• Why Marketing Fails in High-Growth Companies — And How to Fix It

  • Apr 9 2025
  • Length: 26 mins
  • Podcast

Why Marketing Fails in High-Growth Companies — And How to Fix It

  • Summary

  • Episode Summary

    In this episode of Building in Public, host David and his co-host dissect one of the most pressing challenges faced by high-growth B2B companies: the misalignment between marketing teams and business leadership. They unpack why even successful companies—those generating $10M–$100M in annual revenue—struggle to build scalable marketing engines and what to do about it. David shares insights from recent conversations with clients, offering practical advice on fixing fractured go-to-market strategies, unifying messaging, and bridging the gap between marketers and executives.

    Guest Profile

    David, Founder of a leading B2B growth agency, brings first-hand insights from advising high-revenue companies. With deep expertise in demand generation, brand strategy, and go-to-market frameworks, David helps bridge the marketing-business divide that plagues many scale-ups.

    Key Take-Aways
    • Disconnect between marketing and leadership is a key bottleneck in growth-stage companies.
    • A unified market message is foundational before any content or campaign strategy.
    • Holistic go-to-market strategies beat siloed channel approaches every time.
    • Leads are not the ultimate metric—revenue and conversion matter more.
    • Retargeting and demand generation offer fast wins for underperforming funnels.
    • Viral content ≠ revenue — LinkedIn impressions don’t always convert.

    Questions Asked & Answer SummariesWhat is the main challenge high-growth B2B companies face with marketing?

    Many $10M–$100M companies experience a serious disconnect between their leadership teams and marketers. Leadership pushes for more leads without understanding modern marketing dynamics, while marketers fail to tie campaigns back to business outcomes. This gap results in underperformance and frequent strategy overhauls.

    How should companies fix siloed and underperforming marketing?

    Start by aligning on a unique point of view—not just your value prop, but how your company uniquely solves customer problems. Build a holistic marketing strategy around that message, ensuring all channels (Google Ads, LinkedIn, content) work together and reinforce each other.


    Who should own the go-to-market strategy?

    You need a translator—someone who understands both business goals and marketing mechanics. This can be a strategic hire or an external partner, but the key is alignment between leadership vision and day-to-day marketing activity.


    What are quick wins in B2B marketing?
    • Launching retargeting ads on LinkedIn or Google.
    • Activating Google Ads if you already have strong SEO traffic.
    • Focusing on bottom-of-funnel actions for quick conversions.

    Does LinkedIn engagement correlate with leads and revenue?

    Not always. Posts with massive reach and engagement often fail to convert. The key is targeting the right audience and following up through genuine conversations and DMs. High impressions don’t always equal high impact.


    Chapters and Time Stamps[00:00] – Identifying the Marketing-Business Disconnect

    David discusses how leadership and marketing often speak "different languages."


    [01:00] – Q1 Performance Recap

    Tracking towards the goal of 30 new sales with strong CAC and CPL metrics.


    [02:00] – Why $10M–$100M Companies Struggle With Leads

    Despite solid products, companies fail to build scalable marketing systems.


    [04:00] – Leadership’s Misunderstanding of Modern Marketing

    The push for leads...

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