Read Helena's Blogs
Insights, learnings and stories from the world of B2B marketing and communications, direct from Velo’s B2B agency team
Helena Phillips
Holding senior roles at B2B marketing agencies for most of her career, including over a decade of experience in B2B financial services marketing - particularly insurance - HP leads Velo’s strategic marketing projects.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing in Professional Services
Found by AI: How professional services firms can turn thought leadership into AI visibility
Found by AI is a three-part Velo series on how B2B buyers now use AI to choose suppliers. Each sector is found in a different way. Manufacturers have to unlock what they already know. Technology firms have to prove what they claim. Professional services firms have to earn the right to be cited. With most professional services companies using thought leadership, how […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing in Technology
Found by AI: What do B2B tech brands need to do to appear in LLMs?
Found by AI is a three-part Velo series on how B2B buyers now use AI to choose suppliers. Each sector is found in a different way. Manufacturers have to unlock what they already know. Technology firms have to prove what they claim. Professional services firms have to earn the right to be cited. Technology buyers have adopted AI faster than anyone. Forrester […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing in manufacturing
Found by AI: From specification to shortlist: how manufacturers can lift their AI search visibility
Found by AI is a three-part Velo series on how B2B buyers now use AI to choose suppliers. Each sector is found in a different way. Manufacturers have to unlock what they already know. Technology firms have to prove what they claim. Professional services firms have to earn the right to be cited. A design engineer needs a seal rated to 200°C […]
ABM, B2B Audiences, B2B GTM, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Strategy
How to build trust in your brand when targeting the defence sector
Most B2B marketing runs on proof: named customers, published outcomes, a case study for every objection. Defence marketing rarely gets that version of the game. Contracts stay classified. Customers stay unnamed. Case studies still exist, but they carry more weight when built to fit those limits rather than despite them, and the real competition usually starts before […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Sales Enablement
How B2B marketers can prepare winning sales decks
Most sales decks fail because they’re built like brochures: complete, generic and impossible to adapt mid-conversation. This piece sets out a framework built on SPIN selling and five fast-moving elements, context, clarity, contrast, character and call to action, for decks sales teams can actually flex in the room.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing Agency Selection, B2B Marketing Leadership, B2B Strategy
How are we using AI across our marketing? A look behind the curtain
Velo doesn’t bolt on AI tools one at a time. It runs them as a connected ecosystem: brand-trained models, automated agents and generative tools working across research, planning and delivery. This piece goes behind the curtain to show how human judgement stays central to every layer.
Sales and marketing alignment in ABM is a myth
If you’ve been to any B2B marketing event in the last few years, you’ve likely sat through more than one session on the need for sales and marketing to be ‘aligned’. It sounds like progress. Two teams working in harmony. On the surface, it feels right. But the very idea of alignment creates a problem. Alignment implies separation. It assumes […]
B2B Events, Customer Experience
5 ways B2B exhibitions have evolved. Have you?
B2B exhibitions are becoming increasingly important and increasingly central to how specialist markets connect. We know because we’ve been there. Across 2026, Velo has participated in the major exhibitions that matter to our sectors, including Utility Week Live, MACH, Fire Safety Expo, The Health & Safety Event, The Workplace Event, BIBA and more. These are not fringe moments in the marketing calendar. […]
Does ABM work in long, complex buying cycles?
There is a common belief in certain sectors. “Account-Based Marketing does not work here.” You hear it most in markets with long sales cycles, complex procurement and heavy reliance on industry frameworks. The thinking is simple. Decisions are slow, structured and often predefined. Marketing cannot influence them in the same way. Or can it? What makes these markets different These environments are […]
ABM, B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Strategy
Why is storytelling vital in ABM?
Storytelling in B2B is often misunderstood. It is not about entertainment for its own sake. It is about making information meaningful, memorable and trusted. After all, even in B2B, there are still people at the other end. At its core, storytelling reflects how people actually make decisions. B2B buying is human, memory-driven and trust-led. Storytelling is the thread that connects those elements. It […]
How ABM can influence the dark funnel
Let’s get one thing straight. The “dark funnel” is not a funnel – it’s what happens when real buying behaviour refuses to fit neatly into your reporting. The dark funnel is everything that happens outside your visibility: the conversations you can’t see, the recommendations you can’t track, and the moments that never show up in your analytics. It is the Slack message between colleagues. […]
Is there such a thing as intent in an ABM program?
What your ideal customer really means Intent has become B2B marketing’s favourite shortcut. The promise is seductive. Find the accounts that are “in market”, focus your effort there, and watch conversion rates climb. The problem? B2B buying doesn’t work like that. Intent exists. But not in the neat, predictable, high-confidence way it is often sold. First party intent is the […]
From pilot to programme: 8-step approach to scalable ABM
Scaling ABM means building a structured, always-on programme, not running bigger one-off campaigns. This piece walks through the eight steps that take a pilot to a repeatable engine: from account selection and data to sales alignment and reporting that proves commercial impact.
