Welcome to What We're Reading, a weekly rundown of news stories, marketing columns, and B2B industry news that caught our eye.

Create content that makes B2B buyers think

Gen AI writes boring articles. They might be grammatically correct, but they lack depth and have nothing original to say. To stand out from the AI-generated crowd and connect with human buyers, CustomerThink says B2B marketers need more thought leadership content — stories that spark curiosity, take a clear stance, or prompt further debate.

A precursor to performance marketing

Despite the spicy headline, writers for Forrester don’t think you should throw performance marketing out the window — they just think you should supplement it with “preference marketing,” which can get your B2B brand on the vendor shortlist that most buyers already have before the purchase process even begins.

Better swaps for 7 common vanity metrics

Metrics like website traffic, social media followers, and email open rates look good on paper, but they don’t always provide relevant or actionable insights. MarTech shares seven useful metrics to replace these less informative vanity metrics.

Take notes from these stand-out brands on LinkedIn

As more B2B marketers join LinkedIn, it has grown into a platform where businesses can show off their personalities as well as their products. Econsultancy highlights the creative tactics of brands like Duolingo, Notion, and Canva, which all seem to thrive in LinkedIn’s unique environment.

Need some social media guidance?

Find out which social media platform is best for your B2B brand.