B2B Demand Gen: The Key to SaaS Growth

Most B2B SaaS and health tech marketers are stuck in the past, gating content and pushing demos on MQLs that rarely convert.

Marketing this way is like proposing on the first date. It might’ve worked with Elizabeth Taylor, but for the rest of us, it’s desperate…and a little creepy.

Modern buyers don’t play that game anymore. They research and make decisions on their own terms.

That's why demand generation is the smarter strategy for SaaS growth. Instead of forcing leads down a funnel, demand generation focuses on building trust and interest earlier, so that your solution stands out as the obvious choice.

Table of Contents:

1. What is B2B Demand Gen and How Does it Work?

2. The Two Pillars of B2B Demand Generation

3. B2B Demand Gen Strategies

4. Sales and Marketing Alignment

5. Conclusion

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What is B2B Demand Gen and How Does it Work?

Demand generation is a marketing strategy focused on building awareness and interest before a buyer starts searching for a solution.

Think of traditional lead gen like a house party - you send out invites and hope for a good turnout. Demand Gen is like Studio 54 - you build so much buzz that everyone wants in.

Okay, it isn’t that fun, but you get the idea!

To understand why Demand Gen works, we need to understand how buyer behavior is evolving first. 

📊 75% of B2B buyers prefer to make decisions without talking to sales until necessary 

📊 B2B buyers are typically 57-70% through their journey before reaching out

If buyers are hesitant to reach out to sales, they’re even less interested in hearing from sales, with 90% of B2B buyers ignoring cold outreach completely.

But it’s not just buyer behavior that’s changing. Sales cycles are getting longer and more decision makers and jumping into the mix. As buyers rely more on independent research, it’s crucial for marketers to get them the information they need.

90% of buyers believe online content significantly influences their purchasing decisions. So, the demand for quality content is there. But creating demand for your product requires more than just content - it requires the right content and experiences, targeted to the right people, at the right time.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’re not going to sell anything with a single blog post or whitepaper. You need to develop a strategy that captures leads early and sticks with them through the entire buyer’s journey and Demand Gen does just that!

The Two Pillars of B2B Demand Generation

At its core, B2B demand generation rests on two key pillars:

1. Building Awareness and Interest – Ensuring your ideal customers know about your solution, understand its value, and consider it for their business.

   
   

2. Creating a Pipeline of Qualified Leads – Ensuring your sales team has a steady stream of qualified leads to work with. All marketers know all too well how much sales hates wasting time on weak leads!

   
   

That’s it. Those are the 2 objectives of b2b demand gen at the highest level. Let’s double-click and get a little more in the weeds, shall we? 

Building Awareness and Interest

Before you can generate leads, people need to know you exist. This isn’t just about praying and spraying ads into the void and hoping for clicks. It’s about strategically positioning your brand so that your ideal customers see it, understand its value, and want it.

To do that, you need to know your target buyer inside and out. What challenges are they facing? What’s frustrating them daily? And most importantly, how does your solution solve those problems better than anything else out there? The clearer you are on your audience’s pain points, the more compelling your messaging will be. More on this later! 

Creating a Pipeline of Qualified Leads

Once you’ve built awareness, the next step is capturing that interest in the form of high-quality leads for your sales team - emphasis on quality.

A strong demand gen strategy ensures that the leads coming in are already a good match for your product. If you nailed pillar 1, then this part should be almost natural. The quality of your leads directly impacts your sales cycle, making it smoother, more predictable, and ultimately, more successful.

B2B Demand Gen Strategies That Actually Work 

So, what works in B2B Demand Gen? There are countless tools, tactics, and trendy marketing abbreviations I could throw around, but I’m not a fan of overcomplicating things. I am, however, a fan of structure. 

That’s why I’ve broken down 7 core concepts, each with practical tactics to help put them into action.

Audience Intelligence and Segmentation

You can’t create demand if you don’t understand your audience. Start by researching their needs, behaviors, and pain points, then use that insight to segment them.

Marketing segmentation criteria:

• Firmographics – Industry, company size, and revenue. A startup’s needs differ from those of an enterprise.

• Job/Role – Decision-makers vs. end-users. A CFO cares about ROI, while an IT manager focuses on implementation.

• Behavioral – Usage patterns, brand loyalty, or engagement level. Frequent users might need upselling, while new leads need education.

• Technographics – For example, a health tech company selling an AI-powered clinical decision support tool might target hospitals that use Epic or Cerner for their EHR systems.

