What is B2B Demand Generation? Strategies, Metrics & Examples

Most people in your market aren’t ready to buy. In fact, research shows only 5% of B2B buyers are actively looking for a solution at any given time. That means the other 95% don’t know you, don’t think they have a problem, or simply aren’t thinking about it yet.

Instead of waiting around for leads to fill out a form or book a demo, smart companies are getting in front of future buyers early. They’re building trust, sharing helpful content, and staying top of mind—before the buyer ever enters the sales funnel.

Look at brands like Gong or Refine Labs. They’ve built their pipeline by being useful, not pushy. They don’t chase leads with cold emails—they create demand through podcasts, social content, and ungated resources.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how to build your own B2B demand generation strategy. You’ll learn what it is, why it works, and how to get started—without wasting time on outdated tactics like gated PDFs and lead scoring models that go nowhere.

Let’s make sure your buyers know you before they need you.

B2B demand generation is a marketing strategy that creates interest in a product or service before a buyer is ready to purchase.

It focuses on attracting future customers by educating them, building trust, and staying visible across channels.

The goal is to increase awareness and generate qualified pipeline by reaching people early—before they start searching or comparing solutions.

Unlike lead generation, which tries to capture contact information through forms, demand generation focuses on sharing value upfront. It removes friction and helps buyers discover your brand on their own terms.

This approach includes creating useful content, showing up on social media, running targeted ads, and improving how sales and marketing work together.

B2B demand generation helps you reach future buyers early. Instead of waiting for people to fill out forms, it puts your brand in front of them before they even start looking.

Here’s what you gain by doing it right:

B2B buyers have changed how they research and decide. Demand generation meets them where they are—without pressure, without tricks, just value.

A solid demand generation plan doesn’t rely on guesswork. It starts with a few clear building blocks that help you reach the right people and give them a reason to care.

Let’s look at the first two parts you need to get right:

You can’t create demand if you don’t know who you’re trying to reach.

Start by learning about your best-fit customers—what problems they face, what tools they use, and where they spend time online. Go beyond job titles. Look at pain points, goals, and how they make decisions.

You can find this by:

Here’s a simple example:

If you sell a B2B SaaS platform for finance teams, you’re not just targeting “CFOs.” You’re helping people who are buried in spreadsheets and want better reporting. That’s your angle.

The more clearly you understand their needs, the easier it is to create content and campaigns that feel relevant.

Content is the engine that drives demand. It’s what helps future buyers learn, trust you, and come back when they’re ready.

This doesn’t mean writing fluff or pushing product features. It means helping people fix something they care about.

Here’s what good demand gen content looks like:

Types of content that work well:

Important: Don’t hide everything behind forms. Let people access your best insights without asking for their email right away. This builds trust and increases your reach.

For example, Refine Labs grew fast by sharing all their best ideas for free on social media. No gimmicks. Just content people actually wanted to read.

It’s not just what you say—it’s where you show up.

B2B buyers hang out in different places depending on their role, company size, and what they’re looking for. Some scroll LinkedIn during lunch. Others search Google when they need a quick answer. A few prefer watching short videos or listening to podcasts.

To create real demand, your message needs to meet them where they already are.

Here’s how to think about channels:

Tip: Don’t try to be everywhere. Start with two or three channels where your audience is most active and double down on what works.

To run demand generation that works, you need clean tools and clear data.

That doesn’t mean you need every shiny software. But you do need the basics working well together.

Here’s what matters most:

Example: Let’s say your site gets 5,000 visitors each month, but no one knows where they come from or what they do. Without tracking and clean data, you can’t improve anything.

When your tech and tracking are set up right, you can spot patterns, double down on winning tactics, and cut what doesn’t work.

Great B2B demand generation campaigns don’t work in isolation. If marketing is doing one thing and sales is doing another, you end up wasting time, budget, and good leads.

Buyers can tell when your team isn’t on the same page. It shows up in slow follow-ups, mixed messages, or missed opportunities.

Here’s how to fix it:

For example, a B2B software company ran LinkedIn ads offering a no-form product tour. Marketing handled the traffic, but sales helped script the follow-up conversations. That small change improved conversion rates by over 30%.

When both sides work as one team, your B2B demand generation campaigns feel seamless—and buyers notice.

If your marketing team is still focused on collecting email addresses through gated content, you’re stuck in lead gen mode. That playbook used to work. It doesn’t anymore.

B2B buyers now research on their own, ignore cold emails, and avoid giving out their details unless they’re ready to talk.

