The impostor syndrome is strong in most of us.

Not because we are all fraudulent show-offs in reality.

But because we are human beings who cannot know everything and do not have an answer to every question.

Most of us work in a culture in which an answer such as "I don't know yet, but I will find out and then give my assessment" is at least latently interpreted as a sign of weakness. The next person you ask may be perfectly familiar with this topic, and shouldn't I have learned that a long time ago?

This is a new kind of marketing FOMO. "Am I the only one who isn't on TikTok yet?"

As a result, we are very receptive to cheat sheets, tried-and-tested programs and methods that promise us a leap forward in the race for the attention of potential customers and stakeholders.

Perhaps this is also the reason why the same simple mistakes are copied or not thought through a little too often. B2B marketing in particular is not free of these errors …

Here are my top 5 minor sins of B2B marketing (I have also touched on or committed most of them at some point):

1. Treat subscribers and downloads as leads

Just because someone is interested in my content doesn't mean they are ready for a call from the sales department. Of course, we all don't want to create quantities of articles and white papers, the result of which is always only non-attributable attention. But very few B2B companies have a truly intelligent process to guide their audience from a first touch to a sale. Here, the colleagues from the "small B2B department" (coaches, online program providers, targeted niche offers) are often one step ahead.

2. Throw data together carelessly

Surprisingly few B2B companies have adopted a contemporary approach to the data they collect as part of their campaigns. Either far too much data is requested (a problem not only for data protection reasons) or far too little (sometimes more than just an email would be helpful). But the crux of the matter often lies in the systems behind it – and I don't mean technically. If CRM and B2B marketing automation do not enable me to address the most important target groups at least selectively, I have a fundamental flaw in my digital marketing approach.

3. Search for the sake of searching

In many companies that discover organic search for themselves, a kind of keyword spamming occurs – instead of carefully and purposefully working towards specific, relevant topics, voluminous search terms are used without real transactional relevance, or the few hard-fought ones are bought expensively without delivering real, convincing added value for them. I am a big fan of search engine marketing for B2B companies – but sometimes you need staying power and stand in your own way with the desire for quick success.

4. Underestimating the "Rule of 7"

There are different opinions on how much contact a buyer has normally had with a brand beforehand. But it is hardly controversial that first contact is necessary to gradually transform premature rejection into trust. This is sometimes summarized as the "Rule of 7" – namely the assumption or observation that an average of seven interactions with a brand are needed before a purchase is made. However, many B2B companies expect a significantly faster transaction from new measures and therefore do not have the staying power for strategic development.

5. Mixing Demand and Lead Generation

Normally I have to explain to customers why they need my offer – or why they should cover a known need with me. In most cases, it is difficult to place both messages at the same time. And yet we have often experienced it – before the new landing page goes live, "more product" is quickly demanded.