A B2B CEO asked me to fix their marketing in one week...
CEO of a small tech company.
Pipeline's dry. They've been relying on word of mouth and that's running its course. While open to a 90-day roadmap,
"What can you do right away to nail some quick wins?"
I've looked at a lot of B2B websites. The pattern is usually...
- Gorgeous design.
- Vague copy filled with buzzwords, poetic prose.
- No clear call-to-action.
- A lead magnet, if you can call it one, that's a PDF of their sales pitch.
Then they wonder why the pipeline's empty.
Most marketers brought in to "fix" B2B marketing do the same thing – > they audit the SEO. 🧐
And look, SEO matters. I'm not here to bury it. But if you're a CEO whose pipeline is dry right now, SEO is about as useful as pressing vinyl when the show is tonight!!! Meta descriptions and H1 tags aren't bringing in leads next week. No, sir! 🤨
You know what SEO does do?
🤑 It gives the agency a guaranteed 3-month retainer before they've brought you a single lead. Month one: audit and fundamentals. Month two: keyword research. Month three: implementation.
By the time they're done, you've spent $5,000 to $10,000 and your sales team is still cold calling!
Some will jump to social media instead. And again, I love content. Really. It builds brands. Earns trust. Compounds over time. But will a new posting strategy fill your pipeline next week? No.
So here's what I'd actually do.
Step 1: What exactly does your website do?
Most B2B websites are beautiful, expensive brochures. They tell you what the company does, show some pretty pictures, logos, and then... nothing. No clear reason to stay. No obvious next step.
First thing I'd ask... Is the value prop clear?
Not "we leverage synergistic solutions to drive transformational outcomes."
I mean, does an outsider landing on this page immediately "get" what you do, who it's for, and why they should care?
If not, I'm rewriting the copy. Full stop.
And I'd push for UI changes to make sure the page flows logically... The prospect should feel themselves sliding downward, nodding, thinking these people get me.
Step 2: What do you want them to do?
One CTA. Pick one. Book a demo, make an enquiry, download something.
When you give someone three options, they pick none.
Confusion kills conversion.
One page. One job. One ask.
Step 3: Why should they hand over their details?
If you're not selling directly on the page, you need a lead magnet. And before you say "we have a whitepaper"... 😤
A lead magnet is not a PDF that explains how your company's five-step process works! That's a brochure with a download button. Nobody wants it. Nope.
A solid lead magnet gives the prospect something they can use immediately - a framework, a checklist, a template, a short guide that makes them better at their job today. It should make them think "if THIS is the free stuff, the paid stuff must be incredible."
Step 4: Drive traffic.
Organic traffic takes time. We don't have time. So let's run ads.
I'd create a few variations. Different copy angles, different visuals, all pointing to the new (improved) landing page. This isn't a long-term media strategy, it's a test.
More people at the top of the funnel means more leads at the bottom. That's not a revolutionary idea, it's just how funnels work.
Which message resonates? Which audience converts? You can't know until people actually show up.
Step 5: What happens after they opt in?
This is where most businesses drop the ball entirely.
The lead comes in, gets an automated "Thanks, here's your download" email, and then... crickets.
Or worse, a sales call 30 seconds later.
Here's what the follow-up sequence should look like:
Email 1 - Delivers what you promised. Simple.
Email 2 - Follows up. "Did the download help? Here's something else useful while you're at it."
Email 3 - Addresses a real problem they're likely facing and connects it to what you do.
Email 4 - A case study. Show the result, not the process.
Email 5 - Make an offer. Something low-risk. A free consult, a trial, a guarantee. Something that makes saying yes feel like the most logical thing in the world to do.
After that, they move into your regular email list. You stay in their world. When they're ready, you're the first name they think of.
That's a wrap!
Landing page rewritten. Lead magnet built. Ads live. Email sequence running.
Is it a lot? Yes. Is it doable within mere weeks? Yes.
And unlike an SEO retainer, you'll know within days whether it's working. You'll have data. You'll have leads, or you'll know why not!
That's the difference between marketing that looks busy and marketing that does something.