2025 B2B Marketing Shifts: Insights from the Lens of a Marketer and a CISO

Content is King. Distribution is Queen. And She (Still) Wears the Pants

For years, we’ve been told, “Content is king.”

That’s still true, but the “king” isn’t the same as he once was.

Buyers want content they can consume on their own terms.

Short-form videos and in-depth podcasts are overtaking lengthy whitepapers and slide decks.

People are tired of sitting through predictable sales pitches disguised as content.

They want pieces that are relevant, real, and resonate with their challenges.

This isn’t just about blogs versus videos; it’s about how and where we distribute content.

Buyers now gravitate towards peer communities and trusted spaces where they can engage, ask questions, and learn without feeling sold to.

Blogs aren’t dead, but their role is shifting.

The Human Element: Personal Brands Matter

We’ve all seen the rise of the personal brand, but the real question is why it matters so much now.

People don’t trust faceless brands anymore; they trust other people.

And in B2B, trust is the foundation.

For many buyers, trust in a person is the first step toward trust in the brand.

This makes personal branding one of the most powerful tools in sales and marketing today.

We’re no longer selling just products or services; we’re selling human connections.

Marketers and sales professionals who focus on building their personal brands are seeing more engagement, deeper connections, and greater trust with their audiences.

This shift is as important for tech companies as it is for any other industry.

Buyer Behavior: A Critical Focus

What’s most exciting—and maybe a little daunting—is the growing focus on buyer behavior.

It’s about time we started looking at things from the buyer’s perspective, but not every sales or marketing team is ready for this change. T

Traditional, funnel-based approaches still dominate, but they’re increasingly ineffective.

In cybersecurity, this shift is even more pronounced.

Decision-makers are becoming savvier, doing more of their own research, and relying less on vendor-provided information.

As a result, sales and marketing teams need to dig deep into buyer motivations, pain points, and decision-making processes.

The more we understand our buyers, the more we can adapt our strategies to meet their evolving needs.

They’ll reward us for it with loyalty.

AI: The Double-Edged Sword

AI is the new kid on the block, and it’s shaking things up.

AI can help us work more efficiently, automate workflows, and gather buyer insights faster than ever before.

From buyer intelligence to sales forecasting, AI brings speed and scale to a whole new level.

Many marketers are tempted to lean heavily on AI for content creation, but relying too much on AI risks losing the human touch that buyers crave.

AI can free up time for us to focus on strategic work—work that requires intuition, empathy, and creativity.

But if we let AI take over completely, we might gain efficiency but lose trust.

Measuring What Matters

For all the talk about transformation, we still struggle with measuring success in meaningful ways.

Metrics like MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) and SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads) don’t tell the whole story.

In B2B, success isn’t just about the number of leads generated but the quality of relationships built.

We need to start looking at things like brand image, reputation, and community strength.

How do security leaders perceive our brand?

What’s the real value of our offerings?

Do we have champions who genuinely believe in our mission?

These are the metrics that matter, but they’re often overlooked because they’re harder to quantify.

The Rising Importance of Relationships

In B2B sales, relationships are everything.

I know, it sounds cliché, but hear me out.

The complexity of today’s sales cycles means that deals take time, trust, and multiple stakeholder buy-ins.

This is especially true in cybersecurity, where buyers are placing sensitive data and their reputations in our hands.

And building that trust requires us to go beyond the surface level.

Deeply understanding your buyer isn’t just about knowing their job title or industry.

It’s about understanding what they care about, what keeps them up at night, and how they define success.

Strong relationships keep these long sales cycles on track, allowing for personalized approaches tailored to unique challenges.

Building trust isn’t just nice to have—it’s a requirement. And here’s the surprising part:

In-Person Events: The New Connection Points

After years of virtual-only connections, in-person events are back in full swing, and they feel different.

There’s a newfound focus on creating impactful experiences, not just gathering leads.

We’re seeing a shift from massive sessions and badge scans to smaller, more targeted gatherings that allow for genuine, quality conversations.

