B2B marketing for services you can’t touch.

Services marketing is marketing for services you can’t touch or test before buying: consulting, planning, support, training. Because the result only becomes visible after the contract, marketing has to establish trust in advance, with evidence such as references, client testimonials and case examples, with the people who deliver the service, and with content that shows competence before anyone calls. In B2B, decisions also take longer and involve several people, which is why guides, LinkedIn and film work better than classic advertising.

B2B marketing is marketing from companies to companies, as opposed to B2C marketing aimed at private individuals. The audience is smaller and better informed, decisions take weeks to months and are usually made by several people: management, the specialist department, purchasing. That is why B2B marketing relies on explanation and trust rather than impulse: positioning, a website with case examples, LinkedIn, expert content, film and targeted ads by industry and job function. The goal is not a quick purchase but a qualified conversation that can turn into a contract.

A B2B marketing agency makes sure the right companies find, understand and trust a provider before the first contact takes place. That includes positioning, website and landing pages, content such as guides and LinkedIn posts, film and photos, ads on LinkedIn and Meta, and tracking all the way to the enquiry. The difference from a B2C agency lies in understanding long decision paths and services that need explaining. At Maze & Friends, the senior people from the initial call also work on the project, and strategy, production and publishing come from one team.

A service provider wins clients without cold calling by becoming visible where decision-makers search and offering them an easy way in. That means clear positioning, guide content that answers concrete questions, regular LinkedIn posts by the people behind the service, client testimonials on film and an entry offer such as an initial call or an analysis. Ads speed this up but don’t replace it. Patience decides: this system takes months, but then it brings enquiries from companies that already know why they want you.

B2B lead generation is the plannable path from first attention to a qualified contact with a company that suits you. In practice, it consists of a target audience, an offer worth starting with, a landing page, ads or content that lead there, and a process that turns interest into a conversation, by email flow or a direct meeting, for example. It is measured all the way to the meeting and the signed contract, not to the click. Bought lead lists and mass messages are no part of it; they damage the reputation service providers live on.

Yes, LinkedIn is worth it for consultants and service providers, because the decision-makers are there and posts by people work better than posts by companies. Anyone who regularly shows how they solve problems builds an audience over months that gets in touch when the need arises. What matters are your own topics, a reliable rhythm and a tone that suits the person, not the platform. That is the core of personal branding: Maze & Friends handles preparation, production and rhythm, and you provide knowledge and approval.

What marketing for a consulting firm costs usually depends on the positioning. If it is in place, work goes straight into production and publishing. If it is shaky, everything starts with a workshop. Then come shoot days for film, testimonials and LinkedIn videos, rebuilding the website and the ad budget that goes straight to the platforms. Ongoing support such as LinkedIn, newsletter and ads has a three-month minimum term, then it is cancellable monthly; projects are one-off. You get the fixed-price quote after the initial call.

A marketing plan for a service provider clarifies for whom you solve which problem better than others, and how you make that visible alongside project work. It includes target clients, core statements, an entry offer, the channels where these clients search, a topic plan for content and a measurement system from enquiry to contract. Treat the plan as a decision, not a document: better two channels consistently than six half-heartedly. Maze & Friends develops it with you in a workshop.

Social selling means building relationships with potential clients on LinkedIn and other networks before any contract is on the table. It happens through your own posts, comments, conversations and shared knowledge, the opposite of mass messages to strangers. It works for service providers because decision-makers watch the person behind the service over a longer period and get in touch when the need arises. The prerequisites are a clear profile, suitable topics and regularity over months. Tools that message contacts automatically are no part of it.

References and case studies matter for service providers because they make an intangible service tangible. A good case study shows: this was the problem, this is how it was solved, this is what came of it. Decision-makers read them to assess their own risk, and AI assistants cite them when asked for providers. Client testimonials on film work best, because you see the person who had the experience. What matters are concrete results instead of praise, the client’s approval and a presentation that outsiders can follow too.

ChatGPT and other AI assistants recommend service providers they can clearly classify and about whom reliable sources exist. That includes a website that describes the service, audience and location unambiguously, guides on concrete questions, case studies with results and mentions in directories, media and on partner sites. Technically, structured data, meaning machine-readable information in the page code, and pages that crawlers are allowed to read count. Whether and where you are named can be measured; more on our AI visibility and GEO page.

For a service provider, the website is where interest turns into an enquiry. That applies whether the visitor comes via Google, LinkedIn, a referral or ChatGPT. Within a few seconds, the site has to answer whom you solve what for, show evidence and offer an easy next step, such as an initial call. That includes case examples, client testimonials, the people on the team and guides that anticipate questions. With clean tracking, you see which pages and channels bring enquiries.

B2B marketing brings enquiries at different speeds depending on the channel: ads work sooner, while content, LinkedIn and Google build up over months. The reason lies in the audience: decision-makers buy when the need arises, not when the campaign is running, so the visibility has to be in place beforehand. That is why ongoing support at Maze & Friends has a three-month minimum term, because only then does it become clear which topics and channels work. Anyone who stops earlier has usually only paid for the build-up phase.

A sales agency contacts potential clients actively, by phone, email or LinkedIn message for example, and arranges meetings in your name. A marketing agency makes sure clients find you, understand you and get in touch themselves: through positioning, content, website, film, ads and measurement. For service providers, the second route is usually more sustainable, because it strengthens the reputation instead of risking it, and because enquiries come from companies that are already convinced. Maze & Friends is a marketing agency, not a sales agency, and works with your sales team where needed.