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
B2B Research
B2B marketers need better evidence to make better decisions. Research helps reduce guesswork, sharpen strategy and uncover what audiences, markets and buyers really think. The challenge is asking the right questions, choosing the right methods and turning findings into decisions that improve marketing.
That means learning about qualitative and quantitative research, audience research, customer interviews, competitor analysis, brand tracking, proposition testing, market sizing and how insight feeds strategy, campaigns and content.
Our insight articles and Marketing Map explore how B2B research can support smarter marketing, with practical thinking on methods, applications and the value of evidence-led decision-making.
B2B Audiences, B2B Campaigns, B2B Research, B2B Strategy
Can Reddit provide useful insights for B2B marketers?
Reddit conversations cover an enormous range of ground, from hobbies and politics to niche communities that have nothing to do with work. But only a narrow slice of that activity is useful for B2B planning. Reddit’s B2B activity is heavily concentrated. Analysis of 522 million Reddit mentions found that 67% of B2B recommendation activity happens […]
B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Marketing Leadership, B2B Research, B2B Strategy
How do you track market share without a big market study?
Formal market studies cost more than most challenger brands can justify, and revenue comparisons rarely help either. This piece sets out three practical proxies, brand search volume, competitor invoice patterns and tender win rates, that give a genuine read on competitive standing a board will recognise.
B2B Branding, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Research, B2B Strategy
Does brand matter when selling into a B2B niche?
Like Brexit-era Boris, there are two short answers here: yes, and no. But in B2B, short answers rarely get you far. No: Specification trumps story In industrial B2B – whether you’re selling sensors, safety signage or software – brand often takes a back seat. Buyers are responsible for production lines, compliance officers and procurement frameworks. […]
B2B Advocacy, B2B Audiences, B2B Research
Customer recommendation is the main metric that matters in B2B marketing.
In B2B, there’s one signal that matters. Not your CTR. Not your MQL count. Not even your pipeline size. Just one thing – would your customer recommend you without being asked? If it’s no, the rest of the metrics don’t matter. You’ll have issues with retention and repeat business. Recommendation is the real signal of […]
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 […]
Why accessibility should shape your brand colours
In B2B, “the colours need to look nice” is not the whole brief. Colour has much heavy lifting to do. It projects brand meaning, and it needs to remain legible, consistent, and cohesive everywhere — and for everyone. From obligation to expectation Accessibility used to be a public-sector box-tick. Now, with the European Accessibility Act […]
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 Research, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
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, it’s something that gets on with the job. Some headlines suggest it is the robots taking over. We’ll let you decide. And […]
Why so many new B2B start-ups struggle and what it tells us about the importance of brand strength in B2B.
Launching a B2B start-up can feel like pushing a boulder up a mountain. You’ve got a product. You’ve got a proposition. You’ve even got some budget. But the leads don’t come. The sales cycle drags. And doors refuse to open. What gives? Often the founders’ willingness to continue. Here’s the hard truth: most B2B start-ups […]
B2B Research, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
How should B2B marketers prepare for Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) alongside their SEO strategy?
Have you noticed that search is falling in your analytics? Yes, us too. B2B buyers increasingly bypass traditional engines and go straight to ChatGPT for quick, authoritative answers. That means your content could remain unseen (unless it’s optimised for how AI discovers and summarises information). Welcome to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO): the next evolution of […]
What to choose the Best B2B marketing agency for you?
A View from the Agency Side. Choosing the right B2B agency isn’t easy. You can craft a detailed brief—laying out your context, challenges, and aspirations. You can scour the internet for agencies that look the part, hoping to find case studies that give you confidence. But ultimately, it’s still a leap of faith. The real […]
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 Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Research, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
How to leverage Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) in B2B marketing
It may feel like the landscape of digital marketing is ever-evolving. The reality is, it is – and keeping up to date is crucial for B2B marketers. There was a lot to take in at this year’s BrightonSEO conference (catch up on our key takeaways here) back in April, but something we’ve been keeping […]
ABM, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research
Mapping the martech map – 14,000+ platforms to choose from. Unless you target a niche.
