AI Search Is the New Gatekeeper

and... AI-driven visitors convert 4.4x better. Here’s why your content strategy needs an immediate pivot—and how to become the source AI cites. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

July 03, 2025 |Read OnlineAI Search Is the New GatekeeperAI-driven visitors convert 4.4x better. Here’s why your content strategy needs an immediate pivot—and how to become the source AI cites.Tyler Morian🚀 Connect on LinkedIn💡 B2B Website InspirationAI Search Delivers 4.4x More Valuable VisitorsWhat if most of your organic traffic vanished tomorrow? For many, AI Overviews and conversational search are already siphoning clicks from top-ranking pages, making old SEO playbooks increasingly ineffective.The goal is no longer securing a blue link but becoming the authoritative source an LLM cites. According to aSemrush study, AI-driven visitors are 4.4 times more valuable because they arrive with higher intent. This shift demandsPain Point LLMO(Large Language Model Optimization) – creating product-centric, bottom-of-funnel content that directly addresses customer challenges.As tools like Perplexity become starting points for B2B research, your visibility there matters more than traditional Google rankings. The search market is diversifying rapidly, asAlixPartners notes, and your strategy must adapt now.BIG IDEA:The goal is becoming the definitive answer source for AI, not just ranking on Google.WHY IT MATTERS:Your buyers already use AI for discovery. If your content isn't optimized for LLM citations, you're invisible to a growing, high-intent audience segment.Comment insights:Matt Diggityhighlights that AI sends more qualified users deeper into sites, bypassing homepages.Jeff Sheehanpoints out the question is now "how do I market when AI is the gatekeeper?"Crystal Carter of Semrushconfirms AI Overviews can sometimes increase clicks, especially for complex queries.Clean Data Strategy Builds Buyer TrustAre you prepared for the "Great Regulatory Patchwork"? With conflicting state-level privacy laws and no federal standard, U.S. businesses face a compliance minefield that AI makes increasingly treacherous.The challenge lies where privacy, security, and AI governance converge. AsOmeda's reporthighlights, AI's data hunger directly conflicts with principles like data minimization, creating a paradox: you need data for effective AI, but misusing it risks massive fines underGDPR and CCPA.For B2B leaders, this transcends legal compliance – it's about customer trust.Khairie Apirin observesthat mentioning AI use often triggers immediate security concerns. A transparent AI ethics framework andpreventing model data leakagehave become competitive differentiators in enterprise sales.BIG IDEA:Transparent data governance is now a core marketing and sales function, not just compliance.WHY IT MATTERS:Enterprise buyers are increasingly skeptical of AI's "black box." Without clear data policies, you may be disqualified before your demo.Comment insights:Zack Braitermanwarns clients demand governance and transparency to avoid being burned by AI hype.Samuel Sungnotes that while leaders want AI, trust concerns like data privacy remain the biggest adoption hurdles.Better UX Delivers 9.4% Revenue UpliftWhat if UX improvements could directly boost revenue? New data shows that for complex B2B tools, superior user experience is one of the most powerful growth levers available.Enterprise UX transcends aesthetics to deliver measurable business impact through software that makes employees more productive. Success requires tracking specific metrics like task completion time, adoption rates, and support ticket reduction, asIdeas2IT explains.The results speak volumes: Microsoft found Copilot led to a9.4% revenue increase per sellerand 20% more won deals. Similarly, footwear brand Clove achieved 3x ROI throughAI-driven UX improvements withYuma.ai. AsTom Levi-Haluch notes, poor enterprise UX creates costly "software chaos."BIG IDEA:Enterprise UX is a revenue driver, not a cost center.WHY IT MATTERS:Customers make purchase decisions based on time-to-value. A clunky product erodes value and opens doors for competitors, while frictionless UX creates stickiness and justifies premium pricing.Comment insights:FromValueshares that every $1 invested in UX can return up to $100.Fred Damasusargues many SaaS companies sit on growth potential by simply fixing their user experience.WorkZen_apppoints out bad UX drives low adoption, wasting millions in SaaS spend.AI Sales Agents Transform Go-to-MarketIs your SDR team becoming obsolete? A new class of AI-powered agents is automating top-of-funnel activities, forcing a rethink of GTM strategy. This isn't about replacement but elevation.These aren't simple chatbots. AI SDR agents from companies likeLuruhandle entire outbound workflows – from ICP matching and personalized multi-channel outreach to converting site visitors into qualified meetings. They create frictionless lead generation by eliminating repetitive tasks that slow both sellers and buyers.Companies are implementing this now.Databricks built a "Field AI