From LinkedIn to AI: Why B2B Companies Need a New Lead Generation Playbook

B2B client meetings usually start the same: "We want to grow: we need to increase sales and bring in new clients".

And usually, these companies know how much they want to grow financially. But in order to grow the business, companies need to bring in leads. And this is where the challenge begins. With long sales cycles in B2B (on average 9-12 months), companies invest time, resources and budget to attract new clients.

But do we now need to rewrite the playbook on lead generation for B2B companies?

LinkedIn has long been the go-to platform for B2B lead generation, connecting businesses with decision-makers across industries. However, changes to its algorithm over the last two years are reshaping the way companies can reach and engage potential leads. For B2B marketers, this means the traditional tactics like mass connection requests, generic posts, and automated outreach are becoming far less effective. To stay ahead, companies must rethink their approach, expand their playbook, also incorporating AI tools to generate leads that convert into business results.

With over 1.7 billion site visits in February 2025, LinkedIn has become more saturated, making it harder for individual posts to stand out. Despite its professional focus, LinkedIn’s average engagement rate is around 2.8%, suggesting that many posts fail to capture significant attention

How LinkedIn is Changing B2B Lead Generation

LinkedIn’s algorithm updates have subtly but significantly altered content visibility and engagement. Here are some key changes impacting B2B lead generation:

1. Prioritization of Engagement and Relevance:

   Posts that generate genuine interactions like comments, shares, and meaningful reactions are now prioritized over posts with high reach but low engagement. Simple broadcast messages or generic sales pitches get buried. They also favor a "golden hour" where the first hour of reach is measured to determine how to distribute content further.

2. Reduced Visibility of Automated Outreach:

   LinkedIn is actively limiting visibility for messages sent via automation tools. Cold outreach that feels impersonal is less likely to land in the target’s inbox or provoke engagement.

3. Video and Native Content Are Favored:

   Native video content, LinkedIn Articles, and carousel posts are getting more organic reach than plain text or link-only posts. This shifts the focus from purely transactional content to more value-driven storytelling.

4. Algorithm Favors Community Interaction:

   LinkedIn rewards posts that spark meaningful discussion within niche communities. Being part of relevant groups and industry conversations has become more critical than simply amassing connections.

5. Favoring Paid Services: LinkedIn offers a variety of paid services from paid advertising to Premium Company Pages (new feature), so it tends to favor who pays.

LinkedIn’s average reply rate to messages has fallen to approximately 20%, indicating a decline in user engagement and responsiveness

That being said, companies have noted two major changes:

• There has been a drop in engagement with company page content

• LinkedIn outreach to potential leads (even through Premium or Sales Navigator accounts) is reaching a dead end. Leads don't respond, let alone read, messages or even accept connection requests. All those InMail credits just keep coming back.

Rethink your B2B Lead Generation Playbook

1. Diversify your Digital Presence: in the B2B world, LinkedIn has often been the go-to while other, "flashier" channels have been neglected. Define a content strategy that includes email marketing campaigns, expert content (like white papers, eBooks, podcasts, webinars, etc) on industry-relevant websites, and other social media platforms. B2B has its share of "influencers" as well: they are usually called Thought Leaders or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs).

2. Invest more in Account-Based Marketing: ABM focuses on targeting high value accounts rather than broad outreach. Identify top potential accounts and develop a plan of attack specific to those companies.

3. Leverage Communities and Events: B2B sectors are full of associations, communities and dedicated events. Events are often key to bringing home a high volume of leads, but careful preparation is also needed.

4. Consider Multi-Channel Outreach: Just like a consumer, B2B buyers have a customer journey. Consider how a "buyer committee" goes from awareness to consideration and client.

5. Focus on Building Relationships: build trust through case studies and testimonials as well as referral programs

How are B2B companies using AI to improve lead generation?

It's time to put AI into your playbook. Companies are using AI tools to:

• Enhance lead targeting and qualification

• Personalize outreach at scale

• Automate repetitive tasks

Companies utilizing AI have reported up to a 50% increase in lead generation efficiency by using tools such as AI-driven predictive lead scoring

Combine AI efficiency with market know-how

The B2B Lead Generation game is rapidly changing, but B2B is still built on relationships and trusts. This is why AI tools are great for optimizing processes and content, but experts are still needed to strategically put it all together. While companies worry about marketing spend, an ideal strategy is to rely on strategic marketing experts like Fractional Marketing Officers that can use data and tools to enhance processes while maintaining strategic oversight and helping sales and leadership build relationships.

It's time to change the B2B Lead Generation playbook! Let's get started!