And it’s not about the immediate sale—it’s about building connections that could pay off in the long run.

Event organizers are also stepping up, focusing on unique, offsite experiences that leave a lasting impact.

And while hybrid elements remain, the emphasis is on making each interaction count.

Peer communities, small workshops, and hands-on sessions are becoming the norm, replacing the generic, large-scale gatherings of the past.

Classic Analyst Research vs. Real-Time Insights

Analyst research has traditionally been the bedrock of B2B strategy, but today’s buyers aren’t relying on it as much as they used to.

Sure, reports from Gartner, Forrester, and IDC still carry weight, but buyers are increasingly turning to peer reviews, product demos, and online forums to make their decisions.

Analyst reports can feel like they’re lagging behind, missing out on the latest market dynamics.

Younger buyers, in particular, are twice as likely to discover products through online searches and social media rather than analyst reports.

It’s not that analyst insights aren’t valuable—they just can’t keep pace with how quickly preferences and needs are evolving.

To stay relevant, companies need to strike a balance: classic analyst research for the big picture and real-time insights for the day-to-day shifts in buyer behavior.

The Unexpected Role of CISOs in Sales and Marketing

A surprising trend is the evolution of the CISO role.

I recently attended a conference where I saw a CISO from a major airline company break down key marketing metrics better than most CMOs I’ve met.

It was mind-blowing.

It’s becoming clear that CISOs are more than just security leaders—they’re emerging as sales and marketing influencers, whether they realize it or not.

CISOs now have to “sell” security internally, justify budgets, and even participate in customer meetings.

They’re not just the guardians of data; they’re champions of the brand’s security posture.

They’re influencers, educators, and advocates, often without any formal marketing training.

Building Trust with Buyers: What Does That Even Mean?

We throw around words like “trust” all the time, but what does it mean in practice?

Being trustworthy isn’t just a nice trait; it’s a strategy.

Trustworthiness is transparency, reliability, and genuine empathy, with no hidden agenda.

If we want buyers to trust us, we have to start by looking inward and being honest with ourselves.

When trust is there, the entire sales process becomes smoother.

Trusted buyers need less convincing, make decisions faster, and stay loyal.

They don’t just buy from you; they stick with you and advocate for you.

Trust reduces friction, shortens sales cycles, and creates a foundation for genuine relationships.

My Final Thoughts

As I reflect on where B2B sales and marketing are headed, I can’t help but feel a mixture of excitement and vulnerability.

It’s thrilling to see our industry finally embracing a more human approach. But it’s also a bit daunting—especially when I think about the immense responsibility this shift brings.

We’re being asked to do more than sell; we’re being asked to connect, to empathize, and to genuinely understand. And that isn’t something you can fake.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t always get it.

For years, I operated with the mindset that hitting targets, perfecting funnels, and churning out content was enough.

But now, I realize that those things are just surface-level tactics.

They don’t mean much if we’re not genuinely serving the people on the other side of the screen.

It took me time (and a few mistakes) to understand that the most powerful part of our work is building real, honest relationships.

And that means dropping the polished veneer and showing up as people, not just professionals.

The more I lean into this, the more I see how powerful it is.

When I let go of the need to be perfect and instead focus on showing up with curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to learn, everything changes.

Buyers don’t want perfection; they want partners who get it, someone who’s willing to walk the journey with them.

And that means being okay with a little vulnerability, with sometimes not having all the answers, and with admitting that, yes, I’m still learning too.

So, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

The greatest currency we have isn’t data or leads or followers. It’s trust.

And trust isn’t something we can demand—it’s something we earn by showing up, by being reliable, and by proving, time and again, that we genuinely care.

As I look to the future, I’m committing to that approach, not just because it’s good for business, but because it’s the right thing to do.

We’re all part of this change, together.

And while there’s no roadmap for what lies ahead, maybe that’s a good thing.

Because it means we get to shape the future of B2B in a way that’s not just effective but meaningful.

And to me, that’s the real opportunity we have before us.

Until next time,
Dani