Here’s how to make the switch from traditional lead generation to real B2B demand generation that drives pipeline and sales:

If your main success metric is “number of leads,” it’s time to change the scorecard.

Many of those leads will never buy. Some downloaded a free guide just to learn something—and that’s fine. But passing them straight to sales hurts trust and wastes time.

Instead, focus on:

This is simple and eye-opening.

Take your past leads and split them into two groups:

Now compare:

You’ll probably see that Group B had fewer leads—but far better results.

That’s the case for switching to a B2B demand generation strategy that focuses on quality, not quantity.

Buyers prefer to learn on their terms. Let them.

Post your best stuff on LinkedIn. Publish helpful guides that don’t ask for sign-ups. Create videos that explain a common pain point.

Refine Labs grew this way. They gave away everything and built a huge following. Their pipeline came from trust, not forms.

Once you shift your strategy, update how your team works:

You don’t need to throw everything out. Just move away from tactics that chase leads, and focus on ones that attract buyers.

Let’s break down real, practical tactics across each stage of the demand engine—starting with how to create demand from scratch.

This part is about reaching people who aren’t looking for your product yet. They don’t know they need it. Some don’t even know they have a problem.

Your job here is to educate, spark interest, and stay memorable—without asking for anything in return.

This is where trust starts. You're building awareness and giving people a reason to care. No forms. No pressure.

Here are smart ways to do that:

Post short, clear insights where your audience hangs out—LinkedIn, Twitter, or niche forums.

Example: Lavender, a sales tech startup, grew fast by posting cold email tips on LinkedIn every day. No fluff, no pitch—just value.

People like learning through short videos or audio. You don’t need fancy gear. Just hit record and speak directly to a pain point.

Tip: Turn the best parts into social posts or blog snippets. One piece of content can go a long way.

Instead of hiding your best advice behind forms, publish it for free. Make it easy to read, link to, and share.

Stat: Pages with interactive tools get up to 2x more engagement than basic blog posts (source: Content Marketing Institute).

Your future customers talk in groups, forums, and Slack channels. Be part of the conversation without selling.

Over time, people start to recognize your name and check out your site on their own.

If one LinkedIn post performs well, turn it into:

You don’t need more ideas. You need to reuse the good ones in more places.

Once people are aware of their problem and start looking for a solution, you need to show up clearly and quickly.

This is where your B2B demand generation campaigns begin to turn interest into action. Your buyers are now searching, comparing, and thinking about what to do next. If you’re not visible at this point, they’ll choose someone else.

Here’s how to capture that intent and turn it into pipeline:

Focus on keywords that show someone is close to buying—not just browsing.

Examples:

Use these in:

Stat: 75% of B2B buyers start with a search engine (Source: Google). Make sure you’re there when they do.

If someone lands on your demo page, don’t make them work for it. Keep it simple, clear, and fast to load.

Make sure your high-intent pages:

Example: Gong’s demo page is short, clean, and conversion-focused. No fluff—just why it matters and how to try it.

This is where paid ads work well. Show up when buyers are already searching for what you sell.

Tip: Don’t over-complicate retargeting. Show buyers what they need to feel confident—results, reviews, and clarity.

B2B buyers trust peer reviews. Make sure your company shows up on sites like G2, Capterra, or TrustRadius.

Stat: 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to buy after reading a trusted review (Source: G2).

Use tools like Clearbit or 6sense to see which companies are visiting your site and what they’re looking at.

If you see a company checking your pricing or solution pages, that’s a strong buying signal.

Send those to sales or target them with content like:

When buyers are ready, make it easy for them to take the next step. This part of your B2B demand generation strategy is about being findable, fast, and helpful—without making them jump through hoops.

At this stage, the buyer already knows they have a problem. They’ve seen your content, maybe visited your site a few times, and now they’re ready to talk or try your product.

This is where you turn demand into actual pipeline.

Your job here is to make it easy to act and fast to respond. Every step should feel smooth—not salesy, not slow.

Here are smart ways to convert interest into real deals:

When someone clicks “Book a demo” or “Talk to sales,” don’t send them to a messy form or generic email.

Instead:

Example: Chili Piper lets visitors book meetings instantly with sales reps. No emails, no back-and-forth.

You don’t need a 12-field form to figure out if someone’s a good fit.

Here’s a better way:

This keeps the experience fast—and still gives your team what they need.

When someone raises their hand, don’t wait two days to call them back.

The first few hours matter most. In fact, response times under 5 minutes can boost conversion by 10x (Source: Harvard Business Review).

