Why residential tactics don't transfer
Residential ID lead gen (covered in our portfolio-as-funnel post) runs on Meta, emotion and aspiration. Commercial fit-out runs on credibility, capability and risk-reduction — a company is trusting you with its office, its timeline and a large budget, often with several stakeholders signing off. Emotional portfolio ads on Meta reach the wrong person in the wrong mindset. The B2B buyer is researching vendors, not browsing inspiration.
The channels that fit B2B
| Channel | Role in commercial fit-out |
|---|---|
| Google Search | Captures active intent — "office fit-out contractor KL", "commercial renovation" — the highest-value B2B channel. |
| Targets the actual decision-makers by role/company; strong for credibility and committee reach. | |
| Case studies / credentials content | Proof of comparable commercial projects, timelines met, budgets handled. |
| Meta (supporting) | Limited — useful for brand/retargeting, not primary B2B lead gen. |
The funnel is longer — build for it
A fit-out enquiry rarely converts on first touch. The funnel has to support a months-long, multi-stakeholder evaluation: capture the intent (Google), establish credibility (LinkedIn, case studies, capability decks), make it easy to start a conversation, then nurture through the evaluation. Qualification matters as much as in residential — project size, timeline, decision process and budget authority — but the qualifiers are B2B ones. A "request a capability deck / site visit" CTA fits this buyer better than "get a free quote".
Targeting the committee, not a person
B2B fit-out decisions involve multiple people — facilities, finance, leadership. LinkedIn's role targeting lets you reach them by function and company size, and your content should speak to each stakeholder's concern (cost control for finance, minimal disruption for operations, brand/space for leadership). This is why LinkedIn earns its place here where it would be wasted on residential.
What we do differently in client accounts
We run commercial fit-out as a B2B motion — Google Search for intent capture, LinkedIn for decision-maker reach, credibility content for the evaluation — separated from the residential Meta funnel rather than blended into it. It extends the interior design programme into B2B, and the channel-role thinking mirrors our Google-vs-Meta framework.
What to do about it
- Separate commercial fit-out marketing from your residential Meta funnel.
- Lead with Google Search for intent capture and LinkedIn for decision-maker reach.
- Build credibility content — comparable commercial case studies, capability decks.
- Qualify on B2B criteria (project size, timeline, decision process, budget authority) and use "capability deck / site visit" CTAs.