For most of us, 2025 has felt like a rollercoaster we didn’t realize we were getting on. The only predictable part of the ride so far? The unpredictability. B2B and B2C brands alike are hanging on tight through more unexpected twists and turns than they could have imagined.
In times like these, some might say that the mantra “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” should be every B2B marketer’s rallying cry. Easy to say, much more difficult to do.
If you’ve been tasked with putting your head down and getting to work, you’re in luck. We have a B2B Marketing Survival Kit stocked with essential tools and tactics to help companies stay visible and valuable—and to help the marketers behind the scenes feel a little more grounded during turbulent times.
A Compass to Keep Your Strategy on Course
Stop wandering and start re-centering your efforts on actions that can move the needle:
- Prioritize fiercely. Plot all active projects and new ideas in an “Effort vs. Impact” grid to decide what’s worth doing and what can wait.
- Keep It Simple and Smart (KISS). Replace the highly detailed, long-range marketing plan with a one-page version focused on the near term.
- Layer in a clarity framework. Use it as your true north: what is our business doing for our ideal customer profile (ICP) right now?
Shine a Flashlight on What’s Working
Data can be your best friend—if you know where to look:
- Keep leading indicators top of mind. Site visits, marketing qualified leads (MQLs), and demo requests can serve as your guiding light for decisions.
- Lean into free and low-cost reporting tools, such as Google Data Studio, UTM builders, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) dashboards.
- Hold monthly “after-action reviews” to identify (and celebrate!) what worked and to scale proven performers.
A First Aid Kit for Your Funnel
Patch up any weak spots at the top, middle, and end of your funnel so that you’re not missing any leads:
- GA4’s path exploration reports visualize user actions before and after they complete key web or app events. Google’s Exploration dashboard gives a granular view of campaign performance, enabling more data-driven decisions for an effective conversion funnel.
- Microsoft Clarity and Hotjar have heatmaps to demonstrate engagement, session recordings to follow user journeys, and “rage click” tracking to flag frustration points.
- HubSpot offers a free marketing audit funnel checklist across the Awareness, Consideration, Decision, and Advocacy stages—great for spotting gaps in your strategy.
A Backpack of Free Tools
“If it’s free, it’s for me.” – a quote from most B2B marketers (probably). Jokes aside, unless noted otherwise, the tools below start with free versions and offer room to level up to paid plans when your team is ready:
- SEO/content: Google Search Console (free only), Google Ads Keyword Planner (free only), and Semrush
Morale Boosters to Keep Spirits and Creativity High
Because “if you’re runnin’ on empty, you’re runnin’ behind” (shout-out to Jackson Browne):
- Take bite-size creativity breaks. Try a 15-minute “bad-idea brainstorm,” because sometimes the best ideas come from the “we couldn’t possibly do that” ideas.
- Recognize “micro metrics.” Hit a new LinkedIn follower milestone? Share with the team and celebrate in style.
- Celebrate wins. At Hencove, we have a “Winner’s Box” Slack channel for everything from cool, creative concepts to happy-client emails (looking at you, Gretchen and The Wilshire Group team 😊). Digital kudos are low-effort, high-impact ways to build culture, boost morale, and reinforce great work, especially for remote teams.
In a year full of ups and downs, our B2B Marketing Survival Kit is here to remind you that you’re resilient and you have more tools than you think. Focus on what works. Don’t be afraid to simplify or ask for help. More often than not, savvy, resourceful marketing teams don’t just survive turbulent times. They do some of their most innovative work because of them.