• Buying Stage – Awareness, consideration, or ready to buy. Messaging should shift accordingly.

  
  

The more targeted your content and campaigns, the more effective your demand gen efforts will be.

Value Creation

People are more likely to buy from you if you’ve already helped them. That’s why you should aim to be a resource to your target prospects. You can do this by offering the content and experiences that follow my IDEA framework.

Try to mix up your content beyond the typical blog posts and whitepapers. Videos, podcasts, webinars, and proprietary research are much more engaging and nimble. Whatever format you choose, ensure it speaks directly to your target’s needs and pain points. And remember, self-focused content doesn’t build trust; it deters it. Despite what your chief of sales might think, marketing isn’t about talking about yourself.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: lead magnets should be a part of your marketing in some capacity. While it may feel like a necessary evil, it’s key to capturing high-quality leads. My advice: don’t just gate everything. Be selective and get creative.

For example, make the key takeaways of a research report ungated, but gate the full data. This way, you’re offering value upfront and ensuring that only those who are deeply interested will submit their information. Don’t forget that you can capture lead information through other avenues than content, like event sign-ups, consultations, trials and more. 

Omnichannel Engagement

Don’t limit your reach to one channel. Be where your customers are and be hard to miss… like someone talking on speakerphone in public… just way less annoying. Your audience is human (presumably), just like you and I. That means they could be active on social media, listening to podcasts, watching CTV, or using select apps. So, it’s important to meet them where they are, offering IDEA’s and relevance at every touchpoint.

Account-Based Marketing and Personalization:

Your marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. The more personalized and relevant your messaging, the better. Instead of casting a wide net, Account-Based Marketing focuses on engaging high-value accounts with tailored content and experiences designed to meet their specific needs.

Using intent data is a must. It helps you identify which accounts are showing signs of interest and where they are in the buying process. With that insight, you can craft messaging that speaks directly to their pain points and goals.

But personalization goes beyond just addressing their needs, it helps provide a more human marketing experience. Whether through customized emails, personalized demos, or targeted content, ABM allows you to create an experience that feels relevant to each prospect. 

Lead Nurturing and Relationship Building

B2B deals take time, so maintaining momentum with consistent touchpoints is crucial. Automated email campaigns are key to nurturing leads. By leveraging intent data, you can deliver relevant content and experiences at the right moment, gradually guiding prospects toward a purchase.

But nurturing alone isn’t enough - building strong relationships is the goal. Engage with leads beyond email by connecting at in-person events like conferences or virtually through webinars and workshops. This multi-channel approach helps you deepen trust and advance leads towards a purchase.

Report, Refine and Repeat!

Tracking results is crucial to understanding what’s working and what isn’t. Keep a close eye on key metrics like lead volume, conversion rates, and pipeline velocity to fine-tune your strategy. 

For SaaS marketers, important metrics to focus on are Conversion Rate, Cost Per Lead (CPL), Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Pipeline Velocity, to name a few. Monitoring these will help you assess performance, identify areas for improvement, and ensure you’re getting the right results.

Sales & Marketing Alignment: The Foundation of B2B Demand Gen

For demand generation to actually work, marketing and sales need to be in sync. Otherwise, all the tactics in the world won’t move the needle.

Shared Goals and Metrics

Marketing and sales shouldn’t be chasing different targets. Both teams need to agree on SMART goals and KPIs, so everyone is measuring success the same way.

You’ll also need to agree on what qualifies as MQLs vs. SQLs. This helps you build scoring systems based on intent data, which you can use to automate nurturing. Speaking of which…

Seamless Touchpoints

Leads should never fall into a black hole. There should be a process for timely follow-ups, whether automated or manual. Timely follow ups lead to better conversion rates.

Every touchpoint should serve the purpose of either providing IDEA’s or building the relationship.

Communication

Marketing and sales should have weekly check-ins to discuss progress, notable activity, and address obstacles. 

Coordinated Strategy

Sales and marketing should collaborate on everything from ABM motions to trade show strategies. As the old adage says, if you want to go far, go together. This includes aligning on budget allocation and resources.

Turn Curiosity Into Customers with Demand Gen

Old lead-gen tactics are out. Nowadays, if you want to generate leads you need to generate demand first.

Modern buyers expect value long before they’re ready to talk to sales, and the brands that engage them first win. By focusing on demand generation, you’re attracting high-quality leads that sales can actually work with and turning curiosity into committed customers.