The pressure for quick wins never lets up in B2B marketing. Every new quarter brings a scramble to prove your value, but with that urgency comes a nagging question: Are you building real trust with your audience, or just chasing the next metric?
Few people have explored this tension as deeply as David Ebner, President and Founder of Content Workshop. David is known for helping B2B teams use content strategy and storytelling to drive business outcomes and build lasting relationships.
He often finds that teams get stuck in a cycle of short-term tactics, missing the bigger opportunity to lead with generosity.
David challenges marketers to stop fixating on whether to gate content or hold back insights and instead reimagine generosity as a strategic lever.
Not because it feels good, but because it drives long-term brand growth and trust.
Why Generosity is the Missing Ingredient in B2B Content
Most B2B brands get caught up in chasing tactics and short-term metrics. They focus on downloads, clicks, or the latest tool, but trust comes from consistency.
Trust is built when you keep your word and show up for your audience again and again.
Generosity shifts your role from promoter to partner. Instead of holding back, you offer real help.
This approach resets what leadership looks like in your space. Brands that outperform put the audience first, deliver consistently useful content, and earn loyalty.
The Cost of Gated, Transactional Content
Gating content often feels like an easy win, but it rarely benefits the buyer. You ask for information before you offer any real value. That creates friction and limits your reach right from the start.
Transactional content prioritizes short-term metrics over buyer relationships. When every asset becomes a form fill, you send the message that trust is not your priority.
In complex B2B sales, buyers need room to learn and build confidence before engaging.
Chasing quick metrics like downloads or email signups may please the dashboard. But it can hurt your brand’s reputation and slow long-term growth.
Buyers notice when every piece of content comes with a catch. Trust fades, and your audience looks elsewhere for answers.
Rethinking Your “Secret Sauce”
Buyers do not just want information they can find anywhere. They want expertise applied to their unique problems.
Sharing your expertise through content builds trust and credibility. People see what you know, but more importantly, how you think and solve real issues. The difference comes from the application. Anyone can read a playbook, but not everyone can make it work.
Being generous with knowledge proves you know your stuff. The value lies in what you do, not just what you know.
Content as Corporate Philanthropy
Treating your content as a gift changes how your audience feels about your brand. When you teach, support, or help without asking for anything, you build real goodwill.
Over time, people remember brands that show up for them with no strings attached.
The most trusted brands become true partners. They are not just vendors hoping for a quick sale, but reliable sources of help.
Generosity pays off, even if the benefits come much later. When you invest in content as corporate philanthropy, you set the stage for loyalty, strong relationships, and high-value opportunities that keep showing up over the long haul.
Embracing Generosity as Strategy
B2B brands that lead with generosity stand out in crowded markets. Generosity isn’t a tactic to test; it’s a way to turn trust into an advantage.
Trust grows when you serve your audience before asking for anything in return. Buyers remember brands that help them solve problems and give real value up front.
Now is the time to shift from transactions to relationships. Companies that give first, build loyalty, and demonstrate expertise in their content will be better positioned.
Listen to the full episode to go deeper on building a generosity-first content strategy.
