B2B marketing insights for
those targeting a niche
Insights, learnings and stories from the world of B2B marketing and communications, direct from Velo’s B2B agency team
AI & MarTech for B2B
B2B marketers are under pressure to make smarter decisions, move faster and prove commercial impact. In AI and martech, the challenge is rarely access to tools alone. It is choosing the right stack, connecting data properly, avoiding complexity for complexity’s sake and using technology to improve targeting, personalisation, measurement and efficiency.
That means learning about martech strategy, platform selection, AI readiness, marketing automation, data governance, lead scoring, orchestration, reporting, integration and the role of AI in content, campaigns and customer experience.
Our insight articles explore how B2B marketers can make AI and martech genuinely useful, not just fashionable, with practical advice on tools, trends, workflows and the choices that lead to better marketing outcomes.
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 […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing Agency Selection, B2B Marketing Leadership
Governance of AI in practice
Anthropic’s Claude now embeds an invisible watermark directly into the text it generates using patterns of text it chooses, a requirement driven by the EU AI Act’s transparency obligations. Every model launched from that date carries it by default, and older models are being retrofitted. Image and file outputs carry a different mark: signed C2PA provenance metadata […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Advocacy, B2B Campaigns, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
What role do customer stories play in AI GEO?
Increasingly, prospects aren’t starting their journey on Google or your homepage. They’re opening tools like Gemini, ChatGPT or Perplexity and asking a simple question: “Who should I be talking to?” Gartner puts GenAI use at 45% of recent B2B purchases; G2 found AI chatbots are now the single biggest influence on software shortlists. The challenge for marketers now isn’t just about […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns, B2B Content
Does LinkedIn’s “Seems like AI slop” button actually do anything?
LinkedIn has quietly added a button that lets users flag posts that “seem like AI slop.” The obvious question is whether clicking it actually does anything. I needed to take a closer look at what LinkedIn’s new flag really does, and what it means for AI-assisted content. Turns out that the answer isn’t to put ChatGPT or Claude back in its box. There’s a new option buried in […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Content, B2B Creative, B2B Strategy
When “good enough” stops being good enough
Somewhere in the country this morning, a marketing executive about eighteen months into their first proper job is being asked to plan a campaign, write it, design it, schedule it, report on it and brief three AI tools before tomorrow. They’re doing a decent job of it, all things considered. Nobody has ever shown them what a great job would look like. That, rather than […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing Leadership
What skills do you need to future-proof your B2B marketing career?
AI has sped up marketing production, but it hasn’t replaced the judgement that makes campaigns work. This piece sets out nine skills that separate marketers who’ll thrive from marketers who just use more tools: curiosity, critical thinking, commercial acumen and the ability to know what’s actually worth doing.
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.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns
ChatGPT Ads are here! What B2B marketers need to know
ChatGPT Ads have moved from a closed pilot to a self-service platform, just as B2B buyers start using LLMs to research vendors before making contact. This piece covers how the platform works, what it costs to test and why niche B2B marketers should treat it as discovery, not scale, for now.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B ESG, B2B Marketing Leadership
How do you balance a growing use of AI with the inevitable sustainability impact?
B2B marketers have become the fastest adopters of AI, but the environmental cost of casual use rarely gets examined. This piece argues that the question worth asking isn’t whether AI can do a task, but whether using it is proportionate and efficient, and sets out the workflow habits that make that judgement practical.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns, B2B Content, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Search, SEO & GEO, B2B Video
How to improve your discoverability in LLMs with YouTube videos
LLMs pick up many of the same signals as SEO, but visibility now extends well beyond your own site, and YouTube carries particular weight with tools like Gemini. This piece sets out how to write titles, descriptions and transcripts that machines can actually parse, and build authority YouTube alone can’t earn.
Agentic AI: The new co-worker in your B2B team?
AI has been quietly reshaping how we work. But a new flavour of it is now making waves and headlines. It’s called agentic AI. And it’s not just something you ask for help from. It’s something that gets on with the job. Some headlines suggest the robots are taking over. We’ll let you decide. And […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns, B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Marketing Leadership, B2B Sales Enablement
AI slurry all over LinkedIn? Humans make the best posts
LinkedIn is full of long, lifeless lists, samey headlines and advice that could have come from anyone. This piece argues that authenticity beats algorithmic optimisation: personal connection requests, real engagement and posts that admit to still working things out, rather than polished perfection, are what actually earn attention.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
AI Is Changing Organic Searches. Is It Time to Rethink Paid Search Too?
