I asked AI to motivate me with a saying to get better results:

“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” Keep pushing forward—small, steady improvements lead to big results.

Then I asked AI to do the same about Hard Work:

1. “Work smarter, not harder.”

2. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

3. “Measure twice, cut once.”

4. “A fool with a tool is still a fool.” — Unknown

5. “Efficiency is doing better what is already being done.” — Peter Drucker

Motivation without execution is inspiration without perspiration. Then, what happens when you keep doing what has worked for you in the past, and it just stops showing the same results? It really seems like change is the only thing we can count on these days.

I was talking with a client who has started to lose faith in LinkedIn. He expressed that he is seeing more political content, which pushes away business content and taints the attitudes. I have to say that I am not seeing as much of that, but it's surely filled with more ads and sponsored content.

Ultimately, people go to LinkedIn to connect with their professional network and interact. LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) is a job search engine first. It makes 50% of its revenue from that. Marketing and advertising now account for about 35% (up from 5-10% years ago), and Premium Subscriptions account for 10-15% of revenues.

Facebook and Instagram make 95% of their revenue from advertising, while Google makes 85% of its revenue from ads.

The bottom line is that unless you are willing to pay for views, it's damn near impossible to market a business on the internet in today's AI-driven world. AI is quickly replacing search when it comes to web surfing. Google search listings still dominate, but are losing share as AI summaries grow to about 20% on Google, and 60% of all internet users are going straight to AI tools.

So how can you overcome the rapid changes in how people will find your business through your content?

Lack of Visibility

First off, if you are not creating new content constantly, you are losing the battle. That doesn't mean you should turn to AI and have it generate a barrage of new content. It has to be current, relevant, and targeted to the exact audience you are trying to attract.

Use AI to constantly ask what trends in your industry people are paying attention to online. For example, I prompted this:

What trends in content are getting the attention of small business owners of B2b companies that would make them want to read an article on marketing their business online?

Here are the top three issues mentioned:

• AI-Powered Personalization: They want to learn how to use AI tools to deliver personalized marketing messages that actually resonate with prospects, rather than generic blasts.
• Short-Form Video and Audio: Quick, digestible videos and podcasts are highly effective for engagement and brand storytelling, helping small B2B companies connect with busy decision-makers.
• Authenticity and Trust Building: Content that emphasizes transparency, genuine storytelling, and sustainability wins attention as buyers prefer trusting brands that align with their values.

So let's say you create content around those issues. How do you get it seen without paying for ads? LinkedIn Business Pages typically achieve an organic reach of around 1-2% in connections' news feeds. Personalized (profile posts) get around 30-40% reach of your connections. Facebook has a 1-2% reach for personal connections and much worse for business pages.

Combining personal profile posts with reposting as ads (30% each) will target current connections and more new prospects on the ads side. It remains the most effective method (in terms of both cost and engagement) for keeping your business top of mind.

You can enhance this with constant emails to a client list (using the same content you create and share), increasing visibility by another 30%.

The Need for Hyper-Personalization

The old method on social media was to connect with as many people as possible and let the algorithm do the work for you, so as not to overload your audience.

We are finding that the best practice is to connect with fewer but hyper-targeted people. Start with your clients. Send connection requests to people who already know, like, and trust you. LinkedIn's algorithm rewards engagement, and people you already communicate with on a regular basis are more likely than prospects to like, comment, and share your content.

Again, use AI to ask how you can improve visibility online. For example, I prompted this:

How can I increase my content visibility on LinkedIn?

Here is how Perplexity responded:

• Create Valuable, Niche Content: Share expert insights, industry trends, and actionable advice tailored to your audience’s needs. Specific, data-backed posts perform better than generic ones.
• Leverage Your Network: Encourage employees or connections to engage with and share your posts to extend reach beyond your immediate network.
• Build Relationships: Comment thoughtfully on others’ content to build connections that, in turn, help your content get seen
• Engage Early and Often: The LinkedIn algorithm gives a boost if your post gets strong reactions and comments within the first hour. Encourage meaningful discussion by asking questions or sharing personal stories.
• Consistency Over Quantity: Posting consistently (e.g., 3-4 times per week) with a mix of content types keeps your feed lively and improves algorithmic favor

You can't just post and run; you need to become more active on the platform to reap rewards. Also, getting more people at your company to share your content and follow your lead will increase the content ROI. Finally, consistent (weekly or more) content creation and distribution builds familiarity, habit, and trust. Ask questions that prompt interaction at the top of the post to get people to read more and comment.

Finally, avoid overposting (too much information in a short post). Ask a question summarized in a short paragraph, and link back to a blog on your website to get the greatest results.

Closing Thought

If you have made it this far, then you are the tribe this post was written for. I hope this content has raised an eyebrow or struck a nerve, and you want to find a way to do the same.

My goal is to provide tips that offer you value, or at least prompt you to consider how our job to reach clients and prospects is becoming increasingly challenging each month, day, week, and year. The key is not giving up. It will continue to get harder to buy your audience, and much more effective to use content creation and relationship marketing to keep you and your business exciting, relevant, and top of mind.

I hope this motivates you to get motivated about the motivation needed to find your own success!
(Brought to you by: The Department of Redundancy Department)

______________________________

Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.