Getting new customers is one of the hardest parts of running a B2B business. Long sales cycles, hard-to-reach decision-makers and rising costs make customer acquisition feel like an uphill climb.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to build a simple B2B customer acquisition strategy that works in today’s market. We’ll cover the top channels, key sales tactics for 2025 and the metrics that matter most.
What is B2B customer acquisition?
B2B customer acquisition is the process of attracting and converting new business customers.
It involves marketing and sales teams working together to move sales prospects through the funnel, from first touch to final purchase.
The process is longer and more complex than in B2C, often requiring multiple touchpoints and engagement with several stakeholders.
Customer acquisition typically includes a mix of:
Outbound marketing
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Email marketing
Social media marketing campaigns
Paid advertising (e.g., Google Ads, LinkedIn, retargeting)
Sales outreach and cold calling
Webinars and events
Content marketing (e.g., blogs, reports, videos)
Account-based marketing (ABM)
The exact mix of channels you should use depends on your business goals, ideal customer profile (ICP) and which sales tactics have historically driven the best results.
For example, a medium-sized SaaS company with strong LinkedIn engagement might focus on building trust and awareness through employee posts and thought leadership content from its C-level executives.
On the other hand, another SaaS might focus on SEO and publish a lot of high-quality, in-depth content to drive qualified B2B leads.
In both cases, success comes down to alignment. When your messaging, channels and outreach are built around your target audience’s needs, your acquisition efforts are more likely to convert.
Why so many companies struggle with B2B customer acquisition
Even with the right tools and a solid product, many B2B companies still struggle to turn interest into action. The problem isn’t always the market; it’s often the strategy.
Sales cycles are getting longer. According to Databox, it takes more than two months to close an average B2B deal. For SaaS companies, it’s closer to 2.5 months.
Sales cycle length directly impacts the B2B SaaS customer acquisition cost and the resources needed to keep leads moving.
There’s also been a shift in how buying decisions get made. A study by Wynter found the average B2B deal now includes five decision-makers. And by the time a buyer is ready to engage, 78% have narrowed their list to just three vendors.
If you’re not on that shortlist, you don’t get the meeting.
Without a clear, focused B2B customer acquisition strategy, it’s easy to get lost in the noise before you even get the chance to pitch.
Tip: Your website is often your first impression, so make it count. Keep messaging simple, focus on your ICP’s pain points and include interactive demos where possible. Research shows 82% of buyers use product demos to evaluate fit before ever speaking with a rep.
How to build a B2B customer acquisition strategy
There’s no one-size-fits-all playbook for winning new customers. A strong strategy starts with knowing who you’re targeting, how they buy and which channels move the needle.
Here’s how to set your foundation.
Define your ICP and buyer personas
The first step in building a solid B2B customer acquisition strategy is knowing exactly who you’re selling to.
Create an ideal customer profile (ICP) based on company size, industry, location and the decision-maker’s job title.
Here is an example of an ICP for a B2B SaaS company.
Once you know the type of business you’re selling to, build buyer personas for those involved in the buying process. Buyer personas help shape your messaging, content and outreach to match what each person cares about most.
For example, let’s say you’re targeting a marketing agency. Key personas could include:
The managing director who wants growth and better pipeline visibility
The sales lead who needs automation and faster follow-up
The head of marketing who’s focused on lead quality and campaign performance
Below is an example of a buyer persona for a sales manager:
With these details in place, you can communicate your value proposition at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Speaking to a specific buyer makes it more likely they’ll engage and convert.
Better understand your customers with our Buyer Persona Templates
Understand the B2B customer journey
The B2B customer journey includes every step a prospect takes from learning about your business to becoming a paying customer.
It’s not always a straight line, but there are two main stages of lead management to focus on: lead generation and lead nurturing.
Lead generation is about getting on your buyer’s radar. You might get their attention through a blog post, a LinkedIn ad or a webinar.
At this stage, your marketing strategy should focus on visibility and value. Educational content, SEO and social media are great ways to attract potential customers who match your ICP.
Lead nurturing kicks in after someone shows interest. Once you’ve got their attention, you can build trust and help decision-makers move forward.
Use follow-up emails, whitepapers, retargeting ads and demos to answer questions and guide them through the sales funnel.
For example, here’s how a small IT support provider might target mid-sized manufacturers looking to outsource help desk operations.
A visitor downloads a guide on reducing downtime through proactive monitoring
The contact is added to a follow-up sequence
Over the next two weeks, they receive an email lead nurturing series, a client success story and an offer for a free network audit
The goal of each touchpoint is to build trust, confidence and eventually encourage conversation.
