best thing you can do is provide that knowledge—before they even ask for a quote. The strongest B2B brands often stand out by educating the market, sharing expert knowledge, and setting trends in their industry. This thought leadership strategy positions potential clients to see the brand in a positive context—as a source of valuable information—not just another seller. The logic is simple: if you help someone solve a smaller problem with free advice, they’ll be more likely to turn to you when they have a bigger challenge that requires a paid solution.
Today, the priority is building relationships and expert image through useful content. There are many formats: expert articles, webinars, research reports, customer success case studies, infographics, or videos explaining complex topics. What matters is that the content addresses the real questions and pain points of your target audience—only then will it engage. Social media has become a natural extension of content marketing in B2B—it’s where you distribute content and interact with your audience. Think of it this way: every post, article, or recording is a brick building trust. Over time, these bricks form a wall—a barrier protecting you from the competition, because when given a choice, the client will choose the brand they already know and trust for its expertise.
A good example is an engineering firm that noticed its clients often asked about compliance with new technical regulations. Instead of waiting for sales questions, the company prepared a series of webinars and online guides explaining the new rules. The materials were free, promoted on LinkedIn and in trade media. The result? Over the year, dozens of specialists from potential client companies used the content, becoming familiar with the brand and its expertise. When the time came to choose suppliers for new projects, many of them remembered who helped them understand the regulatory changes—that company made it to their shortlist of trusted partners. This story shows how patiently building a brand through knowledge sharing translates into real business opportunities.
How to build a strong B2B brand – practical steps
A strong brand doesn’t appear overnight. It’s the result of a thoughtful strategy and consistent actions. Below is a concrete checklist of recommendations to help your company build a stronger B2B brand in the long term:
- Clearly define who you are as a brand. Determine your unique value proposition and brand personality. Ensure your message is consistent across all channels—from your website and social media to sales presentations. Consistency builds recognition.
- Invest in content marketing and customer education. Regularly publish expert content—articles, guides, reports, case studies—that address the problems and questions of your target group. Let your company be associated with knowledge and support, not just commercial offers.
- Humanize your brand communication. Show the human side of your company—share behind-the-scenes insights, team stories, client success stories. Authentic content builds emotional connection. Social media is perfect for this (e.g., office life photos, short project videos, employee quotes).
- Engage employees as ambassadors (social selling). Encourage employees—especially experts and executives—to be active online. Let them share their knowledge on LinkedIn, comment on industry discussions, and share company content. This expands brand reach and credibility, as people trust people more than logos.
- Measure and draw conclusions. Track the effects of brand activities (e.g., brand awareness growth, content engagement) as well as strictly sales-related ones (number of leads, conversion rates). Analyze what works and what needs adjustment. This will help you better balance budget and efforts between branding and performance.
- Use new tools and trends. Marketing automation, data analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI) are today’s marketer’s allies. They save time and improve communication personalization—test them for customer segmentation, content generation, or lead scoring. Keeping up with trends (e.g., audio marketing, new platforms) will make your brand seem modern.
- Don’t be afraid to seek external support. Sometimes a fresh perspective helps a lot. A good social media agency with B2B marketing experience can help you craft an effective B2B communication strategy, suggest creative campaigns, and ease the burden on your team in content creation. External experts allow you to focus on business while they handle your brand image online.
Take action!
To sum up: B2B marketing in 2025 revolves largely around brand. It opens doors to buying committees, builds trust, and reduces client-side risk. But a strong brand requires consistency, patience, and strategic thinking. By combining long-term reputation building with ongoing sales actions, your company will create an advantage that weathers any market storm. And while competitors focus solely on quick quarterly goals, you’ll reap the rewards of investing in something more lasting—customer awareness and trust born of a strong brand.
FAQ
Should every B2B company invest in social media?
Yes, though not every company in the same way. Presence on social media (especially LinkedIn) helps build reach, authority, and relationships. Even if your target group isn’t very active there, your brand can gain credibility and increase organic reach through employee activity—so-called social selling.
What role does SEO play in B2B brand building?
SEO (search engine optimization) is very important for building brand visibility at the early stage of the buying process. Since customers educate themselves, they need to be able to find your content—blogs, case studies, guides—before they even think of contacting sales. A well-planned SEO strategy is an investment in inbound marketing.
How to align the needs of sales and marketing when building a brand?
The key is to implement a joint strategy, share data regularly (e.g., from CRM), and define shared success metrics. B2B companies increasingly form Revenue Operations teams or adopt the “smarketing” approach—tight integration of sales and marketing around a common goal: revenue growth.
What role do emotions play in B2B? Isn’t it all rational?
It’s a myth that B2B is purely rational. Emotions play a huge role—they’re just different than in B2C. In B2B, it’s about trust, safety, fear of mistakes, risk avoidance, and a sense of competence. A strong brand evokes these emotions in a way that supports purchase decisions—this is why branding is so important.
Is it worth investing in PR in B2B?
Yes, although PR in B2B looks a bit different than in the consumer world. Here, it’s about presence in trade media, participating in expert debates, publishing executive opinions, or attending conferences. Well-managed PR strengthens brand credibility, builds authority, and helps reach people who may not be active on social media but regularly follow reputable industry sources.