Assistant"giving sellers a 360-degree customer view while automating data hygiene. AsRosalyn Santa Elena highlights, the future lies in leveraging "signals" to automate action and boost efficiency.BIG IDEA:AI agents handle top-of-funnel grunt work so human teams can focus exclusively on relationship-driven conversations.WHY IT MATTERS:Your competitors already use AI to build pipeline faster. If your team still does manual prospecting and data entry, you're operating at a growing disadvantage.Comment insights:Jordan Plattenpredicts AI agents will soon fully manage lead nurturing and appointment setting.Sumit Kumar Guptahighlights the power of combining intent data with automated outreach for hyper-targeting at scale.AI Implementation Requires Hard Operational WorkWhy do so many AI projects stall after pilots? It's rarely about algorithms. The biggest hurdles are mundane: messy data, complex integrations, and poor change management.Getting AI to deliver business value is an operational challenge.Gartner's reportstresses that value comes from specific use cases, not the tech itself. Enterprises struggle with siloed data and integrating AI with legacy systems. AsSierra CEO Bret Taylor explains, building enterprise AI agents is incredibly difficult due to countless edge cases.This reality check debunks several myths, including that more tools automatically guarantee higher ROI, asDataiku explains. The financial burden is substantial, with compute, data, and talent costs often underestimated according toArcee.ai. Success requires experimental culture, not just technology budget.BIG IDEA:Successful AI implementation requires disciplined data governance and realistic project scoping, not just advanced models.WHY IT MATTERS:Without addressing operational realities, your AI initiatives will likely remain in "pilot purgatory," burning cash without delivering outcomes.Comment insights:Aref Amidinotes that AI enterprise sales cycles are complicated by customers wanting to see AI working with their production data before buying.Theis Søndergaardpoints out that employees often lack autonomy to test new AI solutions independently.B2B Buyers Demand Digital-First ExperienceRemember when GTM meant getting prospects on the phone? That era is fading. Today's B2B buyers, especially in retail and tech, prefer fully digital, self-serve purchasing—and your strategy must adapt.Modern B2B buying mirrors B2C experiences. ABigCommerce reportfinds retail buyers prefer digital channels from research through purchase. This means your website and content do the selling long before sales involvement. The goal has shifted from awareness to influence, according toForbes.Success requires building a brand people actively seek.Wiz's CMOcreated a marketing machine through community and brand-led growth rather than traditional tactics. This often means elevating internal experts as B2B creators, a strategy explored byThe Ask... newsletter. AsMcKinsey argues, brand drives B2B growth.BIG IDEA:Your company is your primary sales channel, and your brand is your most valuable salesperson.WHY IT MATTERS:If your strategy still relies heavily on outbound sales and gated content, you're alienating buyers who want self-directed research. A strong brand is essential in a self-serve world.Comment insights:OneReddit useremphasizes that B2B success requires building a digital presence that provides value before requesting a sale.B2B Tech Faces Consolidation and Price HikesPowerful market forces are reshaping B2B tech beyond GTM strategy. Understanding these shifts—from industry consolidation to soaring talent costs—is crucial for planning.The era of cheap growth is over. In 2025,Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google all raised prices, signaling an industry-wide focus on profitability over growth-at-all-costs. This accompanies consolidation, with larger players acquiring smaller ones to buy innovation, as seen in theA/B testing space.Meanwhile, the AI talent war rages, with compensation packages reaching levels once reserved for professional athletes, asBen Thompson notes. This pressures midsize companies competing for engineers. According toMicrosoft, capital is shifting from people to AI infrastructure, fundamentally changing how tech companies operate.BIG IDEA:The SaaS industry is maturing, forcing a shift from "blitzscaling" to sustainable, profitable growth through pricing power.WHY IT MATTERS:You're competing in a market defined by price sensitivity, talent wars, and strategic moves by giants. Your budget, hiring plans, and pricing strategy must reflect this reality.Comment insights:Dagnum_PIpoints out that many enterprises have cut AI budgets, showing a disconnect between hype and actual spending priorities.Until next week!Update your email preferences or unsubscribehere© 2025 B2B Marketing Brief228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United StatesTerms of Service

July 03, 2025 |Read Online

AI Search Is the New GatekeeperAI-driven visitors convert 4.4x better. Here’s why your content strategy needs an immediate pivot—and how to become the source AI cites.

