#211: Our Simple 3 Step Demand Generation Plan for 2026

The Simple 3-Step B2B Demand Generation Strategy for 2026

🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course

Most B2B teams will roll the same demand gen plan into 2026… and wonder why pipeline is flat.

In this episode, we walk through a B2B demand generation strategy for 2026 that small teams can actually run – and that’s proven to drive up to 70% of pipeline.

We break down our 3-step framework – Be Ready, Be Helpful, Be Seen – and show how it ties into the 95-5 rule, the 5 stages of awareness, and a simple cataloguing process that finally connects marketing and sales. If you’re a small in-house team under pressure to bring in revenue, this is for you.

We also show you exactly how we run this B2B demand generation strategy ourselves at The B2B Playbook – from 80/20 analysis and ICP documentation, to a weekly content engine and a realistic distribution mix that fits into 4–5 hours per week.

Tune in and learn:

+ How to design a B2B demand generation strategy for 2026 using the 95-5 rule

+ How to run 80/20 analysis, customer interviews, and cataloguing to define a sharp ICP

+ How to build a helpful content engine and distribution plan that your small team can maintain

This episode is a must-watch if you’re a B2B marketer in a small team who’s tired of chasing MQLs, arguing over lead quality, and getting stuck in “support” mode.

You’ll walk away with a clear, 3-step demand gen strategy for 2026 that aligns marketing, sales, and customer success around how buyers actually make decisions.

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🔗 Links + CTAs

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🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course

🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school

💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency

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00:00 The Simple 3-Step B2B Demand Generation Strategy for 2026

00:34 Our 5 BEs Framework – The Flywheel Behind Demand Gen

02:05 Updated: What Demand Generation Really Is in 2026

03:40 Why You Can’t “Force” B2B Buyers to Buy (Unlike B2C)

05:55 The Messy, Non-Linear B2B Buying Journey (Squiggly Line Moment)

09:00 The 95-5 Rule: Future Demand vs In-Market Buyers

11:05 Shaping Future Demand vs Capturing In-Market Demand

11:50 Using the 5 Stages of Awareness to Plan Demand Gen Content

14:05 Why Early-Stage Content Makes Capture More Efficient

16:05 TAM vs ICP vs “Day One Shortlist” – The Brutal Reality

18:05 Modern Demand Gen Objectives for 2026 (Quality to Quantity)

18:50 Step 1 – Be Ready: Your 80/20 ICP & Segmentation Process

22:00 Customer Interviews, Positioning & Documented ICPs

25:45 Mapping the Buying Journey Questions (5 Stages Applied)

26:55 The Big Upgrade: Cataloguing Your Market One Account at a Time

29:20 Step 2 – Be Helpful: Building a Helpful Content Engine

30:45 Case Study: Rivet’s “Construction Is Hard” Show

31:55 Content Repurposing System for Small B2B Teams

33:10 Capturing Subject Matter Experts Without Burning Them Out

33:55 Step 3 – Be Seen: Smart Distribution (1:Many, 1:Few, 1:1)

35:20 Capturing In-Market Demand: ABM, Review Sites, and Google Ads

36:20 What Changed From 2025? Why Cataloguing Is the Missing...