B2B lead generation strategies are changing rapidly in response to economic constraints and technological advancements. With nearly half (47.7%) of marketing teams reporting reduced budgets in the last 12 months, marketers must adapt their approaches to do more with less.
Smart B2B marketers are responding by adopting AI for better personalization, creating higher-quality content aligned with Google’s latest guidelines, and refining their channel strategies. These adjustments have become essential as companies navigate financial limitations while still needing to drive growth.
What are the biggest B2B lead generation trends this year?
Before selecting a lead generation provider, it’s helpful to understand the current industry landscape:
- Cookieless future
- Intent-based lead generation
- ABM
- Omnichannel
- Generative AI
- Google algorithm updates and policies
- Authenticity and transparent communication is key
Trend 1: Preparing for a cookieless future
The decline of third-party cookies is pushing B2B marketers to find new approaches to collect first-party data while respecting privacy. Here are strategies to prepare:
First-party data strategies
We suggest starting by examining your existing first-party data:
“Split between anonymous visitors and known visitors, and have a look at what you’re capturing at the moment. So, how many form fills do you get right now?“
Understanding current website traffic patterns and lead capture forms provides a foundation before expanding collection efforts.
- Collect data through website forms, surveys, and live chats
- Combine CRM data with other first-party sources
- Offer valuable content in exchange for contact information
- Analyze data to identify behavioral trends and intent signals
Privacy-compliant tracking
- Use privacy-focused identifiers to track users anonymously
- Implement consent management platforms for regulatory compliance
- Display trust signals showing data protection measures
- Allow users to access and manage their data
- Regularly consult legal counsel about tracking practices
Trend 2: Intent-based lead generation
Understanding buyer intent data gives marketers what Inbox Insight calls a significant competitive advantage in an increasingly complex B2B space. This approach helps identify and engage prospects showing interest signals before they actively interact with your brand. This early insight allows you to focus on attracting high-quality leads rather than casting a wide net.
Intent scoring models
Companies can create intent scoring models that analyze various prospect behaviors to determine their level of interest. This data comes from website engagement, content consumption, search queries, and more. The model assigns scores to each prospect so you can prioritize outreach.
Scoring models consider factors like:
- Pages visited, time on site, and content topics accessed
- Recency and frequency of engagement
- Keyword searches and job role information
- Firmographic data
Prospects with high intent scores become priority leads, while those with lower scores may need additional nurturing.
Identifying intent is just the first step. You must also align your content strategy appropriately. Inbox Insight emphasizes key questions: “Do I know what my customer’s selling that we’re generating the leads for? Does it match a problem area or topic? And do I have content that’s actually useful about that problem area or topic to generate their attention?” Your content must directly address what prospects are actively researching.
Discover how Inbox Insight’s DemandBI solution can assist you in analyzing buyer behavior in real-time, showing which leads are highly relevant and more likely to convert.
Customer data platforms
Customer data platforms (CDPs) integrate information from multiple sources including your website, CRM, marketing automation, and third-party intent data. This creates a unified customer profile with a complete view of each prospect.
CDPs can incorporate intent data from vendors like Bombora, revealing what prospects are researching and who is actively looking for your solutions. This enables more effective targeting across channels.
Trend 3: ABM is a standard practice for B2B companies
Account-based marketing has proven itself as one of the most effective lead generation strategies. By concentrating marketing and sales efforts on specific target accounts rather than generic leads, ABM helps companies engage and convert their ideal customers.
With 87% of marketers reporting higher returns from ABM compared to other marketing strategies, this account-centric approach clearly delivers measurable results.
Personalized outreach at scale
Using intent data and predictive analytics, ABM helps identify accounts most likely to buy. At Inbox Insight, we suggest looking beyond current customers:
“The best customers are not just those who buy from us today; it’s those who should buy from us tomorrow.“
Intent data identifies these future best-fit accounts, allowing you to personalize outreach based on their specific interests and challenges. This creates messaging that connects better and moves prospects further down the funnel.
Marketing teams can develop custom landing pages, emails, and ads for each account addressing their specific pain points. As ABM grows, automation tools help deliver this 1:1 messaging efficiently.
Aligning sales and marketing efforts
A major ABM advantage is better alignment between sales and marketing. With shared CRM data on target accounts, sales teams can provide timely follow-up to accounts engaged through marketing campaigns. This coordinated approach keeps messaging consistent across all touchpoints.
Shared KPIs focused on target account engagement, rather than generic lead volume, unite sales and marketing around common goals. This data-driven connection between departments explains why ABM consistently delivers higher conversion rates.
Trend 4: Refining lead generation with omnichannel strategies
Omnichannel marketing stands out as a practical strategy during economic pressures and tightened budgets. This approach allows companies to reach target audiences across multiple digital platforms—from social media and search engines to email and streaming services.
Successful omnichannel campaigns require deep understanding of where your target audience spends their time online and what they prefer. This knowledge helps you craft relevant messaging across different platforms, ensuring every interaction feels consistent and meaningful.