Tyler Morian

🚀 Connect on LinkedIn💡 B2B Website InspirationAI Search Delivers 4.4x More Valuable VisitorsWhat if most of your organic traffic vanished tomorrow? For many, AI Overviews and conversational search are already siphoning clicks from top-ranking pages, making old SEO playbooks increasingly ineffective.The goal is no longer securing a blue link but becoming the authoritative source an LLM cites. According to aSemrush study, AI-driven visitors are 4.4 times more valuable because they arrive with higher intent. This shift demandsPain Point LLMO(Large Language Model Optimization) – creating product-centric, bottom-of-funnel content that directly addresses customer challenges.As tools like Perplexity become starting points for B2B research, your visibility there matters more than traditional Google rankings. The search market is diversifying rapidly, asAlixPartners notes, and your strategy must adapt now.BIG IDEA:The goal is becoming the definitive answer source for AI, not just ranking on Google.WHY IT MATTERS:Your buyers already use AI for discovery. If your content isn't optimized for LLM citations, you're invisible to a growing, high-intent audience segment.Comment insights:Matt Diggityhighlights that AI sends more qualified users deeper into sites, bypassing homepages.Jeff Sheehanpoints out the question is now "how do I market when AI is the gatekeeper?"Crystal Carter of Semrushconfirms AI Overviews can sometimes increase clicks, especially for complex queries.Clean Data Strategy Builds Buyer TrustAre you prepared for the "Great Regulatory Patchwork"? With conflicting state-level privacy laws and no federal standard, U.S. businesses face a compliance minefield that AI makes increasingly treacherous.The challenge lies where privacy, security, and AI governance converge. AsOmeda's reporthighlights, AI's data hunger directly conflicts with principles like data minimization, creating a paradox: you need data for effective AI, but misusing it risks massive fines underGDPR and CCPA.For B2B leaders, this transcends legal compliance – it's about customer trust.Khairie Apirin observesthat mentioning AI use often triggers immediate security concerns. A transparent AI ethics framework andpreventing model data leakagehave become competitive differentiators in enterprise sales.BIG IDEA:Transparent data governance is now a core marketing and sales function, not just compliance.WHY IT MATTERS:Enterprise buyers are increasingly skeptical of AI's "black box." Without clear data policies, you may be disqualified before your demo.Comment insights:Zack Braitermanwarns clients demand governance and transparency to avoid being burned by AI hype.Samuel Sungnotes that while leaders want AI, trust concerns like data privacy remain the biggest adoption hurdles.Better UX Delivers 9.4% Revenue UpliftWhat if UX improvements could directly boost revenue? New data shows that for complex B2B tools, superior user experience is one of the most powerful growth levers available.Enterprise UX transcends aesthetics to deliver measurable business impact through software that makes employees more productive. Success requires tracking specific metrics like task completion time, adoption rates, and support ticket reduction, asIdeas2IT explains.The results speak volumes: Microsoft found Copilot led to a9.4% revenue increase per sellerand 20% more won deals. Similarly, footwear brand Clove achieved 3x ROI throughAI-driven UX improvements withYuma.ai. AsTom Levi-Haluch notes, poor enterprise UX creates costly "software chaos."BIG IDEA:Enterprise UX is a revenue driver, not a cost center.WHY IT MATTERS:Customers make purchase decisions based on time-to-value. A clunky product erodes value and opens doors for competitors, while frictionless UX creates stickiness and justifies premium pricing.Comment insights:FromValueshares that every $1 invested in UX can return up to $100.Fred Damasusargues many SaaS companies sit on growth potential by simply fixing their user experience.WorkZen_apppoints out bad UX drives low adoption, wasting millions in SaaS spend.AI Sales Agents Transform Go-to-MarketIs your SDR team becoming obsolete? A new class of AI-powered agents is automating top-of-funnel activities, forcing a rethink of GTM strategy. This isn't about replacement but elevation.These aren't simple chatbots. AI SDR agents from companies likeLuruhandle entire outbound workflows – from ICP matching and personalized multi-channel outreach to converting site visitors into qualified meetings. They create frictionless lead generation by eliminating repetitive tasks that slow both sellers and buyers.Companies are implementing this now.Databricks built a "Field AI Assistant"giving sellers a 360-degree