Understanding the buyer’s journey helps you meet potential customers where they are and move them forward with the right content, tools and timing.
Choose the right marketing channels
The right marketing channels support strong lead qualification and drive real revenue. A multichannel approach can work well, but only if it’s data-driven. Focus your time and budget on what’s proven to convert.
Review where your best leads come from. Look at conversion rates, lead quality and the time it takes for those leads to move through the sales funnel.
Channels like Google Ads, email marketing or LinkedIn might all play a role, but your mix should be shaped by what’s actually delivering results.
For example, a financial advisory firm might see most of its high-quality leads come from referral traffic and in-person events. Rather than invest heavily in social ads, they focus their marketing efforts on developing sales referral techniques and running webinars.
Stay flexible. Your highest-performing channels today may shift over time as customer behavior changes.
Track performance regularly. Double down on what’s working and don’t be afraid to drop channels that aren’t moving the needle.
When every channel clearly plays a role in your strategy, your acquisition efforts become more focused, efficient and scalable.
9 B2B customer acquisition tactics and channels to try in 2025
The smartest B2B companies focus on the tactics that move leads through the funnel and fit how their buyers want to engage.
Below are nine proven tactics and marketing channels to help you attract high-quality leads, build trust and close more deals.
1. LinkedIn: the best place for B2B brand building
LinkedIn remains the top social platform for B2B companies in 2025.
With over 1.2 billion members and 1.77 billion monthly visits, the site gives sales and marketing teams direct access to the people who influence decision-making.
LinkedIn is especially strong for targeting and engagement. Nearly half of B2B marketers say the social site is their most valuable platform, and 86% use it for digital marketing.
For example, Exit Five, the B2B marketing community led by Dave Gerhardt, has used LinkedIn as a PR channel to grow its reach and build its following to 73,000 and paid memberships to over 5,000.
By consistently posting insights and engaging with other marketers, Exit Five has built an audience and generated business without spending heavily on ads.
Tip: If you want to start posting on LinkedIn but struggle with time or what to say, try training a GPT model on your voice. AI can help speed up the writing and ideation process while keeping everything aligned with your tone.
2. Email marketing: still delivering strong ROI
Despite the explosion of new channels like TikTok over the last few years, email remains one of the highest ROI tools in B2B marketing. It’s direct, flexible and easy to personalize.
That said, not all industries see the same results. According to Litmus, travel and tourism companies report ROI as high as 53:1, while software and tech companies see lower returns.
Here are a few things to keep in mind to make emails work:
Email frequency. Too few or too many can hurt performance. The sweet spot is 5–8 emails per month.
Email list size. Bigger lists tend to deliver higher ROI. Focus on growing your list alongside sending campaigns.
A/B testing. The more you test, the better your results. Try split testing subject lines, content formats like case studies and your CTAs with every send.
For larger teams, email supports large-scale outreach, ABM campaigns and multi-touch nurture programs across complex sales cycles.
For SMBs, it’s a cost-effective way to stay top of mind and build personalized relationships.
One great example comes from Submission Technology, a lead generation agency. The company combines advanced list segmentation with ongoing A/B testing, fine-tuning its messaging based on real engagement data.
In one campaign, they saw a 31.14% open rate and a 5.3% click-through rate. These results are well above industry benchmarks, with open rates 69% higher than average.
Submission Technology also segmented lists by traits like gender or subscriber status (new vs. returning) so they could deliver more relevant content, increasing engagement and deliverability.
Tip: Campaigns by Pipedrive is an email marketing software that lets you send targeted, on-brand emails straight from your CRM. It includes a drag-and-drop email builder, email analytics and powerful segmentation capabilities, all from one place.
3. Account-based marketing (ABM): personalize to grow your pipeline
The average buyer sees hundreds of marketing messages a day. It’s no surprise that 82% of SaaS marketing leaders say breaking through is harder now than it was a few years ago.
ABM flips the script on the traditional marketing funnel. Instead of casting a wide net, you start with a carefully selected list of high-value accounts, then build personalized messaging and experiences around each one.
It works because it’s specific. Research from Momentum ITSMA shows most ABM programs drive real business impact, including pipeline and revenue growth.
A great example comes from subscription management platform RevenueCat.
They built a personalized ABM campaign that targeted key decision-makers at mobile app companies. Visitors from target accounts saw personalized headlines, content and calls to action based on their company details.
RevenueCat saw a 30% increase in demo requests and a 75% lift in conversion rates from their priority accounts.
