The Marketing Playbook that’s Secretly Killing your B2B Content

B2B marketing is flooded with content, but most of it isn’t making an impact. 

This may be because marketers are using outdated playbooks that prioritize output over outcomes. 

Brendan Hufford, founder of Grow Sprints, tackled this on the Attributed Podcast, explaining what strategies should be left behind and offering a smarter way forward.

He argues that the problem isn’t that B2B marketing is boring, it’s that many marketers are caught in an assembly-line mentality. Instead of crafting content that resonates, they churn out generic pieces to meet arbitrary publishing quotas. 

So, what’s the way out? Let’s break down the major challenges and how B2B marketers can finally break free.

Check out the entire conversation here. 

Stuck in the Checkbox Marketing Cycle? 

Brendan explains B2B marketing is too often about playing it safe. 

In an attempt to drive predictable outcomes, companies lean into rigid content calendars, churning out one blog per week, one webinar per month, or four LinkedIn posts per week. These arbitrary targets aren’t based on performance or audience needs; they exist because someone decided that’s what marketing ought to look like.

This creates a culture where marketing teams work harder than ever but see little to no return. 

We were producing more than ever and the numbers were not going up. We're just doing boring generic work at scale.

Brendan warns that this checkbox approach is stifling innovation. Instead of measuring actual business impact, marketers are often rewarded for output. Making for a never-ending cycle of ineffective content that no one wants to read or engage with.

Try Sprint-Based Marketing Instead

Instead of checking boxes, Brendan proposes sprint-based marketing: short, intense campaigns focused on meaningful outcomes rather than routine output. 

This approach involves setting a time-boxed goal, executing, and then reflecting. 

Unlike traditional marketing retainers that stretch over 6 to 12 months with vague promises of long-term SEO gains, sprints create urgency and force marketers to assess what works and throw out what doesn’t.

Chasing Traffic? 

Brendan also warns that an obsession with traffic, especially from SEO, can lead to a false sense of accomplishment. 

High traffic doesn’t necessarily translate to business results. Many companies chase search engine rankings without considering whether the content serves a broader purpose, such as nurturing prospects or supporting the sales team.

Search traffic should be one part of a larger marketing ecosystem, not the sole measure of success. 

Focus on Multi-Purpose Content 

Content needs to serve multiple functions: engaging existing audiences, supporting sales teams, and providing value beyond Google rankings.

Instead of chasing high-traffic keywords, brands should focus on content that drives actual engagement and supports multiple business functions.

That means leveraging content for lead nurturing, community building, and sales enablement, not just for organic rankings.

Expecting Immediate Conversions? 

Another critical mistake is expecting marketing to drive immediate conversions. 

If you have a six-month sales cycle nobody expects an AE to come in and close everything in two months… but for some reason we expect the marketing cycle to be 24 hours.

Research shows that the average B2B marketing cycle is around 192 days. That means brand awareness efforts today won’t result in conversions until months down the line. Marketers must shift their thinking from short-term wins to long-term engagement.

Shift to a Long-Term Engagement Strategy

To do this, understanding the full marketing cycle is essential. 

Instead of pressuring marketing to generate instant results, companies must align their expectations with the reality of long B2B sales cycles.

This means creating high-value, evergreen content that continuously nurtures leads over months, keeping the brand top-of-mind until buyers are ready to move forward. 

Marketers should collaborate closely with sales teams to refine messaging and ensure a smooth transition from marketing touchpoints to actual conversions.

Ignoring the Middle of the Funnel?

Brendan also pointed to the often-overlooked middle of the funnel. 

Most B2B marketers obsess over either awareness (top-of-funnel content like blogs and social posts) or conversion (bottom-of-funnel demos and sales pages). 

Many companies fail to nurture potential buyers who aren’t yet ready to make a purchase. They focus solely on generating leads or pushing for immediate conversions, neglecting those in the research phase.

What’s missing? The bridge between the two.

Leverage Micro-Conversions to Nurture Leads

Brands must create micro-conversion points, things like newsletters, private communities, research reports, and interactive tools, that allow potential buyers to stay engaged without committing immediately. 

An example of this is Dreamdata’s newsletter, which converts at nearly the same rate as demo requests just at a slower pace, proving that slow-burn engagement matters just as much as immediate lead generation.

Struggling to Get Noticed by AI? 

The next big challenge for B2B content is ensuring it gets picked up by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini. 

While SEO used to be the holy grail, the rise of AI-driven search means marketers are starting to think about how to be referenced in AI-generated responses.

Build Authoritative Brand Mentions

The answer, according to Brendan, isn’t hiring an “AI SEO” agency.

Instead, it comes down to brand mentions or getting your company cited in authoritative sources, referenced in key discussions, and embedded in the broader industry conversation.

Prioritize PR, thought leadership, and partnerships. In other words, anything that gets your brand’s name into the digital bloodstream of AI training data. Focus on citations and credible brand mentions across various sources, rather than just optimizing for keywords.

Playing It Too Safe? 

Many marketers fear being too aggressive in their messaging. Brendan believes this is a mistake. 

A lot of marketers play small and don't want to push too hard. This is wrong push, push a little bit if you're pushing too hard people will tell you or just they'll stop engaging.

Find the Right Balance Between Assertiveness and Over-Promotion

Confidently present your value, address customer pain points, and guide prospects toward a decision to balance assertiveness with value. 

Be direct in how you present your solutions, but don’t alienate your audience with hard-selling tactics. Instead, lean into education, storytelling, and authentic engagement.

Conclusion

Most B2B marketing efforts fail not due to lack of effort but because they prioritize quantity over quality. 

Brendan’s insights reveal a clear path forward: abandon checkbox marketing in favor of sprint-based strategies, focus on multi-purpose content rather than traffic alone, nurture leads over time instead of pushing for immediate conversions, and build credibility through authoritative brand mentions. 

The future of B2B marketing belongs to those who embrace creativity, agility, and strategic impact over routine output.

About the speaker

Brendan Hufford is the founder of Grow Sprints, a marketing consultancy focused on helping B2B companies implement high-impact content strategies. With a background that spans from education to agency leadership and in-house roles at top SaaS companies, Brendan brings a unique perspective to B2B marketing.