customer view while automating data hygiene. AsRosalyn Santa Elena highlights, the future lies in leveraging "signals" to automate action and boost efficiency.BIG IDEA:AI agents handle top-of-funnel grunt work so human teams can focus exclusively on relationship-driven conversations.WHY IT MATTERS:Your competitors already use AI to build pipeline faster. If your team still does manual prospecting and data entry, you're operating at a growing disadvantage.Comment insights:Jordan Plattenpredicts AI agents will soon fully manage lead nurturing and appointment setting.Sumit Kumar Guptahighlights the power of combining intent data with automated outreach for hyper-targeting at scale.AI Implementation Requires Hard Operational WorkWhy do so many AI projects stall after pilots? It's rarely about algorithms. The biggest hurdles are mundane: messy data, complex integrations, and poor change management.Getting AI to deliver business value is an operational challenge.Gartner's reportstresses that value comes from specific use cases, not the tech itself. Enterprises struggle with siloed data and integrating AI with legacy systems. AsSierra CEO Bret Taylor explains, building enterprise AI agents is incredibly difficult due to countless edge cases.This reality check debunks several myths, including that more tools automatically guarantee higher ROI, asDataiku explains. The financial burden is substantial, with compute, data, and talent costs often underestimated according toArcee.ai. Success requires experimental culture, not just technology budget.BIG IDEA:Successful AI implementation requires disciplined data governance and realistic project scoping, not just advanced models.WHY IT MATTERS:Without addressing operational realities, your AI initiatives will likely remain in "pilot purgatory," burning cash without delivering outcomes.Comment insights:Aref Amidinotes that AI enterprise sales cycles are complicated by customers wanting to see AI working with their production data before buying.Theis Søndergaardpoints out that employees often lack autonomy to test new AI solutions independently.B2B Buyers Demand Digital-First ExperienceRemember when GTM meant getting prospects on the phone? That era is fading. Today's B2B buyers, especially in retail and tech, prefer fully digital, self-serve purchasing—and your strategy must adapt.Modern B2B buying mirrors B2C experiences. ABigCommerce reportfinds retail buyers prefer digital channels from research through purchase. This means your website and content do the selling long before sales involvement. The goal has shifted from awareness to influence, according toForbes.Success requires building a brand people actively seek.Wiz's CMOcreated a marketing machine through community and brand-led growth rather than traditional tactics. This often means elevating internal experts as B2B creators, a strategy explored byThe Ask... newsletter. AsMcKinsey argues, brand drives B2B growth.BIG IDEA:Your company is your primary sales channel, and your brand is your most valuable salesperson.WHY IT MATTERS:If your strategy still relies heavily on outbound sales and gated content, you're alienating buyers who want self-directed research. A strong brand is essential in a self-serve world.Comment insights:OneReddit useremphasizes that B2B success requires building a digital presence that provides value before requesting a sale.B2B Tech Faces Consolidation and Price HikesPowerful market forces are reshaping B2B tech beyond GTM strategy. Understanding these shifts—from industry consolidation to soaring talent costs—is crucial for planning.The era of cheap growth is over. In 2025,Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google all raised prices, signaling an industry-wide focus on profitability over growth-at-all-costs. This accompanies consolidation, with larger players acquiring smaller ones to buy innovation, as seen in theA/B testing space.Meanwhile, the AI talent war rages, with compensation packages reaching levels once reserved for professional athletes, asBen Thompson notes. This pressures midsize companies competing for engineers. According toMicrosoft, capital is shifting from people to AI infrastructure, fundamentally changing how tech companies operate.BIG IDEA:The SaaS industry is maturing, forcing a shift from "blitzscaling" to sustainable, profitable growth through pricing power.WHY IT MATTERS:You're competing in a market defined by price sensitivity, talent wars, and strategic moves by giants. Your budget, hiring plans, and pricing strategy must reflect this reality.Comment insights:Dagnum_PIpoints out that many enterprises have cut AI budgets, showing a disconnect between hype and actual spending priorities.Until next week!