Done well, ABM sharpens your messaging and accelerates deals with the accounts that matter most.
Note: Pipedrive is ABM software that makes targeting high-value accounts easier. The platform lets you track every interaction, segment key accounts, build custom pipelines and automate follow-ups – so you constantly engage the right people at the right time.
4. Influencer marketing: trusted voices drive results
Influencer marketing isn’t just for consumer brands anymore. In 2025, it’s become a core part of the B2B customer acquisition strategy.
According to recent industry data, 75% of B2B companies are already using influencer marketing.
B2B buyers trust people more than logos. The key is partnering with the right voices – industry experts, creators or consultants who have credibility with your target audience.
These aren’t high-follower “celebrities”, but niche thought leaders who regularly speak to your ideal customer.
Here are some tips on how to build an effective B2B influencer marketing plan:
Start with your ICP. Identify the people your buyers already follow. Look for creators with reach inside your ideal industries, company sizes and roles.
Choose the right platforms. LinkedIn, YouTube and niche newsletters are often more effective than mass platforms.
Pick the right format. Consider what’s most useful to your audience: webinars, social posts, podcast interviews, guest blog content or co-branded assets.
Make it valuable, not promotional. Focus on education or insight, not a product pitch. The goal is to build credibility and trust.
Track impact. Monitor engagement, demo requests, inbound lead quality and influence on deal velocity to measure success.
A great example is Devin Reed, former Head of Content at Gong. With over 91,000 followers on LinkedIn, Devin shares weekly posts on storytelling, content strategy and revenue leadership.
He rarely talks about tools directly, but when he does, it works because the tool is relevant to his audience and he frames the post around a story or pain point that’s relevant to them.
Take the example below, where Devin is promoting Notion:
When you collaborate with the right people and focus on delivering real value, your brand becomes part of conversations that matter.
Note: Beyond individual influencers, co-marketing partnerships with companies that share your ICP can be incredibly effective. Whether it’s a joint webinar, co-branded guide or podcast guest swap, partnerships help you reach warm audiences with built-in credibility.
5. Interactive demos: convert interest into action
Modern B2B buyers don’t want to book a sales call just to see how your product works. They want to explore it on their own terms.
That’s why interactive product demos are becoming one of the most effective tools in B2B.
Navattic’s State of the Interactive Product Demo 2025 report shows that companies using interactive demos see a 20–25% lift in website conversion rates. These demos reduce friction in the sales funnel by showing value up front and helping qualify leads before a rep even reaches out.
One company implementing these demos is Ramp, a finance automation platform. Using Navattic, the company added a self-guided product tour to its website.
Since launch, interactive demos have contributed 15% of all leads collected through Ramp’s site. More importantly, Ramp reports a significantly higher conversion rate among prospects who complete the demo.
These increases prove that buyers who experience the product early are more likely to become customers.
Tip: If you’re considering using an interactive demo, leave it ungated. According to Navattic’s report, 71% of the top-performing demos don’t begin with a form gate.
6. Paid advertising: fast-track awareness and lead generation
Paid advertising continues to be one of the fastest ways to reach your target audience. It’s especially important for businesses entering new markets, launching new products or trying to generate quick results.
According to Statista, global advertising spending reached $791.61 billion in 2024, with digital ads accounting for 70% of that total. The momentum isn’t slowing down.
Google alone is forecast to generate $340 billion in ad revenue by 2027, holding its spot as the top channel for digital ad investment.
For B2B companies, paid media still works because it’s measurable, scalable and precise.
Whether using Google Ads to capture high-intent searches or running LinkedIn campaigns to target specific job titles and industries, paid advertising allows you to control your reach and message at every funnel stage.
Here’s how to approach paid advertising in 2025:
Start with intent-based targeting. Focus on keywords or audiences that show buyer intent. For Google Ads, this means bottom-of-funnel terms like “best CRM for agencies” or “compare pricing CRM tools”.
Choose the right platform for your audience. Use LinkedIn for job title targeting, Google for search intent and retargeting platforms to stay top of mind.
Use dedicated landing pages. Drive ad traffic to tailored pages that match the messaging in your ad and include a clear, relevant CTA.
Test and iterate often. A/B test headlines, visuals and CTAs to improve conversion rates. Start with smaller budgets and scale what’s working.
Track CAC and ROI from day one. Monitor cost-per-lead, conversion rates and customer acquisition cost to stay efficient.
When done well, paid ads help fill pipeline gaps, support ABM campaigns and amplify organic marketing efforts by quickly getting your message in front of decision-makers.
