I'm looking at acquiring a small industrial B2B business, and almost every owner I speak with gives me some version of this answer when I ask how they find new customers. "Marketing is a low-hanging fruit. We haven't really tried it yet." I think there's some truth to that. Many small fabricators grew through reputation, referrals, repeat customers, and word of mouth. But I also suspect there's a reason many owners never invested heavily in marketing despite running the business for 20–30 years. When people say "marketing," it seems to mean: - Google Ads - A modern website with lead capture - SEO - AI-optimized SEO/content - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I recently spoke with a marketing agency that specializes in industrial B2B. Their claim was that spending roughly $5k/month could generate around 20 leads per month. For those of you who own, operate, or have acquired industrial/manufacturing businesses: - Why do you think so many owners never pursue marketing aggressively? - Have you invested in marketing after acquisition? - Which channels actually worked?: Google Ads, SEO, LinkedIn outreach, Trade shows, Email campaigns, Something else? - What looked promising but ultimately failed? - If you could start over, where would you spend your first marketing dollar? I'm especially interested in experiences from custom fabrication, machining, welding, industrial services, and other B2B manufacturing businesses where sales cycles are longer and relationships matter. Would love to hear both successes and cautionary tales.