B2B marketing, or business-to-business marketing, is the art of promoting or selling a company’s products or services to business buyers. Marketing contributes to a business’s revenue generation, brand visibility, market positioning, and ability to build strong customer relationships—especially at scale.
While B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing is aimed at individuals who may make impulsive or emotionally driven decisions, B2B marketing is directed toward people who have the interests of a business, organization, or government agency top of mind.
This means B2B marketers are typically speaking to decision-makers who:
- Prioritize the functional needs of their organization
- Have a more complex purchasing process that may involve input from a diverse group of stakeholders
- Consider long-term supplier relationships and agreements rather than one-time transactions
- Prioritize the ROI (return on investment) and impact of expenditures
To reach these carefully defined segments of the marketplace, a B2B marketer will use different tactics with a different perspective than someone focused on B2C marketing. Recognizing these nuances will help you craft the right job description and find the ideal freelance professional.
Writing a freelance B2B marketer job post
When creating a job post for a B2B marketing project, it’s important to be specific about what you want to accomplish and why. And if you don’t have the clarity you need, don’t be afraid to ask—after all, that’s often why a business will hire a freelance B2B marketer in the first place.
First, let’s look at how you can structure your job post when you post a job on Upwork.
Job post title
Give your job post a clear and specific title that makes it easy for freelance marketers to decide whether they’re a good fit. Including relevant keywords, like essential skills or deliverables, can help get attention.
Examples of job post titles:
- Content marketing. Experienced B2B writer to develop content for executive LinkedIn profiles
- SEO strategy. Shopify SEO specialist required for growing B2B e-commerce business
- Marketing analyst. Data analyst for B2B education provider to analyze and optimize marketing data
Job description
An effective job description should describe the overall project, required deliverables, project length, background, and budget. You may also want to:
- Specify the project scope. Set expectations by indicating whether your project is a one-time project, an ongoing initiative, or if it has the potential to turn into full-time work.
- Explain the problem to be solved. Sometimes you know what the challenge is but not the solution. By explaining what your business is struggling with, you help a marketer understand whether they have a potential solution or have dealt with something similar in the past.
- Provide clear instructions for submitted proposals. Help ensure a smooth application process by including screening questions, requests for portfolio examples, and other details you would like to see in a successful proposal.
Job responsibilities or deliverables
In the job post, list the main tasks and responsibilities you want the B2B marketer to deliver. This will vary depending on the nature of your project. For example:
- To support lead generation activities, a B2B marketer may be responsible for targeted email campaigns, landing pages, lead magnets, or campaign analytics.
- An email marketing campaign may require email templates, drip campaign sequences, segmentation strategies, and performance metrics
- To move account-based marketing (ABM) strategies forward, a B2B marketer may need to produce an overall plan, targeted content, personalized email sequences, and account-specific campaigns
It may also be helpful to note any project partners the B2B marketing professional will be able to collaborate with, such as content creators, web developers, or the sales team.
Qualifications
List any requirements that will help your project succeed. This may include:
- Work on similar projects in the past or previous experience in your industry
- Software your organization has implemented, such as graphic design tools, a content management system, or marketing automation software.
- Additional skills, experience, or specializations that would be beneficial, such as strong analytical skills or experience engaging enterprise clients.
The more information you can provide in your job post, the more clearly the freelance B2B marketers who check it out will understand what you’re looking for—and how to pitch their services and prove they’re a good match.
What you should know before you hire a B2B marketer
Staying on top of trends can help you adjust your talent strategy and build a bench of talent with the relevant skills to keep your business resilient and competitive. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the marketing industry.
The role of a freelance B2B marketer
B2B marketers bring diverse knowledge and experience to your business. A 2024 survey by Ipsos and LinkedIn found that, in today’s shifting environment, B2B marketers need to be strategic thinkers with an understanding of market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and industry trends.
The type of expertise you need will vary according to your project requirements but here are a few consultant roles to consider:
- Fractional CMO (chief marketing officer). Provides as-needed executive leadership and strategic oversight to help drive a company’s marketing program.
- SEO strategist. Develops and implements strategies to help optimize website content and other digital assets to improve search engine rankings and attract organic traffic.
- Landing page copywriter. Crafts persuasive and targeted landing page content that drives conversions.
- Email marketing expert. Designs and manages email campaigns to help nurture leads, retain customers, and drive engagement.
- Marketing automation specialist. Researches and implements tools and platforms to automate marketing processes, with the goal of enhancing efficiency and delivering personalized campaigns at scale.
- Product marketing expert. Focuses on how to position, message, and promote your product or service so it stands out from the competition.
- Marketing analyst. Interprets data and metrics to help inform data-driven strategies, track ROI, support decision-making, and illustrate campaign impact.
Hiring demand for B2B marketers
The hiring demand for marketing professionals is strong and projected to keep growing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that jobs for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will grow 6% from 2022 to 2032—faster than the overall average.
Within that growth, however, B2B marketing teams can claim an edge with flexible access to a diverse skill set and the resources to pivot quickly. Upwork’s analysis highlighted some of the most in-demand skills in 2024 including:
- Data analysis
- Graphic design
- Social media marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
Marketing automation, sales and business development, and email marketing were the fastest-growing skills in the sales and marketing category.
Common projects for freelance B2B marketers
Companies hire freelance B2B marketers for their support and expertise on a wide range of projects. Popular initiatives include:
- Lead generation. A B2B marketer can develop and execute a campaign designed to attract potential customers.
- Content marketing. A B2B marketer can produce a comprehensive strategy to create high-quality content that improves awareness and understanding among new and existing customers.
- Social media. A B2B marketer can start or expand a company’s social media footprint in a way that boosts its profile and engages potential and existing customers.
Industries hiring B2B marketers
Marketers who specialize in B2B engagement are in demand across many industries:
- Technology. Companies in the tech sector rely on B2B marketers to promote their products and services to other businesses. This includes sectors such as software as a service (SaaS), cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and enterprise solution providers.
- Education and training. Organizations that provide training programs, learning tools, and certifications use B2B marketing to raise awareness of their offerings. Many companies have learning and development (L&D) programs to help employees upskill and grow.
- Logistics and supply chain management. Companies that offer logistics support, supply chain management, and transportation engage B2B marketers to connect with other companies that need help moving goods and managing inventory.
- Consultants and professional service providers. Firms that offer professional solutions such as consulting, legal, and accounting services use B2B outreach in order to connect with corporate clients and decision-makers.
Average cost of hiring a freelance B2B marketer in 2024
Rates for freelance marketers who specialize in the B2B space can vary based on a number of factors including their level of expertise, years of experience, project complexity, and whether your project is short-term or long-term. Here are some typical rates:
- Entry-level: $8-$30
- Intermediate: $10-$55
- Expert: $30-$87
Find your ideal B2B marketer now
To hire a B2B marketer for your project, it helps to understand what they can contribute, the impact their work can have, the trends shaping the broader marketplace, and the kind of budget it takes to get the talent you need.
Wherever your business is going next, finding a professional on Upwork helps ensure you get customized service and high-quality results. Start your search for a freelance B2B marketing professional today.