Tip: Start small, scale fast. Test messaging and targeting on a smaller budget before increasing spend. Use early data to double down on high-performing ads and channels.
7. Gifting: stand out in a crowded digital space
Gifting has emerged as one of the most effective ways to cut through digital noise and connect with decision-makers personally.
According to a study from Coresight Research, the corporate gifting market is projected to hit $312 billion by the end of 2025. This market growth is being driven by B2B companies looking for new ways to build trust and improve response rates.
Gifting works because it taps into psychology. It’s unexpected, thoughtful and human. Whether it’s a personalized coffee gift, a branded swag box or a donation on a lead’s behalf, the right gift can create a memorable touchpoint that gets your message noticed.
For example, Verkada, a cloud-based building security platform, used gifting to boost pipeline growth and win over hard-to-reach accounts.
They launched a targeted outreach campaign that combined personalized gifts with direct mail and email follow-ups. One of their standout campaigns included sending prospects a YETI mug with a custom note before booking meetings.
Verkada’s gifting campaigns drove 300% ROI and increased response rates across their top enterprise accounts. More importantly, the approach helped build rapport with decision-makers and move conversations forward faster.
Gifting adds a human layer to your acquisition efforts and gives your brand a better shot at expanding its customer base with qualified, engaged buyers.
Tip: Personalization beats price. A thoughtful, relevant gift outperforms expensive, generic swag. Tie the gift to your prospect’s role, industry or recent activity for maximum impact.
8. SEO: rethink visibility in the age of AI
SEO is still a powerful content marketing strategy for customer acquisition. How it works, however, is changing fast.
The rise of AI-powered search, like Google’s AI Overviews, is reshaping how users interact with content. More users now get their answers directly from summaries at the top of the search results, often without clicking through to a page. This shift in search behavior has led to a noticeable drop in top-of-funnel traffic for many websites.
That doesn’t mean SEO lead generation is dead. It just means the strategy needs to change.
Today’s winning strategies are about visibility, credibility and intent alignment. The strategies are less about chasing high-volume keywords and more about answering specific questions, creating trust signals and structuring content to show up in AI summaries.
Here’s how to build an SEO strategy that works in the AI era:
Write for AI snippets. Structure content with clear subheadings, bullet points and direct answers. These formats are more likely to be pulled into AI summaries.
Answer TOFU questions. Even if clicks are lower, top-of-funnel (TOFU) queries still drive awareness. Cover common pain points and industry FAQs to stay visible in early research.
Lean into subject matter expertise. Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) signals matter more than ever. Involve internal experts or executives in your content to increase credibility.
Balance AI and human input. Use AI tools to scale research, outlines or drafts – but layer your brand voice with unique POV and real-world examples to stand out.
Focus on conversion-first pages. Prioritize landing pages, feature comparisons and intent-driven keywords that convert, even if they bring in less traffic overall.
Note: Despite what some marketers believe, AI content can absolutely rank. According to a report from Semrush, AI-written articles are already ranking on Google and performing well when optimized for intent and quality. The key is understanding how to use AI strategically.
9. Sales outreach: still essential, and now smarter with AI
Sales outreach is still one of the most direct and effective ways to convert leads into paying customers. In 2025, sales teams are under more pressure to deliver pipeline growth.
According to Outreach’s Sales 2024 report, SDRs (sales development reps) are expected to carry a significant share of the load, especially at larger companies.
Among all respondents, 26% expect SDRs to generate 31%–40% of pipeline leads
At companies between $250M–$1B in revenue, 38% expect SDRs to generate 41%–50% of pipeline leads
Despite the pressure, there’s optimism. According to Pipedrive’s State of Sales and Marketing report, 76% of respondents have a positive outlook and believe AI can support their teams in doing better work.
For SDRs, that means smarter outreach, faster qualification and more time spent selling.
Here are a couple of tools to help sales teams work more efficiently.
AI chatbots. Website AI chatbots qualify leads in real time by asking pre-written questions and capturing contact info.
Pipedrive’s lead generation software, LeadBooster, is a great example. It includes an AI chatbot that engages visitors automatically and routes qualified leads to the right rep so your team can follow up while interest is high.
AI-assisted prospecting. Instead of digging through disconnected lists, reps can now use AI tools to surface the best-fit contacts based on criteria like job title, company size or industry.
Pipedrive’s Prospector tool does just that. It helps you discover verified leads directly inside your CRM.
With the help of AI and automation, sales teams can focus less on admin and more on building real conversations with the people who are ready to buy.
Tip: Time your outreach for engagement. Use data to identify when prospects are most likely to respond. Pipedrive’s AI Sales Assistant can recommend the best times to reach out based on past interactions.
