In today’s social-first world, B2B marketing is undergoing a profound shift. A recent session featuring top CMOs—including leaders from Bain, SAP, and Dentsu—illuminated three transformative trends your team needs to know: turning companies into people, embracing authentic imperfection, and mastering platform algorithms.
Below, we unpack each insight and show how they fit into the strategic mindset we’ve cultivated here at EveryoneSocial.
1. People > Companies: It’s All About Real Connections
Erika Serow, CMO at Bain said it best:
“People don’t talk with companies, people talk with people.”
This reflects a fundamental change: as Erika explained, companies are just groups of individuals, and in the era of social media, B2B marketing means building real, human-to-human relationships at scale.
That philosophy echoes our approach on this blog—every post is crafted to empower employees to share authentic stories that resonate. When your people share your narrative, they don’t just distribute content—they drive network effects that amplify trust and extend reach .
2. Imperfection Builds Trust: Let the Humans Tell Their Stories
Tim Hoppin, Chief Brand & Creative Officer at SAP emphasized the power of genuine storytelling:
“Let the HUMANS in the business tell their story.”
The message is clear: vulnerability matters. Budgets can be refined, campaigns planned—but it’s the real, unfiltered voices within your organization that cultivate trust.
Our content strategy encourages just that. Whether it’s through employee-generated content or third-party thought leadership, we’ve seen firsthand how authenticity drives engagement—and elevates both people and brand .
3. Algorithms Aren’t Optional: Learn to Play, Or Be Left Behind
Rob Gold, President of Dentsu B2B issued a timely reminder:
“We live in the algorithmic era… You need to be in native platforms with human beings, building trust.”
Content alone won’t cut it—understanding how platforms distribute content is crucial. It’s not about funnel metrics or MQL quotas. It’s about audiences, native experiences, and strategic distribution in environments where your people are already engaging.
This is the core of modern B2B creativity and strategy. When your employees share content natively (rather than via broadcast channels), engagement grows. Our clients routinely see employee shares outperform paid ads, driving pipeline at a fraction of the cost .
Bringing It All Together: A Framework for 2025-Ready Marketing
Here’s what happens when human authenticity meets platform mastery:
|
Principle |
What It Means |
Your CMO Needs to Do |
|---|---|---|
|
Humanize the Brand |
Shift from corporate broadcasting to human storytelling |
Empower employee-generated content; spotlight real voices |
|
Embrace Imperfection |
Ditch polished corporate veneers—people relate to real, imperfect stories |
Train and support your people to share honestly |
|
Understand Algorithms |
Content only matters if it’s seen—so distribution rules everything |
Invest in platform-native content strategies and measurement |
What You Can Do Now
1. Activate your people — Create structured programs for employee advocacy and provide social media training
2. Encourage authentic storytelling — Spotlight cross-functional voices (sales, customer success, product teams) to deepen brand narrative.
3. Optimize for platforms — Build content and distribution strategies tailored for native environments (e.g. LinkedIn, X, TikTok). Capture data and refine based on reach and engagement metrics.
Looking Ahead: The Human Algorithm Advantage
We’re at a tipping point. The companies that win in 2025 and beyond will do more than tell stories—they’ll lift the voices behind them, empowering human-to-human connections at scale. That combination of authenticity + distribution mastery is what defines modern B2B brand leaders.
Need help bringing this playbook to life? Whether it’s kickstarting an employee advocacy initiative, running a storytelling workshop, or optimizing your platform strategy—we’re here to help your CMO make those insights actionable.
