In business-to-business (B2B) content marketing, companies target other businesses with educational, industry-focused content. This means crafting valuable resources that address professional buyers’ needs, building trust and authority. Industry-leading brands like Salesforce, HubSpot, IBM, and Adobe each illustrate proven B2B content marketing strategies. For example, when COVID struck, Salesforce immediately launched a Leading Through Change content series on March 17, 2020 – days before lockdowns – by following a documented content strategy and training 1,300 marketers to execute it. Across examples, these leaders combine thought leadership, customer storytelling, and multi-channel campaigns to engage business audiences. For additional content marketing strategy examples and inspiration, see MarketingOWO’s guide to content marketing strategy examples.
Industry Leaders’ B2B Content Marketing Strategies
Salesforce’s B2B Content Marketing Strategy
Salesforce exemplifies agility and preparation. The company relied on a documented content plan across its business units so it could pivot rapidly when COVID-19 hit. In mid-March 2020 Salesforce scrapped pre-planned campaigns and launched Leading Through Change, a co-created content series focusing on customer needs. Key principles guided this pivot: make content a strategic partner in planning, co-create content with customers and partners, and stop “random acts of content” by using focused series that lead the audience onward. Salesforce also removed content gates (making most offers free) to help customers in crisis. The result was an award-winning B2B program and a model of agile marketing – showing how being prepared and flexible can dramatically boost engagement.
HubSpot’s B2B Content Marketing Strategy
HubSpot built its brand by treating content as the product. The company’s marketing blog is organized by topic (Marketing, Sales, Service, etc.) so each visitor finds exactly relevant material. As HubSpot proudly notes, its blogs are “your number-one source for education and inspiration”. HubSpot didn’t stop at written content. It diversified into newsletters (e.g. The Hustle for tech/business news), video series, and podcasts. For instance, The Hustle newsletter and YouTube shows like Marketing with HubSpot reinforce the brand’s expertise while capturing leads. By mapping content to buyer needs, HubSpot segments prospects by interest: marketing managers find blog posts on audience-building, while salespeople get smart-selling tips. This multi-format, inbound approach makes HubSpot a go-to knowledge hub for marketers and has generated massive organic traffic and lead pipelines.
IBM’s B2B Content Marketing Strategy
IBM’s content playbook centers on thought leadership and personalization. The company uses its IBM THINK blog and Institute for Business Value to publish in-depth research, white papers, and expert interviews on AI, cloud, security and other trends. This emphasis on education positions IBM as a visionary authority. IBM also leverages customer-driven storytelling: it produces many case studies and testimonials that show real clients (like hospitals using Watson AI) solving problems with IBM tech. Beyond articles, IBM creates diverse formats—webinars, videos, infographics, and even hands-on developer resources—to meet different needs. Critically, IBM uses data and advanced analytics to personalize content by industry, role, and stage of the buyer journey. These pillars helped IBM shift its brand from “legacy hardware” to “innovative leader,” demonstrating that educational, multi-channel content can reshape perception.
Adobe’s B2B Content Marketing Strategy
Adobe takes a creative approach by partnering with influencers and experts. In one Adobe Experience Cloud campaign, marketers targeted 900+ EMEA accounts for Adobe Analytics tools. Instead of standard ads, Adobe co-created a content piece featuring industry experts as “influencer heroes”. They amplified it via LinkedIn and email. The result: 2× the typical engagement for Adobe campaigns and a 150% jump in LinkedIn form completions. This shows that in B2B tech, leveraging trusted voices (data strategists, analysts, etc.) can make complex products more relatable. (Adobe also emphasizes its own content, but this case highlights innovation.) In general, Adobe’s strategy blends strong technical content (ebooks, webinars) with creative distribution tactics like influencer partnerships to boost awareness.
Key Insights on B2B Content Marketing Strategies
Across these examples, several key insights emerge:
- Thought Leadership Builds Trust. Enterprise buyers look for expertise. Both IBM and HubSpot invest heavily in original research and in-depth content, establishing authority.
- Customer-Centric Storytelling. Real-world case studies and testimonials (as IBM and Salesforce use) show tangible value and resonate with prospects.
- Diversify Formats and Channels. Don’t rely on one content type. HubSpot’s mix of blogs, newsletters (The Hustle), videos, and podcasts captures different audiences. IBM’s mix of blogs, webinars, and interactive media caters to varied buyer preferences.
- Data-Driven Personalization. Use analytics to tailor content. IBM segments by role and industry, ensuring relevance. Salesforce similarly ensured each line-of-business team had tailored plans.
- Agility and Relevance. Build flexibility into your strategy. Salesforce’s rapid pivot (launching a content series within weeks of the pandemic’s start) highlights the payoff of agile planning.
- Creative Collaborations. Partnering can amplify reach. Adobe’s use of influencers shows that co-creating content with experts doubles engagement.
- Visualization (Infographics). Turning complex processes into visuals aids understanding. Suggested visual: an infographic timeline of Salesforce’s swift content launch, or a flowchart of IBM’s content pillars, could make these strategies clearer.
| Company | Strategy Focus | Example/Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Agile content planning & execution | “Leading Through Change” series launched March 2020 |
| HubSpot | Inbound marketing with multi-channel content | Segmented blog, The Hustle newsletter, and YouTube education series |
| IBM | Thought leadership & personalization | IBM THINK blog, research reports, case studies tailored to buyer roles |
| Adobe | Influencer-driven B2B campaigns | Influencer-led Analytics campaign: 2× engagement and +150% LinkedIn leads |
Table: Key B2B content marketing strategies of leading brands – by focusing on content planning, thought leadership, diverse formats, and partnerships, these companies drive measurable engagement.
By studying these real-world cases and metrics, marketers can adapt proven tactics. For example, start by auditing your content channels (blogs, newsletters, videos, etc.) like HubSpot did. Map content to buyer tasks (the “jobs” buyers need done) and fill gaps with educational assets. Prioritize strategic planning and training so your team can quickly respond to market shifts, as Salesforce showed. And never underestimate storytelling: showcase customers as heroes and include expert voices to deepen credibility.
Eager to apply these strategies? Subscribe to our newsletter for more in-depth marketing case studies and share this post with colleagues. Then, take action: outline a content strategy that includes at least one new format (blog series, webinar, infographic, etc.), use data to personalize it, and measure the impact. By learning from industry leaders and testing smart tactics, you can transform your B2B content marketing and drive growth in 2025 and beyond.