Key metrics to measure B2B customer acquisition success
The hard work is all for nothing if you’re not tracking the right metrics. Here are the most important metrics to monitor and how to track them.
Metric | Definition and how to track |
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) | The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing spend, sales salaries and tools. Track it by dividing total acquisition costs by the number of new customers gained over a specific period. You can then compare this to your industry’s average customer acquisition cost in B2B. |
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) | The total revenue a customer is expected to generate during their relationship with your business. Calculated using historical revenue data and churn rates. Helps evaluate whether your CAC is sustainable. |
Conversion Rate | The percentage of leads that convert to paying customers. Track landing pages, emails and outbound campaigns to spot what’s working. High rates usually signal strong messaging and targeting. |
ROI (Return on Investment) | Measures the return of your acquisition efforts relative to cost. Use it to justify spending across marketing channels. Formula: (Revenue − Cost) ÷ Cost. |
Customer Retention Rate | The percentage of customers who stay with your company over time. Helps connect acquisition with long-term success. Low retention may mean your messaging is attracting the wrong audience. |
Tracking these metrics consistently helps you understand which parts of your sales strategy are working and where to optimize. The goal isn’t just more leads, but better ones that convert faster and stay longer.
How to streamline B2B customer acquisition with Pipedrive
B2B customer acquisition is complex, but the right tools can make it easier. That’s where Pipedrive comes in.
Pipedrive is a CRM tool built for sales and marketing teams at B2B companies of all sizes. It’s trusted by over 100,000 companies to drive new business and improve conversion rates across the sales funnel.
Pipedrive stands out for its ease of use, built-in automation and growing set of AI business development tools that help sales teams do more with less.
Here are a few features designed to make acquisition faster, smarter and more effective:
Find the right leads faster with Smart Contact Data
Smart Contact Data pulls publicly available info about your contacts (like job title, company size and social profiles) so your team can qualify leads without manual research.
This video offers a quick overview of how Smart Contact Data works:
Once you add a new contact, Pipedrive automatically enriches the profile using online sources. This instant data entry helps your sales team prioritize who to contact, personalize messaging and reduce time spent on admin.
For example, if a rep adds a new lead from LinkedIn, Smart Contact Data might reveal the company’s size, revenue and industry. This information gives you instant context before any outreach begins.
See what’s working across your pipeline with Pipedrive Pulse
Pipedrive Pulse gives your team real-time insights into your sales activity. It shows which actions drive results, who’s hitting targets and where leads are getting stuck in the pipeline.
Pulse tracks activity such as calls made, emails sent, deals created and follow-ups logged. The visual dashboard helps sales managers quickly spot what’s working and coach their teams more effectively.
Let’s say a rep is booking many meetings but not closing deals. Pulse might show they’re skipping a key follow-up step. Now you know where to train and where to improve.
Note: Pipedrive Pulse is a new feature currently in development. Built to highlight what’s working across your sales activity, it gives you the clarity to turn more leads into real opportunities. Join the waitlist now.
Never miss a follow-up with the AI Sales Assistant
The AI Sales Assistant analyzes your activity and suggests smart next steps to keep deals moving. It flags deals at risk of going cold, highlights which contacts to follow up with and even recommends the best times to reach out.
It’s like having a co-pilot for your pipeline. AI Sales Assistant reps stay on track without relying on guesswork.
Watch this quick overview to learn how this tool helps reps stay on track without relying on guesswork:
For example, if a deal hasn’t moved in five days, the AI Assistant might suggest sending a product comparison or scheduling a follow-up call. That kind of proactive prompt helps keep leads engaged and increases win rates.
Write smarter, faster outreach with the AI email writer
Pipedrive’s AI email writer helps reps draft clear, personalized emails in seconds. Just input your goal – like booking a meeting or following up after a demo – and the AI generates a message that’s on-brand and ready to send.
The tool also adapts your tone and pulls in contact data so your outreach feels human, not robotic.
For instance, if a rep wants to follow up after a webinar, they can generate an email that thanks the lead for attending, recaps key takeaways and invites them to book a call.
Final thoughts
B2B customer acquisition is getting harder, but it’s far from impossible.
With a good strategy, smart targeting and the right tools, your team can attract high-quality leads, build trust and turn interest into paying customers.
Pipedrive helps simplify and scale every step of the customer acquisition process. From tracking outreach to optimizing follow-ups, it’s built to support teams focused on complex B2B sales.
Start your free 14-day trial of Pipedrive today, no credit card required.