It’s not news that AI is rewriting the rules of online search. But while most B2B marketers have been busy rethinking their organic strategy, paid search has been quietly drifting into dangerous territory. We’ve just wrapped a global paid search campaign on Google Ads for a leading tech brand. When comparing the results from last year […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
How easy is it to influence how you appear within AI search models, and how can you monitor it?
Google might still be the Goliath of search, clocking over 8.3 billion visits a month, while ChatGPT attracts a (comparatively modest) 1.8 billion+. But let’s be honest, what’s more revealing is the rate at which this gap is closing. The real picture is even closer when you add in Claude, Perplexity and other AI tools […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns
Google Consent Mode: a B2B Marketer’s guide
Google Consent Mode v2 is an initiative that gives site visitors more say in what data you can collect about them during their visit. Once enabled, it enables people to consent to you collecting their data on your website, which will directly impact what and how much insight you can gather from Google Analytics […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
Third-party cookies: is your B2B marketing about to crumble?
UPDATE: Google has moved back the deadline to an as yet unspecified date in 2025, so companies have some more time to prepare. That said, we recommend not leaving it to the last minute! Back in January 2024, Google began phasing out 3rd-party cookies – although only 1% of Chrome users were affected by Feb […]
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 […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns, B2B Content, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
What are the key takeaways for B2B marketers from Brighton SEO 2023?
It has been a month since the Brighton SEO conference which was nothing short of exciting! The great variety of insightful and knowledgeable sessions left us buzzing with ideas. It was great to stay up to date with the latest advances in search marketing and hear from thought leaders from various industries sharing their views […]
What do B2B marketers need to know from Technology for Marketing 2023?
After attending the Technology for Marketing expo at ExCel London over the last couple of days, we walked away with so many great ideas on the present and future state of B2B marketing. Here are our top 8 things that stood out to us from the day that we look forward to applying to our […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing Agency Selection
How is Velo approaching AI? We’re proceeding with caution, and so should you!
Change is afoot, but not for the first time. History repeats itself. AI isn’t the first shift that’s forced agencies, media and marketers to adapt. For instance, during the 80s, the introduction of computers and accessible software reinvented desktop publishing and photo editing. It replaced manually laying out paper and photos on a desktop and […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns
Should B2B marketers be using Threads (instead of X) when targeting a niche?
It has been an eventful couple of months for the social media marketplace. We saw Meta launching Threads to rival Twitter (or should we say X?) and how it went on to have more than 100 million sign-ups in a matter of days, shortly followed by Twitter changing its name to X – even dropping […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns
Are Digital Out of Home (DOOH) platforms suitable for reaching niche B2B audiences yet?
Out-of-home advertising, or OOH, refers to any type of ads and marketing materials that are displayed outside of the consumer’s home, such as on billboards, buses, posters, airports, taxis, and street furniture. Traditionally, OOH advertising was not a viable option for B2B marketers targeting a niche audience, due to the high cost, low measurability, […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Content, B2B Creative
The Apple Vision Pro: the calm before the storm?
Ah, the Apple Vision Pro… remember when it took the tech world by storm, making a splash so big that even your mum knew about it? Now it’s like the gadget has turned into Nemo and disappeared, sinking beneath the waves of our shared consciousness. You know what they say, ‘still waters run deep,’ but […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Content, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology
An overview to ChatGPT and how it can help B2B marketers
CAVEAT: This article was published in Feb 2023 when ChatGPT was announced. The technology evolved rapidly. As a B2B marketing agency, we are always on the lookout for innovative and efficient ways to help our clients in the Professional Services, Technology, and Industrial sectors achieve their marketing goals. A recent survey conducted by Microsoft, where […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Creative
Copy, right? Do you know the rights and wrongs around your image use?
This weekend, the Spanish government’s beach body advert caused more controversy with a second photographer having their images used without consent, and with insensitive retouching that betrayed the intention behind the initial post. It has gathered a lot of media attention and increasing levels of anger from those ripped off. Full disclosure, I am also […]
ABM, AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Campaigns
5 reasons to try LinkedIn Sponsored InMail for B2B
We’re massive advocates of LinkedIn. We’ve used it for everything from hard-sell lead gen campaigns to methods of research when identifying target accounts. With over 260 million users (Jan, 2020), LinkedIn as a platform for targeted messaging is hard to ignore, and LinkedIn’s Sponsored InMail advertising option gives you access to the inbox of almost […]
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