- Fresh Salmon
- Posts
- The 11 B2B Marketing Beliefs I Carry Right Now
In partnership with
Hello and welcome back, we are now on the 155th edition of Fresh Salmon, your go-to B2B marketing newsletter, which is read by 4,000 founders, marketers, sales professionals, and product managers, across the world.
Let’s dive in today’s edition.
The 11 B2B Marketing Beliefs I Carry Right Now
Marketing is shifting — fast. What worked five years ago is fading, and what’s emerging is an entirely new playbook. If you’re still relying on traditional B2B marketing strategies, you might already be behind.
Here are 11 core beliefs that shape my approach to B2B marketing today. No fluff—just the realities I see playing out in the field every day.
Meet our primary partner for today’s edition: PodPitch. Check them out 👇👇
Get Your Team Booked on 3.8 Million Podcasts Automatically
It's 2025. Want to finally be a regular podcast guest in your industry? PodPitch will make it happen. Even the beehiiv team uses it!
The best way to advertise isn't Meta or Google – it's appearing on podcasts your customers love.
PodPitch.com automates thousands of weekly emails for you, pitching your team as ideal guests.
Big brands like Feastables use PodPitch.com instead of expensive PR agencies.
1. The Old Marketing Funnel Is Dead.
Forget the classic awareness → consideration → customer journey. The real funnel today? Attention → Trust → Customer.
People don’t move in neat, predictable stages anymore. They see, they engage, they trust, and then they buy—often in unpredictable ways. Winning brands focus on earning attention and building trust first.
2. Content Must Be Media-First, or You’re Already Behind.
Your company is not just a product—it’s a media brand, whether you like it or not. If your content doesn’t look and feel like a media operation (think newsletters, podcasts, video series), you’re losing ground.
The old approach of writing generic blogs and calling it “content marketing” is outdated. Create content people actually want to consume, not just content to fill a calendar.
Meet our secondary partner for today’s edition: Hubspot. Check them out 👇👇
Learn What Fortune 500 Marketers Know
Unlock expert marketing insights with Masters in Marketing by HubSpot!
This weekly newsletter brings you:
Strategies straight from industry leaders like the NBA, Liquid Death & Oatly.
Behind-the-scenes stories of campaigns that crushed it.
Actionable tips to boost your results today.
Stay ahead in the ever-changing marketing world. Don’t miss out—subscribe now and level up your skills!
3. The Era of Faceless Brands Is Over.
No one cares about your logo. They care about the people behind it.
Buyers connect with faces, voices, and stories. If your company isn’t putting real people forward—whether that’s your founder, employees, or customers—you’re missing out on trust and engagement.
4. Authentic Content Wins in an AI-Saturated World.
There’s too much noise, especially with AI-generated content flooding the internet. What stands out now? Real, unpolished, authentic content.
People crave content with personality, opinion, and human touch. AI is great, but if your content has no soul, it won’t perform.
5. New Sales & Marketing Channels Are Built Through Partnerships.
The best way to open new doors? Collaboration.
Whether it’s industry experts, influencers, or niche media outlets, partnerships are the only way to build new distribution today. Don’t expect a new social platform or marketing channel to magically appear and make things easier for you.
6. Brands That Educate Become Market Leaders.
If you want to be seen as the leader in your category, you have to teach your market.
The companies that invest in educating their audience don’t just build trust—they dominate market share. If you’re not spending time making your market smarter, someone else is, and they’ll win.
Meet our secondary partner for today’s edition: 1440 Media. Check them out 👇👇
Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.
Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.
7. Podcasts Aren’t Just PR. They’re Content Marketing.
Most companies still see podcasts as a radio-like PR tool. That’s outdated thinking.
Podcasts are the modern content marketing machine. There are 650M blogs but only 4M podcasts. It’s far less competitive, and it’s one of the most powerful ways to build authority.
If your brand isn’t treating podcasts as a serious content channel, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
8. Execution > Strategy. Always.
The best strategy in the world means nothing without execution.
Most companies are great at making plans but terrible at executing them. The ones that win? They move fast, test often, and refine along the way. In marketing, the biggest advantage isn’t a secret strategy—it’s how well you execute.
9. Demand Generation = Demand Creation + Demand Capture.
Too many brands focus on one and ignore the other.
Demand Creation: Building awareness, educating, positioning your brand as the go-to.
Demand Capture: Making sure when buyers are ready, they choose you.
Without both, your growth will stall.
10. Owning Your Audience Is Everything.
Social media followers? That’s rented land.
If you don’t own your audience (via email lists, podcasts, or other direct channels), you’re building your marketing on shaky ground. Platforms change. Algorithms shift. The only audience you truly control is the one you own.
11. AI-Savvy People Will Outpace Everyone Else.
AI isn’t replacing jobs—it’s supercharging the people who know how to use it.
In the next few years, the gap between AI users and non-users will widen dramatically. The people who integrate AI into their workflows will become exponentially more productive. Those who don’t? They’ll struggle to keep up.
This isn’t a trend—it’s a reality. Adapt or get left behind.
Final Thoughts
The B2B marketing landscape has changed. The old playbooks are breaking down, and new ones are emerging.
Attention and trust drive revenue.
Brands need real faces, not just logos.
Podcasts and media-first content are the future.
Owning your audience is a must.
AI is a game-changer—but only for those who leverage it.
If you’re still following outdated marketing models, now is the time to pivot. The best brands aren’t waiting — they’re already executing.
Let me know—which of these beliefs resonate with you the most? Would love to hear your take.
Interesting Thing That I Posted This Week
Tweet That I Posted This Week
"Your best performances will come when you are working in a way that is a full expression of you. The work becomes a natural display of your personality. This is when you not only get better results, but also love the activity — because in doing the craft, you feel alive."
— Vivek Nanda (@vickks)
11:04 PM • Jan 30, 2025
This concludes this edition of Fresh Salmon. And….
Do what is good for your soul ❤️
All the best,
Vivek
PS. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways in which I can help you and your business:
#1: B2B Marketing Consulting and Go-To-Market Advisory for your business.
#2: 1-on-1 Personal Coaching and Mentoring on anything related to Marketing and Go-To-Market Strategies for you.
#3: Promoting you or your brand via this newsletter.
For any of these things just shoot me a reply, and we will arrange a time to chat.