The only thing that’s constant in marketing? Change.
No one knows this better than those of us in demand generation, constantly looking for ways to adapt and maximize our programs. The good news is that we have each other to rely on not just for learnings and campaign ideas but also for the occasional vent session (Google changed its algorithms…again).
I recently had the pleasure of hosting a webinar with Mintis Hankerson, Director of Demand Management at HubSpot, where we discussed the role that customer voice and brand credibility continue to play in fueling pipeline. It was an insightful conversation about the age of AI and what it means for marketers. If you missed it, don't worry! I've rounded up the top three takeaways for you in this blog.
Our demand generation team at G2 stays immersed in understanding how buyers are evolving and how marketers and sellers need to adjust. We’ve especially enjoyed digging into our recently published 2025 Buyer Behavior Report, where the findings reinforce what we’re seeing on the ground at events and after speaking with peers, prospects, and customers: the buyer's journey is shifting. We know that B2B software buyers are making the leap to AI, and they're doing it fast—probably faster than we thought.
So how can you stay ahead of your competition and reach buyers faster than they can open a new chat in their favorite AI platform to ask for advice?
Here are three game-changing insights every marketer needs to implement now to capture demand and maximize program value in the age of AI:
1. AI and review sites are reshaping the buyer's journey
The way B2B buyers research and make decisions is fundamentally changing. It's no longer just about going to Google and sifting through paid and organic results. As I shared during the webinar, almost 80% of people say AI has changed how they conduct their own research. Furthermore, 30% are more productive with AI search than traditional search, and 29% are actually starting their research with AI.
This shift is crucial because AI and review sites are now becoming the top research sources for most companies, regardless of size. While Google still appears in the top three, software review sites and AI often occupy the top two. This means that where people are searching and beginning or complementing their buyer's journey is changing rapidly.
A significant part of this change is how AI and large language models (LLMs) prioritize reviews and customer-driven activity. G2, for example, is the number one source for AI search results in platforms like Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
In fact, G2 powers roughly 89% to 90% of all AI searches related to software.
So, when folks ask an AI, "What's the best project management software?" or "What's the best sales engagement platform for a team of 250?" many of those searches are powered by G2 data.
Mintis also highlighted that SEO results often lead to pages with an agenda, which is largely unhelpful to their research—mainly because they don’t want biased information.
"Buyers who search are looking for a lay of the land, so to speak… so the kind of content you have to serve as the brand is ultimately different because buyers are not necessarily looking for a direct answer to their question. They're looking to research the entire space, and then the answer is within that."
Mintis emphasized that review sites, for example, offer a better spread of content that is not only unbiased but also organized in one spot. Traditional SEO cannot beat that when it comes to engaging your target audience.
2. Embrace social proof and product-led growth for evergreen value
Given the changes in buyer behavior, how can marketers ensure our brands show up and win a spot on the coveted shortlist in this new AI-driven world? The answer lies in building brand trust and credibility through social proof and, where applicable, a strong product-led growth (PLG) motion.
LLMs are scraping the internet for verified user reviews, high-traffic category pages, new content, keywords, trust signals, and categorization. Platforms like G2, with comprehensive categories, subcategories, profiles, reviews, and pricing, are now central to answering these AI queries. So, if you're asking yourself, ‘How do I show up more in the age of AI?’ then optimizing your presence on review sites is one of the best ways to do it.
Mintis also highlighted the importance of social proof, noting that generative engines like to synthesize information and prefer in-depth conversational details. This conversational depth is precisely what review sites offer, and as a result, they’re naturally more aligned with how LLMs like to serve answers— especially compared to traditional SEO.
For those with a product-led growth (PLG) motion, she emphasized its importance for user acquisition. Mintis stated, "We're seeing a fundamental shift in how customers discover and evaluate software... People also like virality and word-of-mouth. We're going in the future and backward all at the same time with what people trust."
For companies without a product-led growth model, Mintis suggested other actions: "The easiest thing you can do is act upon your competitors' and your industry's data, including analyzing your competitive landscape and leveraging that information.”
Whether you have a PLG motion or not, the core idea is to be a category leader and ensure your value proposition is evergreen.
As Mintis put it, "If you're in the CRM space, being well known to your prospects for what you do is something you can take everywhere…that social proof is so valuable."
Evergreen social proof also allows you to better adapt to changing traffic sources for leads, ultimately getting more people into your product.
The key is to focus on getting word-of-mouth and virality, which then transitions into a really good and sticky product experience.
3. Leverage Intent Data to maximize middle-of-funnel programs
In the age of AI, we also need to optimize our current middle-of-funnel programs. One of the best ways to do this is by using intent data. Intent data tells you who is in market and actively looking for solutions like yours.
As a refresher, there are three main types of intent data:
- First-party intent data: This is the data you already own, such as information from your CRM, website visitors, and customers.
- Second-party intent data: This is essentially someone else's first-party data. Review sites like G2 provide this when companies or individuals search for categories, pricing, profiles, and conduct comparisons.
- Third-party intent data: These are more implicit signals from broader internet activity, like reading articles or content syndication. This data is excellent for building top-of-funnel programs.
All types of intent data are valuable; it just depends on how you use them.
G2, for example, can reveal who is actively looking at your company, your category, and your competition, with over a hundred million people using the platform annually in their buying journey and 3 million reviews.
G2's intent signals provide a wealth of information for your funnel
Profile views: Contacts who are specifically looking at your company's profile and reviews.
Comparison views: When someone compares your company to a competitor, indicating a deeper evaluation stage.
Pricing views: Buyers interested in what you offer and how much it costs.
Alternative views: When someone on a profile looks at other options in the space.
Category views: The most top-of-funnel signal, indicating awareness of the category but not necessarily your organization.
One of my best pro tips for marketers is to set up audiences to pull in contacts and accounts that are looking at your category but not yet your profile. This uncovers an entirely new audience who are in the market for your solution but not aware that you exist.
Mintis shared how HubSpot, for example, has evolved its intent signal program using G2 as a foundation. She mentioned how they funnel intent signal information directly into their CRM and use AI to summarize it for sales reps.
"We're using AI to summarize this information so that reps know what to pay attention to and why then and why now and why this company," she explained. This leads to new demand, new intent, and better, more tailored copy for outreach.
Mintis also emphasized that this approach has been a game changer for their conversion rates and provides "exponential dividends from the same emails you've been sending, by sending that account something different with all this context and really giving a human touch to an automated email."
The future of marketing is deeply intertwined with AI and customer voice. By understanding how buyers are researching, building a strong presence on review platforms, and leveraging intent data, we can adapt to the changing landscape and drive significant pipeline and revenue.
And nothing makes a marketer happier than crushing their pipeline goals.
Want the rest of our best tips for leveraging customer voice to drive pipeline in the age of AI? Watch the full webinar recording here.
