The Communication-IMPACT blog: practical articles for industrial B2B leaders
TLDR: This is M.J. Plebon's blog for leaders of industrial and technical B2B companies. Each article covers one problem in the sales pipeline, such as choosing the right customers, spotting bad-fit prospects, or protecting your company's value. Every post has one job: teach you something you can use this week.
Latest articles
The newest articles focus on the Ideal Customer Profile: who to chase, who to walk away from, and why "we sell to everyone" costs money. The oldest covers how a pipeline built on a few relationships hurts your exit valuation.
The clients you should never take
By M.J. Plebon, June 17, 2026. Your ICP tells your team who to chase. It says nothing about who to walk away from, and that gap is where deals die. This article builds a Negative ICP: a one-page profile of the client you should never take, with company red flags, contact warning signs, a four-category checklist, and a polite way out.
Your best-looking prospects are costing you the most
By M.J. Plebon, June 10, 2026. Your most expensive prospects look perfect on paper. They match your ICP, but they cannot actually buy, and you find out four months in. This article covers the three hidden mismatches behind these accounts and four questions that expose a bad fit in week two.
"We sell to everyone." Those four words are costing you a fortune.
By M.J. Plebon, April 17, 2026. You are working hard. You are spending money. And you have nothing to show for it. If your answer to "Who is your customer?" is "everyone," this one is for you.
Why your aging Rolodex is tanking your exit valuation
By M.J. Plebon, March 6, 2026. If your sales depend on a few long-time relationships, a buyer or a private equity firm will see that risk and price it in. This article explains why, and what a documented digital pipeline does to your company's value when it is time to sell.
Common questions about industrial B2B marketing
These short answers cover the questions industrial leaders ask most about content, AI, LinkedIn, and measuring results. Each one links to the deeper thinking in the articles above.
What are the most common industrial marketing mistakes?
The biggest one is narcissistic marketing: leading with company history instead of the buyer's problem. Close behind: technical specs buyers cannot find online, and a sales model that still depends on handshakes and a few long-time relationships.
How is AI changing B2B content?
AI tools now answer many buyer questions directly, quoting the sources they trust. Content that wins is specific, technical, and answers the real question in the first lines. Generic content written to fill a calendar gets ignored by people and AI alike.
Why does topic authority matter more than single keywords?
Search engines and AI tools look for the source that covers a subject most completely and accurately. Topic authority means answering the hardest questions in your niche better than anyone else, across many pages.
How do you measure the return on B2B content?
Count what turns into revenue: qualified RFQs, how fast leads move through the pipeline, and how much time reps save because buyers arrive already informed. Page views on their own tell you very little.
How do you write content engineers will actually read?
Respect their time. Lead with the technical data. Make CAD files and specs easy to get. Answer the exact engineering question near the top. Skip the adjectives.
Should B2B companies use LinkedIn for lead generation?
Yes. LinkedIn is where you can reach the exact decision-makers, like CEOs and VPs of Operations, and where your people can build trust by sharing useful content. It works best when your employees share it, not just the company page.
What is a zero-click search strategy?
A zero-click strategy makes sure your answer shows up on the search results page or in an AI answer, even if nobody clicks through to your site. The goal is to be the name the buyer sees and remembers before they ever visit.
Written by M.J. Plebon, Fractional CMO and founder of Communication-IMPACT, Montreal. Last updated October 21, 2026.
What are the most common industrial marketing mistakes?
The most common mistake is "narcissistic marketing," where a company leads with its history rather than the customer's pain.
Other failures include ignoring technical SEO for procurement engineers and relying on outdated "handshake" sales models.
How does AI change B2B content strategy in 2026?
AI shifts strategy from "quantity" to "intent-density."
Modern content must be optimized for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to ensure your technical specs appear in AI-generated conversational summaries and "Featured Snippets."
Why is "Topic Authority" more important than keywords?
Search engines now prioritize "entities" and expertise.
Building topic authority means owning the definitive answers to the most complex questions in your niche, signaling to AI that you are the primary source of truth.
What is the ROI of B2B content marketing?
ROI is measured by "Pipeline Velocity" and "Lead Quality."
Effective content reduces the time sales reps spend on administrative education and increases the number of inbound, high-intent RFQs.
How do you write content that 32-year-old engineers will read?
Engineers read content that respects their time.
This means leading with technical data, providing frictionless access to CAD/Specs, and using AEO to answer their specific engineering queries directly on the results page.
Should B2B companies use LinkedIn for lead generation?
Yes, LinkedIn is essential for establishing "Trust Signals" and distributing the "Digital Arsenal."
It allows you to target the exact decision-makers (CEOs, VPs of Operations) who are currently experiencing the pain points you solve.
What is a "Zero-Click" search strategy?
A zero-click strategy focuses on providing the answer directly on the search results page via snippets or AI Overviews.
This builds brand authority and trust before the user ever clicks through to your website.