We are in a time where content marketing is more widespread – and more misunderstood – than ever. Every B2B brand is producing content. Blogs. Social media. Video. Webinars. Ebooks. But many aren’t seeing results.
Engagement is down. Audiences are tired. Internally, teams are frustrated.
The problem isn’t content. The problem is how we’re doing it.
We’ve treated content like a broadcast channel—one-directional, polished, and impersonal. That used to work. But buyer behaviour has changed. Trust has declined. Audiences now expect more than information – they expect relevance, connection, and authenticity.
B2B content needs to evolve.
This shift isn’t about keeping up with trends. It’s about building real relationships and long-term brand value in a more sceptical, content-saturated world.
Over the last five years, three key shifts have transformed content strategy in B2B.
Content used to be about high production value and perfect branding. Now, that signals distance and inauthenticity. Today’s audience values real stories, honest insights, and human voices over curated messaging.
People buy from people. When your audience thinks of your brand, they think about the person they spoke to in sales. The team member they saw on LinkedIn. The speaker they heard on a webinar. If you hide behind a logo, you lose the connection.
Before COVID-19, it was easier to post content and get engagement. During the pandemic, everyone was online, and response rates were high. But in the years since, attention has dropped, and audience expectations have changed. We’ve entered an era of burnout, distrust, and oversaturation. Brands that haven’t adapted are seeing diminishing returns.
Your audience still wants content. They’re still researching, learning, and comparing solutions. But they’re consuming differently—and they’re more selective.
Here’s what they’re looking for:
People aren’t scrolling for entertainment. Especially in B2B, they want direct answers. Clear solutions. Insight they can act on. If your content doesn’t deliver this, it’s ignored.
They don’t want faceless brands. They want to hear from the people behind the business. What you believe. How you think. What you’ve experienced. Brands that create through real humans – founders, subject matter experts, team voices – build trust faster.
Long posts without direction, short posts without value—neither work. Your audience will give you their attention if you give them something meaningful. Relevance is now more important than frequency.
If your current content efforts feel like they’re not landing, here’s what to shift:
Start with your audience, not the algorithm. What do they actually need help with? What do they say in calls that they don’t say in public comments? Speak to those needs, even if the format is less “trendy.”
Encourage subject-matter experts, sales reps, and even operations staff to be part of your content ecosystem. Buyers relate to people. When your team shows up—on video, in writing, in comments – it builds familiarity and trust.
Content shouldn’t just push a message out. It should invite a response. Ask questions. Encourage replies. Build relationships in the comments or DMs. This isn’t just good for the algorithm – it’s what turns passive viewers into engaged leads.
High-value content doesn’t always mean longform. But it does mean layered. Use a variety of formats – video, carousels, thought leadership posts, behind-the-scenes updates—and connect them into a unified narrative. Don’t just post once and forget it. Reuse, repurpose, and go deeper.
Content marketing is not a short-term play. It builds over time. A single podcast episode might not generate leads today – but it becomes part of a trust-building library that pays off when your audience is ready to buy. Stay consistent. Prioritise sustainability.
The volume of content in B2B isn’t the issue. The strategy behind it is.
Audiences have changed. Trust is harder to earn. And attention is more expensive than ever.
What they want now is different:
→ Less polish. More personality.
→ Less noise. More nuance.
→ Less visibility. More value.
Brands that succeed will be the ones that shift from broadcasting to connecting. From marketing at people to building with them. From chasing algorithms to staying human.
Because the future of B2B content isn’t louder. It’s smarter.
And it starts with showing up differently.
🎧 Listen to this episode of Transformation 2.0 to why content marketing is no longer optional for B2B brands – and why customer-centric storytelling is the future.
Melbourne, AU | hello@tenpercent.social
