Which B2B Demand Generation Strategies Actually Generate Revenue?

B2B marketers face increasing scrutiny to demonstrate the effectiveness of their demand-generation efforts in tangible terms such as revenue growth, ROI, and pipeline velocity. To navigate this pressure, marketers must clearly distinguish between strategies backed by measurable results and emerging trends that, despite generating buzz, lack substantial evidence. 

This article explores both categories, drawing from recent agency reports, practitioner case studies, and independent research spanning 2021 to 2024.

A Note About the Evidence and Conclusions

Most of the evidence supporting these demand generation strategies comes from industry surveys, case studies, and testimonials from professionals. This means that while the data offers valuable insights from real-world experiences, it is largely based on self-reported information rather than controlled experiments. 

Therefore, these figures and success stories should be viewed as reflections of trends and perceptions within the industry, not as guaranteed outcomes. They provide useful benchmarks and guidance, each organization should consider its unique context and continually test and refine its approach.​

While many of these strategies are considered proven, the marketing landscape is constantly changing. 

Even traditional tactics like content marketing, SEO, webinars, and account-based marketing (ABM) need to adapt to shifts in buyer behavior, emerging technologies, and changes in digital channels. 

Relying solely on these established methods without ongoing innovation can lead to diminishing returns, as what worked well in the past might not fully resonate with today's audience. A successful demand generation strategy requires a dynamic mindset—one that embraces continual testing, refinement, and the integration of new approaches to meet evolving market demands.

Demand Generation Strategies that Work

Content Marketing & SEO

High-quality, value-driven content remains foundational for successful B2B demand generation. According to recent data, 83% of marketers identified content marketing as their most effective strategy, demonstrating its unmatched effectiveness in generating qualified leads.

Effective content paired with SEO tactics further amplifies results, with 67% citing SEO as a crucial driver for demand-gen success. Creating SEO-optimized thought leadership pieces ensures visibility among prospects actively researching solutions, effectively filling the funnel with high-quality leads.

Multiple studies show that B2B buyers respond better to educational content than overtly promotional material. This approach relies on value-driven resources—such as white papers, case studies, and webinars—that not only establish thought leadership and trust over long buying cycles but also boost organic traffic by up to 17%, thereby delivering higher-quality leads. 

Webinars & Thought Leadership Events

Educational webinars and thought leadership events consistently deliver substantial lead generation. Recent studies indicate 45% of B2B practitioners identify webinars as their most effective top-of-funnel tactic, particularly valued for generating quality leads at scale.

For instance, a technology firm achieved a 178% increase in lead conversion rates by leveraging educational webinars, underscoring the strategy's effectiveness in converting attendees into viable pipeline opportunities.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

ABM has solidified its reputation as a highly effective strategy for generating superior ROI through personalized marketing and sales efforts aimed at specific high-value accounts.

Surveys reveal that 81% of marketers using ABM report higher ROI compared to traditional approaches, with 78% achieving significant pipeline growth.

Real-world examples, such as Delphix’s personalized campaigns targeting key European accounts, demonstrate ABM’s potential, notably driving a 25% year-over-year increase in marketing-sourced opportunities.

Email Marketing & Lead Nurturing

Email marketing remains a cornerstone due to its exceptional ROI—approximately $36 for every dollar spent. B2B buyers prefer email, with 77% citing it as their preferred communication channel.

Effective email campaigns significantly accelerate pipeline movement, yielding 20% more sales opportunities from nurtured leads compared to non-nurtured leads.

One notable example saw a B2B firm combining personalized email sequences with content syndication, achieving a 228% increase in marketing ROI within three months.

Social Media & Paid Digital Advertising

Digital advertising, particularly through LinkedIn, remains essential for effective B2B demand generation. LinkedIn alone accounts for an estimated 80% of social media leads in the B2B space, with 40% of marketers rating it as their most effective lead-generation channel.

Integrated digital campaigns across paid social, search marketing, and content syndication have proven successful, often exceeding benchmark conversion rates significantly.

Content Syndication & Media Partnerships

Content syndication, despite being underutilized (used by only 23% of marketers), delivers substantial outcomes. It enables scalable lead generation with consistent quality, demonstrated by campaigns achieving lead-to-customer conversion rate increases up to 178%.

Marketers leveraging content syndication reported higher goal attainment (61%) compared to non-users (45%). This highlights the approach’s potential for achieving robust pipeline growth.

Sales-Marketing Alignment & Data-Driven Execution

Alignment between sales and marketing significantly boosts performance, achieving as much as 32% higher year-over-year revenue growth. Companies emphasizing tight integration between sales and marketing, along with data-driven decision-making, experience accelerated pipeline velocity, higher conversion rates, and superior revenue growth. Analytics and predictive scoring refine targeting, optimizing campaign effectiveness.

Trending Tactics with Limited Evidence

Generative AI & Automated Content

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have dramatically increased productivity, with over 90% of marketers experimenting with AI for content creation by 2024.

Although AI-generated content significantly boosts productivity, clear evidence connecting generative AI specifically for personalization to tangible business profitability remains scarce. 

Several articles reference a widely circulated claim—attributed to a Google report—that "90% of leading marketers say personalization significantly drives business profitability," yet the original source for this statistic is elusive.

Consequently, despite enthusiasm surrounding generative AI for personalization, its effectiveness in directly enhancing revenue or ROI is not yet substantiated by robust data. Marketers should approach generative AI as a complementary productivity tool rather than a proven standalone demand-generation solution.

New Social Platforms & B2B Influencers

Platforms such as TikTok and influencer marketing have gained traction, with 61% of B2B marketers exploring TikTok in their strategies. Despite rising use, only 16% ranked TikTok among top-performing ROI channels, indicating limited proven results in directly influencing B2B buying decisions.

Similarly, influencer marketing shows mixed outcomes, often excelling at boosting brand awareness but facing challenges in attributing direct pipeline results.

Community-Building & Dark Social

Community-led initiatives and "dark social" platforms (private forums, word-of-mouth) have gained popularity for their ability to foster deeper engagement. Despite this appeal, only 12% of marketers list these methods as top demand gen strategies, highlighting difficulties in attributing direct revenue impact.

These approaches remain best utilized as supplemental engagement tools rather than primary demand-gen strategies.

Key Takeaways

Proven strategies such as content marketing, ABM, email nurturing, and integrated digital campaigns remain core to successful B2B demand generation, consistently demonstrating measurable ROI and substantial pipeline growth.

Meanwhile, emerging trends like generative AI, new social platforms, and community-building provide promising enhancements but require careful experimentation and rigorous measurement. 

Marketers should prioritize proven methods while systematically testing newer tactics to develop an evidence-based approach tailored to their unique business goals and market context.