What’s working for the B2B marketing funnel

Closing deals in B2B marketing today isn’t as simple as guiding prospects through a predictable funnel. Buyers are more independent, conducting their own research long before reaching out to sales. Traditional marketing strategies that once worked, like broad lead generation campaigns, are losing effectiveness.

To drive revenue growth, businesses need a smarter, more strategic approach. That means leveraging intent data, optimizing personalization, and aligning marketing with sales to create seamless buying experiences.

The question isn’t just how to generate leads anymore, it’s how to create an experience that nurtures trust and accelerates buying decisions. That means leveraging intent data, optimizing personalization, and aligning marketing with sales to create seamless buying experiences.

The Role of Intent Data

B2B marketing has changed. Buyers don’t follow a predictable path anymore. They don’t rely on sales teams to tell them what they need. Instead, they research on their own, read reviews, compare options, and only reach out when they’re ready.

That means traditional lead generation tactics like blasting email lists or running broad ads don’t work like they used to. To drive real revenue growth, businesses need a smarter, more strategic approach. That’s where intent data comes in.

But what exactly is intent data, and how does it help you close deals faster?

B2B Buyer Psychology

B2B buyers don’t wake up one morning and decide to buy a software platform or a consulting service. Their decision happens over time and in stages. These stages make up the buyer’s journey:

1. Awareness Stage: The buyer realizes they have a problem.
2. Consideration Stage: They start researching possible solutions.
3. Decision Stage: They choose the best option and make a purchase.

Intent data helps businesses understand where buyers are in this journey. It shows what potential customers are searching for, which topics they’re engaging with, and when they’re most likely to buy.

Let’s look at how intent data fits into each stage.

Using Intent Data in the Awareness Stage

At this stage, the buyer isn’t looking for a product yet. They’re just identifying a challenge they need to solve. Maybe they realize their current marketing software isn’t generating enough leads. Or their supply chain is running into unexpected delays.

Intent data helps businesses spot these early signals. Here’s how:

• Website Behavior: A company visits your blog post on “Common B2B Marketing Challenges.”
• Search Activity: They start searching for terms like “best demand generation tactics.”
• Social Media Engagement: They interact with posts about industry trends or pain points.

Businesses can use this data to create content that educates buyers without pushing a sales pitch too soon. Webinars, blog posts, and reports help establish trust early on.

Using Intent Data in the Consideration Stage

Now the buyer knows they have a problem, and they’re actively looking for solutions. They’re comparing vendors, reading case studies, and attending webinars. Intent data at this stage helps businesses target the right prospects with personalized content.

Key intent signals include:

• Downloading Guides and Whitepapers: If a buyer downloads a report on “How to Choose a CRM,” they’re likely considering new software.
• Watching Product Demos: A prospect who views multiple demo videos is comparing options.
• Reviewing Pricing Pages: Frequent visits to a pricing page suggest serious interest.

By tracking these signals, marketing teams can deliver personalized follow-ups. Instead of generic outreach, sales reps can reach out with relevant case studies, testimonials, or tailored emails that address specific needs.

Using Intent Data in the Decision Stage

At this point, the buyer is ready to make a choice. They’ve narrowed down their options and need a final push. Intent data helps sales teams reach out at the right time with the right message.

Decision-stage intent signals include:

• Requesting a Demo or Trial: The buyer wants to see how your product works.
• Comparing Vendor Reviews: They’re checking G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot for feedback.
• Engaging with Sales Emails: If a lead suddenly starts responding to emails, they’re warming up.

At this stage, businesses should remove any remaining doubts. Offering case studies, one-on-one consultations, or special pricing incentives can help tip the scales in their favor.

Why Intent Data Matters for Closing Deals

Without intent data, businesses waste time chasing unqualified leads. Sales teams spend hours reaching out to people who aren’t ready to buy. Marketing teams push content that doesn’t match what buyers need. The result? Lost opportunities.

With intent data, businesses can:

• Prioritize high-quality leads who are actively searching for solutions.
• Align marketing and sales efforts to meet buyers where they are in their journey.
• Personalize outreach so it feels helpful, not pushy.

B2B marketing in 2025 isn’t about pushing products, it’s about guiding buyers through their journey. Intent data helps businesses understand what buyers need, when they need it, and how to engage them effectively.

Instead of chasing cold leads, focus on intent-driven marketing. Create valuable content, personalize your outreach, and align sales with marketing to close more deals. The future of B2B marketing belongs to businesses that listen to their buyers and intent data is the key to making that happen.

Here’s what’s working for the B2B marketing funnel in 2025.

1. Intent-Driven Lead Generation

Successful B2B marketers are prioritizing lead quality over quantity. Instead of relying on generic lead capture forms, they’re leveraging intent data to identify prospects who are actively researching solutions.

How It Works:

• First-party intent data (website visits, content downloads, webinar participation) signals interest in your product.
• Third-party intent data from platforms like Bombora and 6sense helps identify companies showing buying intent across the web.
• Account-based marketing (ABM) strategies target high-value accounts based on intent signals, leading to better conversion rates.