🚀 Connect on LinkedIn💡 B2B Website Inspiration

AI Search Delivers 4.4x More Valuable Visitors

What if most of your organic traffic vanished tomorrow? For many, AI Overviews and conversational search are already siphoning clicks from top-ranking pages, making old SEO playbooks increasingly ineffective.

The goal is no longer securing a blue link but becoming the authoritative source an LLM cites. According to aSemrush study, AI-driven visitors are 4.4 times more valuable because they arrive with higher intent. This shift demandsPain Point LLMO(Large Language Model Optimization) – creating product-centric, bottom-of-funnel content that directly addresses customer challenges.

As tools like Perplexity become starting points for B2B research, your visibility there matters more than traditional Google rankings. The search market is diversifying rapidly, asAlixPartners notes, and your strategy must adapt now.

BIG IDEA:The goal is becoming the definitive answer source for AI, not just ranking on Google.

WHY IT MATTERS:Your buyers already use AI for discovery. If your content isn't optimized for LLM citations, you're invisible to a growing, high-intent audience segment.

Comment insights:

Matt Diggityhighlights that AI sends more qualified users deeper into sites, bypassing homepages.Jeff Sheehanpoints out the question is now "how do I market when AI is the gatekeeper?"Crystal Carter of Semrushconfirms AI Overviews can sometimes increase clicks, especially for complex queries.

Clean Data Strategy Builds Buyer Trust

Are you prepared for the "Great Regulatory Patchwork"? With conflicting state-level privacy laws and no federal standard, U.S. businesses face a compliance minefield that AI makes increasingly treacherous.

The challenge lies where privacy, security, and AI governance converge. AsOmeda's reporthighlights, AI's data hunger directly conflicts with principles like data minimization, creating a paradox: you need data for effective AI, but misusing it risks massive fines underGDPR and CCPA.

For B2B leaders, this transcends legal compliance – it's about customer trust.Khairie Apirin observesthat mentioning AI use often triggers immediate security concerns. A transparent AI ethics framework andpreventing model data leakagehave become competitive differentiators in enterprise sales.

BIG IDEA:Transparent data governance is now a core marketing and sales function, not just compliance.

WHY IT MATTERS:Enterprise buyers are increasingly skeptical of AI's "black box." Without clear data policies, you may be disqualified before your demo.

Comment insights:

Zack Braitermanwarns clients demand governance and transparency to avoid being burned by AI hype.Samuel Sungnotes that while leaders want AI, trust concerns like data privacy remain the biggest adoption hurdles.

Better UX Delivers 9.4% Revenue Uplift

What if UX improvements could directly boost revenue? New data shows that for complex B2B tools, superior user experience is one of the most powerful growth levers available.

Enterprise UX transcends aesthetics to deliver measurable business impact through software that makes employees more productive. Success requires tracking specific metrics like task completion time, adoption rates, and support ticket reduction, asIdeas2IT explains.

The results speak volumes: Microsoft found Copilot led to a9.4% revenue increase per sellerand 20% more won deals. Similarly, footwear brand Clove achieved 3x ROI throughAI-driven UX improvements withYuma.ai. AsTom Levi-Haluch notes, poor enterprise UX creates costly "software chaos."

BIG IDEA:Enterprise UX is a revenue driver, not a cost center.

WHY IT MATTERS:Customers make purchase decisions based on time-to-value. A clunky product erodes value and opens doors for competitors, while frictionless UX creates stickiness and justifies premium pricing.

Comment insights:

FromValueshares that every $1 invested in UX can return up to $100.Fred Damasusargues many SaaS companies sit on growth potential by simply fixing their user experience.WorkZen_apppoints out bad UX drives low adoption, wasting millions in SaaS spend.

AI Sales Agents Transform Go-to-Market

Is your SDR team becoming obsolete? A new class of AI-powered agents is automating top-of-funnel activities, forcing a rethink of GTM strategy. This isn't about replacement but elevation.

These aren't simple chatbots. AI SDR agents from companies likeLuruhandle entire outbound workflows – from ICP matching and personalized multi-channel outreach to converting site visitors into qualified meetings. They create frictionless lead generation by eliminating repetitive tasks that slow both sellers and buyers.