The benefits are clear: data shows that brands with strong omnichannel engagement strategies see a 9.5% increase in annual revenue, compared to just 3.4% for those with less comprehensive approaches. This significant difference shows how effective omnichannel strategies can be for growing business during challenging economic times.
Trend 5: Generative AI is boosting B2B lead generation
Generative AI is transforming B2B lead generation by automating content production across formats—from marketing emails to detailed blogs—all customized for specific audiences. This streamlines workflows while improving content quality.
A McKinsey survey shows that one-third of businesses already use generative AI regularly, highlighting its value for marketing efficiency. Its ability to create customized content quickly helps marketers produce various content types, saving significant time while maintaining message consistency.
Generative AI excels at personalized content creation, analyzing data to craft custom messages across channels. This improves both inbound and outbound campaign performance.
However, opinions differ about whether AI can provide the technical detail needed for truly authoritative content. Strong editorial oversight remains essential for long-form pieces, as AI models can produce inaccuracies when pushed for greater creativity. As Pam Didner, author and fractional CMO, highlighted on episode 4 of the Demand Bites podcast:
“You can ask AI to create something like a demand generation plan based on your product, audience, and budget—and it will likely give you something. But you still need to make the judgment call. Is that plan actually good? That’s where your own expertise comes in. Use AI as a starting point, not the final answer. Don’t just copy and paste.“
Without specialized training data about your industry or product, AI alone can’t create thought leadership that satisfies expert buyers.
Companies incorporating generative AI into their strategies see improved lead generation efforts, producing scalable content that engages different market segments. These tools reduce manual work while strengthening marketing outcomes.
Trend 6: Google algorithm updates and policies
Building on our discussion of AI’s role in content creation, Google’s algorithm updates and policies represent another major influence on digital marketing. Google regularly updates its search algorithms, affecting how content ranks in search results. Marketers must adapt to these changes, particularly the Helpful Content Update and EEAT guidelines, to maintain visibility.
Adapting to Google’s Helpful Content Update
Introduced in 2022, this update prioritizes content offering genuinely helpful information. To align with this update, marketers should:
- Create comprehensive content: Develop in-depth materials that go beyond basics, including step-by-step guides and actionable advice
- Offer original insights: Present unique analyses rather than repeating information found elsewhere
- Show expertise through examples: Use relevant data, research, and case studies to demonstrate expertise
- Optimize content structure: Use clear headings, tables, and visuals to improve readability
- Enhance page experience: Minimize distractions like pop-ups to keep focus on your content
Embracing Google’s EEAT Guidelines
The EEAT update emphasizes Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Key steps include:
- Validate expertise: Showcase credentials and knowledge in your field, highlighting author expertise
- Illustrate experience: Use case studies and testimonials showing tangible results
- Establish authoritativeness: Gain recognition from respected sources in your field through quality backlinks
- Build trustworthiness: Ensure your site is secure, respects privacy, and maintains transparency
Adapting to these Google guidelines is essential for successful demand generation. Creating valuable, user-focused content and optimizing site performance will both satisfy Google and improve user engagement.
Trend 7: Win modern buyers with authentic and transparent communication
Authentic, value‑first messaging is table stakes for today’s B2B buyers. According to the B2B Tech Buying Behavior Report, 90% of buyers say they’re more likely to engage with content from a brand they already know and trust—and 88% go even further, agreeing that they trust a vendor more when the content they receive actually delivers value.
As Tara Robertson put it on episode 5 of the Demand Bites podcast:
“Market the way you’d want to be marketed to … think about it from the perspective of a buyer—if I were purchasing this tool, what information would I want to know?”
Provide true value through content
Focusing on substance over spin is how you earn that 88% trust lift, underlining the core reasons why B2B marketers can’t ignore content marketing for building these crucial relationships:
- Solve real problems: Don’t just tout features—explain how your solution removes friction in the customer’s day‑to‑day
- Quantify impact: Back up claims with data or brief case stories (e.g. “Our deployment cut process time by 35%”)
- Show your experts: Leverage subject matter experts in webinars, blogs, or quotes to demonstrate deep domain know‑how
Communicate with integrity
Trust erodes fast if you overpromise:
- Be candid about limitations: If there’s a feature gap, acknowledge it and outline your roadmap
- Skip the buzzwords: For instance, instead of “synergistic AI-driven platforms,” say “Our tool automates your invoicing”
Align messaging with customer goals
Content that resonates focuses on what buyers care about today:
- Build personas on real feedback: Conduct interviews or quick surveys to surface both functional needs and emotional drivers
- Frame around outcomes: At every touchpoint, remind prospects how you’ll help them hit their revenue, efficiency, or growth targets
Ready to generate highly qualified leads?
Enhance your lead generation initiatives by partnering with Inbox Insight, recently recognized as a top provider for Insight-Powered Lead Generation Services on G2.
To learn more about our lead generation services, contact us today to discover how our services can benefit you.
