Hook, Line, and Follow-Through: Making B2B Marketing Matter in Seafood

You’re packing your bags for your annual pilgrimage to the seafood industry expo. It could be SENA, or Seafood Expo Global, or something entirely more niche. Whatever your destination, you’re going to meet your people and, hopefully, your future clients. You’ve got your registration screenshot, your business cards, the shoes that will carry you through 12+ hours of action. 

What isn’t coming in your carry-on, however, is your B2B marketing strategy. That should be well woven into the face-to-face and digital presence of your brand long before you started your personal packing list in your notes app.

We know no one is showing up at a trade show completely empty handed. You have a business so thats #1, and hopefully it’s organized, has integrity, and you believe in what you do. On top of that, you probably have a logo, a website, maybe some social media presence, maybe some hand out materials or visuals, possibly some swag, at least three of the above.

We’re not talking about your bits and pieces–we’re talking about making it cohesive. The throughline of your brand experience from in-person booth engagement to takeaways to the journey through your digital presence to the follow up.

What is the full experience you want your audience to have? How do you want them to engage with and absorb your mission, vision and values, and what resonance do you want to linger that cultivates fertile ground to nurture successful follow ups? This doesn’t have to be a million dollar investment, but it needs to be intentional.

What we often see overlooked in the seafood industry is that showing up is not the same as showing up strategically. Long before our seafood reaches the end consumer, there’s a whole intricately networked community responsible for moving product from dock to dish. The ones who might never read your label in a grocery store, but whose choices shape whether that label ever gets there in the first place. And when this community–your buyers, partners, processors, distributors, and logistics allies–are all in the same room, your strategy becomes your vessel to invite them on board. The ticket is to give them an experience that shows them why they should want to stay aboard. We all already speak the same language–B2B marketing is how you use that language to connect. 

At Seafood Expo North America, you could sense the difference from booth to booth. The spaces you enter where you can literally feel the solidity of their foundation, the people are excited and welcoming but without a hint of desperation, it evokes curiosity, and you stay because you want to be there. And there are ones you avoid eye contact with as you walk by, you can sense they are adrift, and you don’t want to lose a half hour of your day trying to extricate yourself from a conversation you ended up in out of some sort of misplaced guilt. We all want to be the first example, but without a cohesive brand experience on site or a strategy to guide the post-show follow-up, even those good conversations risk disappearing into the expo void. You might’ve had a great booth, snazzy swag, and an engaging experience to offer, but when someone Googles you two weeks later and lands on a site that hasn’t been touched since 2017, the moment dies. Strategy involves both showing up and following through.

We’ve talked to so many seafood companies all across the value chain this year who are starting to realize just how much this kind of storytelling matters. And yes, it’s storytelling. B2B is still human-to-human. Spreadsheets, data, and metrics to back up your claims are all critical ingredients, but what makes you stand out and gain the foothold to deliver those high-impact value points is trust, resonance, and vibe. It’s the experience of your greater marketing ecosystem and the feeling someone walks away with after meeting you.

So let’s talk about what B2B strategy really means in seafood, and what it looks like when it works.

1. Think like a community, not a solo act.
   You’re not marketing to the masses in this context, you’re speaking to peers, partners, and collaborators. These people already know seafood, so skip the buzzwords and fluff. Go deeper. Be specific. Show them you get them.

2. Make your presence make sense.
   Your booth, your swag, your samples, your digital presence, your attitude—these aren’t isolated pieces, they’re a system. Ask yourself: what is the throughline that ties them all together? Can someone experience your brand from the trade floor to their inbox without getting lost?

3. Design for discovery.
   Don’t make people work to find you. They won’t. No matter how good you are, we left our patience back in 2006–people don’t want to have to dig. Have a digital home base that’s highly searchable, up-to-date, visually appealing, well-organized, and built for mobile. That’s where your follow-ups land, your new contacts return, and your momentum lives on.

4. Give them something to talk about.
   Whether it’s clever swag that hits different or an immersive experience, create a memorable moment. People remember how you made them feel—especially in the overstimulated soup of a seafood expo.

5. Follow up like a pro.
   What’s your system for staying in touch? How are you navigating your to-email list? What story are you continuing after the show ends? Your follow-up should be smooth, consistent, and lead them somewhere that feels like the next natural step.

6. Make sure you exist. Digitally.
   This might sound harsh, but it's the truth: If your brand isn’t accessible on a smartphone, it might as well not exist. If your in person presence was top shelf, but your site isn’t searchable, clear, or current? You're missing the most crucial touchpoint in your own marketing ecosystem.

7. Strategy doesn’t mean selling out. It is entirely possible to be authentic and strategic—they’re not mutually exclusive. In fact, your B2B marketing should enhance the parts of your business you're most proud to show off. Done right, it doesn’t feel forced, it’s magnetic. When you lead with real value, backed by intention, people feel that and the resonance is electric.
   
   

Marketing isn’t just for those selling fish to consumers. In B2B, your marketing strategy is the backbone of how you show up, connect, and grow in the seafood industry. You already have the goods, the product, the process, the people. A strong marketing strategy makes sure your audience knows it too.

We help seafood brands find their throughline and build the kind of story that holds attention on the trade floor, online, and into the inbox. If you’re ready to bring it all together, we’re ready when you are.