Pipeline360’s 2025 State of B2B Pipeline Growth survey found why top-performing marketing teams are excelling as well as uncovering the biggest challenges facing B2B marketers.
Economic uncertainty is the biggest challenge, cited by 45% as their primary concern, followed by unrealistic leadership expectations (36%) and declining buyer engagement (33%). This is happening while 63% reported marketing budgets remain stagnant or shrinking, making it even harder to scale programs and drive revenue growth.
In response to these obstacles, nearly 70% of B2B marketers favor actionable support and insights over additional tools, signaling a growing demand for outcomes-driven solutions over tech acquisitions.
“Amid rising economic and performance pressures, our survey data shows that B2B marketers are prioritizing outcomes that drive customer retention, growth, and net new acquisition— not simply adding more tools to their tech stack,” said Matt Hummel, VP of Pipeline360. “Marketing today is inherently performance-driven, and this shift underscores the need for a smarter and more streamlined approach to pipeline growth and revenue generation.”
High Performers are Winning with Smarter Strategies
The report pointed to six key factors differencing high-performing marketing teams and those struggling to keep pace. The percentage point spread between high performers and low performers include:
- Data utilization: 79% of high performers report being very good or excellent at data handling vs. 14% of low performers.
- Streamlined tech stacks: 72% of high performers report fully optimized and impactful or streamlined and effective tech, 60-point percentage points then low performers. .
- Consistent buyer engagement: 72% of high performers report effectiveness of reaching target audiences and buying groups, compared with 12% of low performers.
- Superior lead nurturing: 69% of high performers report very good or excellent lead nurturing, distancing low performers by 59 percentage points.
- Above-average content quality: 85% of high performers report having very good or exceptional content; for low performers, they report 27%.
- Strong sales-marketing alignment: 75% of high performers report having mostly or fully aligned marketing and sales teams , outdistancing low performers by 51point gap.
AI, Personalization Reshaping Strategies
As with all industries across the world, AI is emerging as a key enabler of success. The survey found that 52% of marketers cite data-driven personalization as the top factor for improving lead nurturing and 36% see generative AI as valuable for content creation and email optimization.
The report’s authors this is indicative of AI increasingly being used as the bridge between fragmented data and the personalized experiences buyers expect.
The 2025 State of B2B Pipeline Growth Report was fielded in February 2025 to 534 B2B marketing professionals across the US, UK, Europe, and Asia, with a strong focus on revenue marketing roles, which constituted a plurality of respondents.
The Road to Revenue is Getting Longer
The survey highlighted the most widely-used metrics show marketers recognize the value of both brand awareness and demand generation activities, and understand they work in concert rather than in isolation.
The top KPIs for marketing teams include website traffic (43%), revenue generated (42%), and SQLs (39%). High-performing teams prioritize revenue metrics, with 50% using revenue generated as their primary KPI.
A lengthening sales cycles is an additional strain cited B2B marketers is, with 74% of marketers report longer sales cycles and 41% are experiencing moderate to significant increases of two to six months.
Smarter Approach Needed
These shifts are forcing marketing teams to sustain engagement over extended periods, particularly in the middle and bottom of the funnel, where drop-offs are rising.
“Without the right support, these prolonged cycles translate to wasted marketing efforts, missed opportunities, and increased pressure to deliver results with fewer resources,” said Hummel. “These insights underscore the need for a smarter, more integrated approach.”
For more insights from the 2025 State of B2B Pipeline Growth Report, download the full report.
