What Mid-Market Leaders Need to Do Right Now
Over the past year, my team and I have been doing something that’s become surprisingly rare in digital business: meeting face-to-face with our clients. Whether it’s healthcare technology, B2B manufacturing, nonprofits, or membership organizations, one theme shows up in every conversation:
Marketing isn’t failing because of AI, tools, or budgets. It’s failing because organizations are missing the fundamentals: strategy, people, structure, and consistent execution.
The new CMI research confirms exactly what we’re seeing in the field. So here’s my take both as an agency CEO and as someone who has built 1,000+ digital portals over 25+ years on what these trends mean for B2B and nonprofit organizations heading into 2026.
1. Everyone Has AI. Few Have a Strategy.
CMI reports that 95% of B2B marketers now use AI. But only 39% see better performance.
That mirrors what I see daily. Teams are using AI to create more content, but not smarter content.
- AI won’t fix unclear messaging.
- AI won’t fix a broken customer journey.
- AI won’t fix an underperforming website or portal.
- But when paired with a documented strategy, AI becomes a force multiplier.
My advice to leaders: Stop asking “How do we use AI?” Start asking, “What do our customers want to know, do, or solve and how can AI help us deliver that faster?”
2. Strategy Is the #1 Driver of Marketing Success
A striking stat: 74% of marketers who improved performance did so by refining their strategy.
That aligns perfectly with conversations we’ve had with clients recently:
- They had traffic, but no conversions
- They had content, but no structure
- They had tools, but no integration
- They had features, but no customer journey
When we realigned their digital roadmap, content themes, portals, and user paths, performance improved almost immediately. AI cannot replace strategy, but it can dramatically accelerate it once the strategy is in place.
3. Thought Leadership Is Overcrowded, But Still Wide Open
According to CMI, 96% of B2B marketers produce thought leadership, but only 4% say their program is “leading.”
Why? Because true thought leadership requires perspective, not volume. Here’s how we help clients break through:
- Interview SMEs and turn their expertise into structured content
- Use AI to scale long-tail content Google and AI search engines love
- Shift from “posts” to owned media assets (guides, portals, microsites)
- Syndicate across LinkedIn, email, and webinars with consistent messaging
B2B buyers want clarity, not noise.
4. First-Party Data: Most Organizations Are Sitting on a Goldmine
91% collect first-party data. Only 10% know how to use it effectively. Mid-market organizations especially struggle here. Not because they lack data, but because they lack data strategy. We’re helping clients:
- Build dashboards that unify CRM, web, email, and portal engagement
- Use predictive analytics to identify churn and conversion triggers
- Structure content for AI search and personalization
- Create intelligent user journeys that adapt in real time
This is where the next competitive advantage lives.
5. Experiential Marketing Is Back and It’s Powerful
78% of marketers are increasing their experiential budgets. We’ve seen this firsthand during our client site visits this year. Sitting down with your customers builds:
- Trust
- Clarity
- Momentum
- Alignment
Your digital experience, your website, customer portal, onboarding, integrations, support must work hand-in-hand with your in-person relationships. Hybrid experience is now the standard.
6. Personalization & ABM/ABX: Still Early Days
Despite the hype, most organizations are still in the basic stage of personalization.
This is actually good news, because it means mid-market B2B and nonprofits can leapfrog competitors by:
- Structuring content properly
- Creating AI-ready taxonomies
- Building intelligent portals
- Mapping real customer journeys
This is exactly where our AI-Powered Portal Framework shines.
7. The Big Problem: Organizations Are Under Investing in People
Only 9% of marketers are investing in training and capability building. Yet the same research shows “team skills and expertise” are one of the highest drivers of success.
As someone who has scaled teams, taken companies public, and built digital infrastructure for decades, I can tell you this with absolute certainty:
Tools + untrained team = stagnation
Strategy + trained team = growth
My Recommendations for B2B & Nonprofit Leaders in 2026
Here’s where I’d advise every CEO, CMO, CIO, ED, and board member to focus:
- Strengthen your strategy before scaling execution: Define the customer journey, content structure, and desired outcomes.
- Use AI intentionally and transparently: Speed matters, but insight matters more.
- Modernize your portal or website: It should be your #1 owned asset, not an afterthought.
- Invest in your people: They are the engine behind every digital success.
- Make the experience seamless, online and in person: This is where loyalty is built.
Final Thought
I’ve been building digital experiences since the earliest days of the internet at Lycos, Firefly Network, Six Degrees, Qualcomm, Philips Capsule, and hundreds of B2B and nonprofit portals.
What’s clear heading into 2026 is this:
The organizations that win will be the ones that combine AI with human expertise, strong strategy, and authentic connection. Not the ones that chase the newest tool.
If you want to discuss how these trends impact your organization or want help building a modern digital strategy or AI-powered portal feel free to reach out. Always happy to help.
