What Is a B2B Marketing Agency?

You’ve heard the term B2B marketing agency, but have you ever wondered what exactly they do? 

• What is a B2B marketing agency? 
• Should you work with one? 
• What are the benefits of hiring a marketing agency that specializes in B2B? 

Take a closer look at what B2B marketing agencies do, how they work, and the benefits of B2B marketing agencies.

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

• B2B stands for business-to-business.
• B2B marketing agencies specialize in helping businesses promote and market products or services to other businesses.
• They may focus on aspects of the business such as strategy development, content marketing, or lead generation.
• When hiring a B2B marketing agency in the age of AI, discuss AI policies first so everyone is on the same page.

What Do B2B Marketing Agencies Do? 

B2B (business-to-business) marketing agencies help businesses promote their products and services to other businesses rather than directly to consumers (B2C). 

Generally, they focus on creating strategies and launching campaigns that target key decision-makers in other companies and organizations. 

B2B marketing agencies wear many hats and are involved in a variety of different industries and specializations. 

Many B2B marketing agencies offer specific services targeted to a business audience, including: 

Strategy development

Oftentimes, when a B2B marketing agency takes on a new customer, they start by taking the time to understand a company’s unique selling proposition (USP), goals, and main audience. Then, they use this to inform and develop a strategy on how best to promote and position the company. 

Strategic development may encompass:

• Honing in on specific buyer personas.
• Creating strategies based on location (such as marketing for local small businesses).
• Competitor analysis to uncover gaps in how other businesses in the same industry are marketing and how best to position their client’s business. 

Then, to evaluate performance, they set clear goals known as KPIs or Key Performance Indicators which are a measure of how successful various campaigns and initiatives are. 

Once they’ve found the best strategy, they’ll create a roadmap that includes what channels and marketing options will help reach those KPIs. 

Content marketing

Content marketing in B2B may focus on building trust and establishing a business as a thought leader. B2B buyers generally do a great deal of research before they decide to purchase, which means having high-quality content to digest, understand, and compare is a major priority. 

So, B2B content marketing generally involves in-depth resources:

• White papers
• Ebooks
• Webinars
• Video content

Regular newsletters that keep prospective customers and subscribers up-to-date about new products and services are also used to help continually keep the brand top-of-mind. 

Lead generation

Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers and then nurturing them until they (hopefully) become clients. 

B2B marketing agencies use a variety of approaches to cultivate leads, including:

• Email marketing
• Pay-per-click advertising
• In-depth content that’s personalized and tailored to the ideal customer

Search engine optimization (SEO)

B2B marketing agencies use SEO to drive targeted traffic to a business’ website, including:

• Keyword research
• Edits to the site structure
• Page speed and mobile loading
• Link building 
• On-page and off-page SEO optimization factors

Search engine optimization for B2B companies can also involve content optimization to make sure that the content that’s written for the company ranks well for targeted keywords and ranks high in the search engine results pages over time. 

Social media marketing

The goal of social media marketing for B2B clients isn’t just to post updates. 

Social media marketing in B2B focuses on reaching key decision-makers, industry professionals, and thought-leaders.

B2B marketing agencies do this by way of influencer partnerships, LinkedIn campaigns and occasionally Twitter/X and Facebook. 

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Just like in the B2C world, paid advertising helps B2B companies quickly reach their target audience. 

Marketing agencies specializing in B2B will often use a combination of Google Ads, LinkedIn, and retargeting to start generating immediate results while tailoring campaigns long term to continue reaching the right audience at the right time. 

Analytics and reporting

B2B marketing agencies must be able to demonstrate their performance to clients, and analytics and reporting is precisely how they do that. 

B2B marketers look at a variety of analytics metrics to see what’s working (and what isn’t), including: 

• Website traffic
• Conversion rates
• Cost per lead
• CAC or Customer acquisition cost

Knowing the numbers helps B2B marketing companies present the data to the client so the company can make decisions backed by data while continuing to zero in on the marketing efforts that are paying off. 

Benefits of Working With B2B Marketing Agencies

Companies who choose to work with a B2B marketing agency often need experienced professionals who understand the differences that come with targeting key decision-makers in business. 

This means knowing that in the B2B world, sales cycles may be longer, they may need to go through multiple decision-makers, or face other industry challenges.

There are a number of benefits to working with a B2B marketing agency, including:

• Quickly building authority in your chosen industry — Businesses that work with B2B marketing agencies can quickly launch and scale their brand presence while becoming a go-to source for relevant information.
• Generating high-quality leads — Although B2B sales cycles may last longer, working with a B2B marketing agency is more likely to bring in leads that will convert to customers, helping boost ROI and other KPIs. 
• Optimizing your marketing spend — B2B marketing companies understand how to accurately maximize company budgets and focus on the channels that produce the best results. 
• Tapping into industry expertise — B2B marketers often work with specific industries and understand what works best to reach and retain those types of clients. 

B2B Marketing Agencies and AI

Before hiring a B2B marketing agency, it’s important to consider whether or not the company uses AI in its operations. 

Many B2B marketing companies use AI in innovative ways, such as analyzing performance data from analytics or streamlining initial competitor research. 

Establish how a prospective B2B agency incorporates AI into its marketing services to ensure it’s aligned with your business’ AI policies. That way, everyone is on the same page from the beginning.

Then, you can further review any content with an AI Detector or a Site Scanner to maintain transparency with your business publications.

Final Thoughts

B2B marketing agencies are a fantastic option for businesses that are looking to expand their marketing efforts to reach new businesses and pursue growth. They can help generate leads, create tailored, in-depth content, and develop a strategy for your business.

Looking for more information? Check out our guides on the types of marketing agencies, what marketing agencies do, and why you should consider hiring a digital marketing agency.