Hello, welcome to this edition! 👋
I’ve spent over 18,720 hours in marketing across 9 years.
In the next two issues of this newsletter, I’m going to break down for you the 20 most important B2B marketing rules I’ve learnt over that period. So you can shorten your learning curve and accelerate your success.
These rules have shaped every marketing campaign I’ve ever run — allowing me to build several 6- and 7-figure businesses.
Let’s dive in.
Before you jump in;
🎉 Announcement: The 2nd edition of my LinkedIn™ Content Creation Bootcamp is now open !
Join me for a 5-week training cohort to:
→ Learn to create and design great content on LinkedIn™
→ Grow your personal brand, become an industry authority
→ Get more visibility, profile views, and leads with content
The next bootcamp starts in 2 weeks. Book your seat now as we’re limited to 10 seats.
The students from the 1st edition completely transformed their content:
“My carousel post went from 20 to 150 engagements. More visibility, more conversations.” Jessica
“Over 5 weeks, my impressions grew 22%, and my profile views, connection invites, and comments growth by 36%.” Teja
Alright let’s jump into the 20 rules (part 1)
Rule #1: Your target market is not homogeneous
This is something I’ve observed time and time again working with clients in a variety of industries:
Some people are ready to buy.
But 95%+ are not.
Yet most marketers focus exclusively on the <5% who are actively purchasing.
Understanding this rule changes everything about how you should approach your marketing.
Because yes — you should definitely target those looking to buy. After all, they are the ones who are going to give you immediate revenue.
But you should never exclusively target these customers because, in doing so, you’re ignoring 95% of your potential customers.
Take this fact into consideration when creating your marketing strategy.
Rule #2: Buyers go through a series of buying stages
I hate to break it to you:
People do not buy B2B services impulsively like they would a bar of chocolate.
B2B purchases follow a predictable psychological sequence:
Each stage of the journey requires different content and messaging.
Yet most marketers try to target everyone with just one message.
The whole point of your marketing is simply to move your buyers through this process — from the left of the chart to the right of the chart.
Rule #3: B2B buyers have non-linear buying journeys
Despite how most funnels are drawn, B2B buyers do not move through a clean, linear path.
Instead, they gather information over weeks or months. One day on LinkedIn, the next day on YouTube. They talk to peers, check out competitors, and consume content out of sequence.
Most traditional funnels do not reflect this reality.
This is why your goal should be to show up across multiple channels with consistent messaging, every day.
That’s how you activate ‘top-of-mind’ awareness which means that, when they’re ready to buy, they’re thinking of you first.
Rule #4: The intent to buy is influenced by multiple factors
You cannot manufacture buying intent out of thin air.
There are a whole variety of internal and external factors that shape buying intent.
Rather than trying to control the uncontrollable…
Focus on positioning your solution as the obvious choice, over and over and over.
That way when their buying intent does emerge, you’re the solution they pick.
Rule #5: B2B businesses have diverse buying dynamics
Buying triggers differ based on where and why they originate inside the business.
Sometimes it’s from the operational team, sometimes it’s from the leadership team.
Depending on where it comes from completely changes the dynamic, including:
The narrative you need to present
Who needs to be convinced
How the decision is justified internally
Ignoring this dynamic leads to messaging that doesn’t actually resonate with the correct decision-maker.
Rule #6: B2B businesses buy in committees
B2B purchases are rarely made by a single person.
Buying committees — sometimes cross-departmental — weigh in on the decision to buy.
Each person has different concerns, asks different questions, and responds to different content. Your marketing needs to address all of them.
Your marketing success comes from understanding each stakeholder’s priorities and designing messaging that aligns with each.
Watch this video to learn everything about my LinkedIn™ Content Creation Bootcamp:
Rule #7: You need to adapt to how prospects buy
Most marketers are using aggressive sales techniques without understanding the buying journey.
Don’t.
As you learnt in rule #3, B2B buyers self-educate before purchasing. They spend weeks or months gathering information, comparing solutions, and conferring with other stakeholders.
Your marketing must adapt to this reality.
No more aggressive sales tactics.
Instead, focus on providing the right information, at the right time, in the right format — consistently.
Rule #8: Avoid shiny object syndrome
The first enemy of positioning is trying to be everything for everyone.
But the most successful B2B companies have razor-sharp focus. They dominate one market opportunity before expanding to others.
Strong positioning requires discipline: choosing not to pursue every opportunity, and instead focusing on one segment, one message, and one clear market opportunity at a time — until it’s working.
The grass will always look greener on the other side. But it’s the most green where you water it :)
Rule #9: Always start from your audience
Don't think "what should we create?", think "what do they need to see?".
Your content and marketing strategies should never start with brainstorming what the company wants to say.
Your starting point is always your audience:
What do they care about?
What information do they lack?
What risks are they managing?
What triggers action for them?
This simple shift makes your marketing customer-centered which means it will resonate far more with your prospect.
Rule #10: Understand why your prospects buy
B2B buyers rarely buy for just one reason.
There are the surface level rational justifications — like to ‘improve efficiency’ or ‘save time’.
Then there are the deeper emotional drivers — like gaining status and recognition or the fear of falling behind competitors.
Marketing that focuses only on product features or cost savings misses the real reasons deals close.
The work is in uncovering both levels — the rational and the emotional — and then addressing them in your messaging.
When your marketing addresses both levels, it becomes significantly more powerful.
These first 10 rules are the foundation
If you can master these 10 rules, you’ll avoid 90% of the common pitfalls of B2B marketing.
These basics are where so many marketing teams go wrong — building campaigns for markets that aren’t ready, creating content no one needs, or pushing sales cycles faster than your buyer is willing to move.
Internalize these rules and your marketing will become aligned with how buying decisions actually happen.
In Part 2, we’ll break down Rules 11 to 20.
Including:
Why you should never ‘funnel’
How to design a great and unique offer
And how to position that offer as the best solution
Here is more information about my LinkedIn™ Content Creation Bootcamp:
I will be your sparring partner for 5 weeks and guide you on your strategy and creation. You’ll get direct access to me during the masterclasses and with 1:1 reviews. With a coach, we’ll review your posts (copy and design) and make sure you maximize your chances of success.
Here are all the perks you’ll access as part of the bootcamp:
Tailored content strategy
Pierre will guide you and review your entire content strategy and plan.
Group coaching
Join 4 masterclasses to learn strategy, ideation, writing, and design.
Community support
Share your questions and challenges in the group for support.
1:1 support
Speak 1:1 with Pierre and a LinkedIn™ coach to learn faster.
Review on your LinkedIn™ posts
Send your posts for review and get actionable feedback before you post them.
Apply 55+ video lessons
Use templates, guides, and tutorials to accelerate your writing
“The bootcamp was fantastic, I’d do it again! The workshops, 1:1 feedback, and coaching with Pierre were incredibly valuable. I started applying his copywriting and design methods immediately.” Teja
Really sharp breakdown - especially Rules 5-7 on buying committees, non-linear journeys, and adapting to how prospects buy. TCLM often explores the finance-ops side: how these dynamics influence payment term negotiations, trade credit, and working-capital planning. Might be useful alongside your marketing view.
(It’s free)- https://tradecredit.substack.com/