Companies are implementing this now.Databricks built a "Field AI Assistant"giving sellers a 360-degree customer view while automating data hygiene. AsRosalyn Santa Elena highlights, the future lies in leveraging "signals" to automate action and boost efficiency.

BIG IDEA:AI agents handle top-of-funnel grunt work so human teams can focus exclusively on relationship-driven conversations.

WHY IT MATTERS:Your competitors already use AI to build pipeline faster. If your team still does manual prospecting and data entry, you're operating at a growing disadvantage.

Comment insights:

Jordan Plattenpredicts AI agents will soon fully manage lead nurturing and appointment setting.Sumit Kumar Guptahighlights the power of combining intent data with automated outreach for hyper-targeting at scale.

AI Implementation Requires Hard Operational Work

Why do so many AI projects stall after pilots? It's rarely about algorithms. The biggest hurdles are mundane: messy data, complex integrations, and poor change management.

Getting AI to deliver business value is an operational challenge.Gartner's reportstresses that value comes from specific use cases, not the tech itself. Enterprises struggle with siloed data and integrating AI with legacy systems. AsSierra CEO Bret Taylor explains, building enterprise AI agents is incredibly difficult due to countless edge cases.

This reality check debunks several myths, including that more tools automatically guarantee higher ROI, asDataiku explains. The financial burden is substantial, with compute, data, and talent costs often underestimated according toArcee.ai. Success requires experimental culture, not just technology budget.

BIG IDEA:Successful AI implementation requires disciplined data governance and realistic project scoping, not just advanced models.

WHY IT MATTERS:Without addressing operational realities, your AI initiatives will likely remain in "pilot purgatory," burning cash without delivering outcomes.

Comment insights:

Aref Amidinotes that AI enterprise sales cycles are complicated by customers wanting to see AI working with their production data before buying.Theis Søndergaardpoints out that employees often lack autonomy to test new AI solutions independently.

B2B Buyers Demand Digital-First Experience

Remember when GTM meant getting prospects on the phone? That era is fading. Today's B2B buyers, especially in retail and tech, prefer fully digital, self-serve purchasing—and your strategy must adapt.

Modern B2B buying mirrors B2C experiences. ABigCommerce reportfinds retail buyers prefer digital channels from research through purchase. This means your website and content do the selling long before sales involvement. The goal has shifted from awareness to influence, according toForbes.

Success requires building a brand people actively seek.Wiz's CMOcreated a marketing machine through community and brand-led growth rather than traditional tactics. This often means elevating internal experts as B2B creators, a strategy explored byThe Ask... newsletter. AsMcKinsey argues, brand drives B2B growth.

BIG IDEA:Your company is your primary sales channel, and your brand is your most valuable salesperson.

WHY IT MATTERS:If your strategy still relies heavily on outbound sales and gated content, you're alienating buyers who want self-directed research. A strong brand is essential in a self-serve world.

Comment insights:

OneReddit useremphasizes that B2B success requires building a digital presence that provides value before requesting a sale.

B2B Tech Faces Consolidation and Price Hikes

Powerful market forces are reshaping B2B tech beyond GTM strategy. Understanding these shifts—from industry consolidation to soaring talent costs—is crucial for planning.

The era of cheap growth is over. In 2025,Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google all raised prices, signaling an industry-wide focus on profitability over growth-at-all-costs. This accompanies consolidation, with larger players acquiring smaller ones to buy innovation, as seen in theA/B testing space.

Meanwhile, the AI talent war rages, with compensation packages reaching levels once reserved for professional athletes, asBen Thompson notes. This pressures midsize companies competing for engineers. According toMicrosoft, capital is shifting from people to AI infrastructure, fundamentally changing how tech companies operate.

BIG IDEA:The SaaS industry is maturing, forcing a shift from "blitzscaling" to sustainable, profitable growth through pricing power.

WHY IT MATTERS:You're competing in a market defined by price sensitivity, talent wars, and strategic moves by giants. Your budget, hiring plans, and pricing strategy must reflect this reality.

Comment insights:

Dagnum_PIpoints out that many enterprises have cut AI budgets, showing a disconnect between hype and actual spending priorities.

Until next week!