I need a bigger screen for the 2024 Martech Map! Released just a few days ago, this collation of more than 14,100 marketing technology platforms is both impressive and overwhelming. Only 293 mention B2B, and even fewer are explicitly designed for those targeting a niche. We’ve been through it, so thankfully, you don’t have to! […]
How should marketers that target a niche adapt to Generation Z’s growing influence on B2B Buying?
Generation Z has not only entered the B2B workforce but is also shaping the landscape of B2B buying. It is essential that B2B marketers targeting niche markets, understand and adapt to the preferences and behaviours of this new generation. They’re here, and they’re making decisions that affect your marketing success. This article explores the habits […]
Why should B2B marketers that target a niche consider Piwik Pro as an alternative to GA4?
As the deadline for the transition of the Universal Analytics (UA) to GA4 draws near, the web analytics field is embracing itself for quite a turbulent period, with increasingly tighter privacy regulations, changes in the Google Analytics dashboard and the need for increasingly better business insights. The recent changes in GA4 have fundamentally changed […]
ABM, B2B Campaigns, B2B Research
How do you build your list of prospective niche B2B companies for an ABM campaign?
When it comes to targeting a B2B niche with an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy, building an effective target prospect list is crucial. There are numerous methods available, including leveraging technology, utilising data sources, and of course, the age-old desk research route. However, it is essential to supplement these approaches by consulting with appropriate stakeholders […]
B2B Campaigns, B2B Research, B2B Strategy
What marketing KPIs should you be tracking when targeting a B2B niche in your campaigns?
When planning KPIs for your marketing operation, ensuring that they align with your overall business goals is essential. This means selecting KPIs that will help you measure your marketing efforts’ success in terms of driving revenue and business growth. While revenue related KPIs are a common starting point, it’s also important to have the […]
B2B Content, B2B Research, Customer Experience
Is it time for recommendations to supersede pitches in the B2B buying process?
I admit it – I don’t like pitches. Agency pitches are highly common as a way of selecting a new partner, but they often bear little resemblance to what the real working relationship will be like. Many companies are forced to rely on pitches in lieu of another option. They’re bounced into evaluating options […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
How to build an SEO strategy when promoting a technology brand
SEO constantly evolves as Google updates its ranking algorithm to enhance the user search experience. This allows companies to assess the yearly SEO trends that shape the search engine landscape. As a result, SEO can drive traffic to your website, generate leads, and improve your bottom line with the right strategy. Here are some […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research
If you target a niche, should B2B influencers be part of your strategy?
When influencer marketing is mentioned, the mind moves to Instagram, YouTube or TikTok millionaires pumping out content every day that appeals to the masses. Luxury lifestyles, fast fashion, excited gamers in their bedrooms – none of these is akin to the reality of B2B marketing to a niche. Look a little further, particularly on […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research
How to conduct good discovery interviews
B2B marketing to a niche must be based on solid research. As a result, we’ve developed our own version of a discovery call in our mission to support companies targeting a niche. Traditionally used in sales, for us a discovery call is a chance to explore and understand complicated products and services quickly, especially in […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Research, B2B Strategy
The cost of living crisis: implications for B2B marketing
The implications for B2B marketers and B2B marketing of recessions and the cost of living crisis. There’s no doubt that the economy in the UK and Europe is in the grip of another challenging crunch right now. The Office of National Statistics reported the following in June 2022: Household Cost Indices (HCIs) saw similar inflation […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Content, B2B Research
All You Wanted To Know About Research-Led Marketing
Not sure how to implement research into marketing campaigns? We have everything you need to get started. Part 2 of our podcast with Peter Cohen of HolistiCyber and Matt Lewis of NCCGroup is now live. In Part – An into to research-led marketing – we discussed what makes for compelling research-based marketing and provided examples of thegood, the bad, and the factually incorrect. But […]
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