Tips:

Help your sales team close faster with useful, clear materials. Focus on what buyers care about—outcomes, results, comparisons.

Create:

Tip: Use buyer feedback to improve these over time. Real questions = better content.

Conversion isn’t just about what happens on a form. It’s about the whole experience—from ad click to sales call.

Keep an eye on:

This helps you learn fast, fix weak spots, and scale what works.

Once someone’s ready to talk, don’t slow them down. Speed, clarity, and helpful info can make the difference between a sale—and a missed chance.

If you're running B2B demand generation campaigns, you need to know what’s actually working—not just what looks busy.

Clicks and impressions are fine, but they don’t tell you much about pipeline or revenue. What really matters is what happens after someone sees your content or fills out a form.

Here’s how to track the numbers that matter most:

These are signals that someone is ready to talk. Think demo requests, pricing page visits, or contact form submissions.

Track:

Why it matters: These are the real leads that sales cares about. They’re more likely to turn into deals.

This shows how many qualified leads move into your sales pipeline.

You can track this in your CRM:

Example: If your LinkedIn ads drive lots of traffic but create no opportunities, something’s off.

This tells you how much potential revenue your campaigns are generating.

Add up the dollar value of all open deals that came from your demand gen efforts. You can group them by source or campaign to see which ones bring in the most value.

At the end of the day, demand generation is about driving sales.

Look at how much revenue came from your marketing-sourced leads. This is your clearest sign that your campaigns are working.

Stat: Companies that align sales and marketing see 36% higher customer retention and 38% higher win rates (source: HubSpot).

Ask leads how they heard about you.

Add a simple open-text field on your high-intent forms:

“How did you find us?”

You’ll get answers like:

This helps you understand what’s really driving interest—even if your software can’t track it.

Look at how your content is helping move buyers through the journey.

Track:

Tip: Don’t just look at traffic. Look at what happens next. Are people clicking to your site? Are they becoming leads?

Good measurement means better decisions. Don’t guess. Track the numbers that tie back to pipeline and real results.

Even the best B2B demand generation strategies can fall flat if you miss a few basics. Some mistakes waste money. Others waste time. And some just make your brand look out of touch.

Here are the most common issues—and how to avoid them:

Many teams still chase MQLs (marketing qualified leads) that never go anywhere. Downloading a PDF doesn’t mean someone wants a sales call.

Fix:
Track how many leads turn into real opportunities and closed deals. Pipeline and revenue should be your main goals—not form fills.

Putting every guide, video, or checklist behind a form limits your reach. Most buyers won’t share their email until they’re ready.

Fix:
Ungate your best content. Let people learn first. When they’re ready, they’ll come to you.

Example:
Refine Labs grew fast by posting full guides on LinkedIn, no form needed. They built trust—and the pipeline followed.

If your content sounds like it could come from any company, it won’t stick.

Fix:
Use real language your buyers use. Focus on specific problems they face. Show how you help, clearly and simply.

Marketing gets interest. Sales closes deals. If those two steps don’t connect, you’ll lose good leads.

Fix:
Create a shared process. Use clear signals for when someone is ready for outreach. Keep both teams talking.

Your buyers are giving you signals—through forms, clicks, comments, and even silence.

Fix:
Review what’s working. Listen to sales calls. Ask your audience what content helped them decide. Improve based on real input.

If you’re starting fresh or fixing an old system, 90 days is plenty of time to build a solid B2B demand generation plan.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step roadmap to help you launch fast—without overthinking it.

Before running ads or writing content, you need a strong foundation.

What to do:

Tip: Use real words your customers say in interviews, emails, or reviews. This will help shape your messaging later.

Now it’s time to create things people actually want to read, watch, or share.

What to build:

Keep it simple. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for useful.

Choose two or three channels based on where your buyers hang out.

Suggested mix:

Run a small campaign first. Watch how people engage. Use clear CTAs like:

Now look at what worked—and what didn’t.

What to check:

Update your B2B demand generation campaigns based on this data. Drop what didn’t move the needle. Double down on what did.

B2B demand generation isn’t about chasing leads. It’s about showing up early, being helpful, and earning attention before anyone’s ready to buy.

The companies that win are the ones that build trust first. They teach, share, and stay visible without asking for much in return. When buyers are finally ready, those are the names they remember.

Start small. Stay consistent. Focus on helping people solve real problems. That’s how modern B2B demand generation works—and why it keeps growing pipeline long after the campaign ends.