How to choose the right priority accounts for your ABM programme
What your ideal customer really means In account-based marketing, identifying your priority customers is not about building the biggest possible list. It is about making deliberate commercial choices. Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is the filter that defines where you should focus your effort and, just as importantly, where you should not. It ensures your time, budget and energy […]
B2B Campaigns, B2B Content, B2B Creative, B2B Marketing in Professional Services
What my favourite romantic movies taught me about B2B marketing
(Apparently, all starring one of two Julias – must be my ‘type’!) Romantic films endure for a reason. They understand people – their insecurities, quirks, and moments of connection. Strip away the meet-cutes and soundtracks, and you’re left with something B2B marketing still struggles to get right: how relationships actually work. Valentine’s Day got me thinking… are […]
B2B Branding, B2B Campaigns, B2B Content, B2B Creative
Defying perceptions: Why B2B brands need a little more Elphaba energy
We’re in full Wicked fever again, and while most people are debating Ariana and Cynthia’s weird relationship IRL or that Elphie & Fiyero scene, I keep spotting parallels with B2B marketing. Stay with me – I promise I’m onto something! Because under all the emerald sparkle is a truth every marketer knows too well: being brilliant doesn’t matter if your story isn’t being heard. There’s a […]
B2B Research, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
B2B marketing without third-party cookies: three steps to stay smart, sharp and compliant
Third-party cookies were never flashy. But for years, they quietly powered B2B marketing: enabling retargeting, fuelling behavioural targeting, and feeding reports with data we trusted (perhaps more than we should have). It meant we could re-reach visitors to our sites on other websites even if we did not know who they are. These cookies weren’t […]
ABM, B2B Audiences, B2B Campaigns, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research
Targeting Health, Safety, Environment and Compliance Leaders – A B2B Marketing Persona Deep Dive
When safety, compliance and operational continuity are non-negotiable, Health, Safety, Environment and Compliance (HSEC) leaders aren’t just part of your audience — they’re your gatekeepers to trust and long-term business. They sit at the intersection of people, process and policy, with remits that stretch from PPE procurement to incident investigation. Their goal is simple but […]
B2B exhibitions have changed. Pity most stands haven’t.
There’s a new rhythm to B2B events. The full-day delegate? Rarer than a decent lunch. People now drop in for a few hours, tick off their shortlist, and head back to the inbox. Meetings take place in corridors. Calls happen in stairwells. Out of office? Not really. The vibe is different. The new normal: arrive […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology
Why is B2B content like preparing the perfect pancake?
Why Is B2B Content Like the Perfect Pancake? One of the most effective ways to create digital content that excites and engages is to align it with something you love. Not only does this keep your enthusiasm high, but it also makes your content more compelling for the reader. So, in the spirit of Pancake […]
B2B Marketing in Professional Services
Are you being specified? A briefing for manufacturers to become a mandated choice.
Being specified by a consultant positions a manufacturer’s products as preferred solutions within projects, effectively endorsing the product’s quality, compliance, and suitability. Increasingly, greener products with less environmental impact are also being specified. This endorsement can provide significant leverage, as the consultant’s recommendations often influence other decision-makers, such as project managers and architects, throughout […]
B2B brands: How to build trust and grow market share
Ever thought about what keeps your customers sticking around? Here’s a clue: it’s not just your product/service. According to Forrester, the average B2B customer retention rate is 78%, which means, in just four years, half your customer base might be gone. Let that sink in for a second. So, how do you stop that […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Marketing in manufacturing
Need a B2B persona for targeting Facilities Managers or Buildings Managers?
Knowing your audience is the first step in constructing strong B2B marketing campaigns. You need to understand their motivations and pain points, but also how you can pragmatically reach them. This series of articles provides deep dives on the audiences we target most regularly here at Velo. Many sizable organisations manage their facilities themselves. These […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology
Need a B2B persona for targeting faculty at higher education institutions?
Knowing your audience is the first step in constructing strong B2B marketing campaigns. You need to understand their motivations and pain points, but also how you can pragmatically reach them. This series of articles provides deep dives on the audiences we target most regularly here at Velo. Faculty is an audience that is not well-known. […]
ABM, AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns
Navigating the Evolution of ABM in B2B Marketing: Insights from the Global ABM Conference 2023
It’s been two weeks since I joined 500+ fellow marketing leaders at B2B Marketing’s Global Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Conference, and it’s taken me this long to write up my key takeaways as there was so much rich knowledge, so many valuable insights, and such engaging expert speakers – my brain is still buzzing at everything […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology
How to build a thought leadership strategy for a B2B niche audience
When marketing to a niche, you need to understand that niche. Is it clear how macroeconomics affect your audience? Do you get the value chain in the industry? What about who the decision-makers are, your customers’ pain points, and the challenges driving market demand? B2B businesses at the moment are obsessed with thought leadership. And they should […]
B2B Marketing in manufacturing
Marketing trends industrial companies should care about in 2023
The effects of Covid were felt almost immediately among B2B industries. Manufacturing companies in particular were hit pretty hard, with around half reporting technology infrastructure and budget-related difficulties. More than anything else, the pandemic identified the urgency of digital transformation. Many businesses had to scale quickly to facilitate remote working and operate online. But enough […]
B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
Should you be thinking about the metaverse as a B2B marketer yet?
What opportunities does the metaverse present to B2B marketers? Every organisation is targeted at meeting their customer’s demands and needs. Specifically, in the B2B space, it is important for businesses to evolve how they engage and interact with their customers. The metaverse can have (and is having!) a huge impact on the ability of B2B […]
What can B2B Marketers learn from those using social media well? | B2B social media best practice
“90% of the B2B purchase process is completed before contacting a vendor”
10 things pancakes and content have in common
One of the best ingredients for success when it comes to creating exciting digital content is to ‘compare your subject matter with something you are passionate about’. For the reader, this provides something unique and interesting whilst also making it enjoyable for the writer. With that in mind especially for Pancake Day, we present…digital content […]
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