An Example: Snowflake

Snowflake, a cloud data platform, leverages AI-driven analytics to prioritize high-intent leads. By analyzing data signals from product usage and content engagement, the company has streamlined its sales outreach, resulting in improved conversion rates.

Key Takeaway: Focus on data-driven insights to identify high-value prospects and accelerate sales cycles.

2. Content Personalization and AI Optimization

B2B buyers expect relevant, personalized content at every touchpoint. Companies that use AI-driven personalization see higher engagement and faster deal closures.

What’s Working:

• Dynamic Website Personalization: Tools like Mutiny and Optimizely tailor website content based on visitor behavior and firmographics.
• AI-Generated Content Recommendations: Platforms like PathFactory and Uberflip deliver personalized content journeys based on a buyer’s industry, role, and past interactions.
• Conversational AI & Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots qualify leads in real-time, offering personalized responses and scheduling demos instantly.

Example: Drift’s Conversational Marketing

Drift’s AI-powered chatbot personalizes conversations based on visitor data, improving lead qualification and enhancing sales engagement.

Key Takeaway: AI-driven personalization is essential for engaging modern B2B buyers and driving meaningful interactions.

3. Sales & Marketing Alignment Through Revenue Operations (RevOps)

B2B marketing doesn’t end when a lead is passed to sales. Revenue Operations (RevOps) ensures marketing, sales, and customer success teams work seamlessly to drive revenue growth. Jason Reichl, CRO of Breadcrumbs, highlights how companies like Zendesk, Twilio, and PagerDuty have successfully implemented RevOps to increase customer lifetime value by up to 26%. By centralizing data, filling operational gaps, and optimizing go-to-market processes, these companies have seen measurable improvements in efficiency and revenue growth.

Key RevOps Strategies:

• Unified CRM & Data Insights: Tools like HubSpot and Salesforce provide a single source of truth for lead and customer data.
• Service-Level Agreements (SLAs): Clear alignment on lead handoff, follow-up timelines, and qualification criteria.
• Attribution & ROI Tracking: Advanced analytics help teams measure marketing’s contribution to revenue with accuracy.

An Example: RevOps Success with Zendesk and PagerDuty

Zendesk and PagerDuty leveraged RevOps to streamline operations, ensuring a gap-free buying experience. By focusing on revenue operations as a core function, they increased efficiency and maximized customer lifetime value.

Key Takeaway: Align your teams around shared revenue goals to maximize efficiency and impact.

4. Video and Interactive Content for Engagement

Text-based content alone isn’t enough to capture attention in today’s digital landscape. Research indicates that video marketing drives higher engagement, with many B2B marketers reporting a strong return on investment from video-based campaigns. Video and interactive content are proving to be powerful tools for lead engagement.

What’s Driving Success:

• Short-Form Video Marketing: Platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube favor short, informative B2B videos.
• Interactive Webinars & Virtual Events: Live Q&As and interactive polls increase audience participation.
• Product Demos & Walkthroughs: Companies using video-based demos see better engagement and conversions.

Example: Wistia’s Video Marketing Strategy

Wistia creates educational video series to nurture leads, strengthening customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Key Takeaway: Engage B2B buyers with dynamic, interactive content to drive higher conversions.

5. Data-Driven Demand Generation and Multi-Channel Outreach

Email marketing remains a valuable tool, but its effectiveness has declined compared to multi-channel outreach. Research suggests that while email open rates hover around 20%, LinkedIn InMail response rates are reported to be higher than traditional email, though specific figures vary by industry and campaign strategy, and multi-channel campaigns combining email, social media, and targeted ads generate significantly higher engagement. B2B marketers are leveraging multi-channel strategies to generate demand and reach buyers where they are.

Winning Tactics:

• LinkedIn Ads & Sponsored Content: Highly targeted campaigns reach decision-makers effectively.
• Programmatic Display Ads: AI-driven ad placements increase visibility among B2B buyers.
• Cold Outreach with Personalization: Sales teams using multi-touch, personalized email sequences see improved response rates.

An Example: Terminus’ Multi-Channel Demand Gen

Terminus combines LinkedIn, programmatic ads, and personalized email outreach to improve marketing-influenced revenue and enhance lead generation effectiveness.

Key Takeaway: A diversified, data-driven approach to demand generation is key to scaling B2B growth.

The B2B marketing funnel is evolving, and success depends on adapting to new buyer behaviors, leveraging data, and integrating marketing and sales more effectively.

To stay ahead, focus on:

• Intent-driven marketing to target high-value prospects.
• AI-powered personalization to deliver relevant content at scale.
• RevOps alignment to streamline the buyer’s journey.
• Engaging video and interactive content to capture attention.
• Multi-channel demand generation to maximize visibility and lead quality.

B2B marketers who implement these strategies can create efficient marketing funnels that generate consistent revenue and long-term business growth.