Whether from inbound, outbound or referral marketing activity, not a day goes by when B2B Marketers aren’t fighting to generate more leads.
And it’s not easy when the attitudes and behaviours of B2B buyers are changing as rapidly as the digital landscape itself. By the time a buyer makes contact with your business, they can be up to 90% (!) of the way through the decision-making process.
So as the modern b2b buyer becomes blinder to content and marketing communications in favour of their own research, how do you ensure the information they do see is timely, relevant and influential in their decision-making process?
With inspiration from the Baseone Buyersphere report, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide on Marketing to the Modern B2B Buyer – download it here for free.
Here’s 4 quick steps to help you get up close and personal with your business customer:
Step 1: Understand real purchase intentions by getting personal with personas
Although B2B marketers are creating relevant content and personalised communications (even some humour!), many B2B buying experiences can still feel too automated and impersonal.
By implementing data-driven Buyer Personas, you’ll build an idea of what your buyers are doing in that first 90% of the buying process, as well as understanding the motivations and goals behind their purchase intentions.
Build accurate, data-driven Buyer Personas in six steps with this handy guide and don’t forget to check out this expert blog from Smart Insights on using buyer personas.
Step 2: Match your content with the B2B buyer journey
When 61% of B2B buyers agreed that the winning vendor delivered a better mix of content, knowing what information your buyer needs and when, could be the difference between winning and losing that sale.
By mapping out the B2B buyer journey and identifying your buyer’s information needs at each stage, you’ll understand what content will have the most impact. Overlaying your content strategy according to these information needs will guarantee to inform, educate and influence the decision-making process.
Step 3: Nurture the sales out of those leads
The average sales cycle has increased by 22% over the past 5 years due to more decision-makers being involved in the buying process. But as the sales cycle grows, so does a marketer’s ability to turn a ‘not right now’ into a ‘find out more’.
But in a world of real-time results and instant gratification, monitoring your twitter feed for interaction and sending out an email campaign isn’t enough. You’ll need real-time digital intelligence in place across multiple channel touch points in order to keep those buyers moving along their journey.
When nurtured leads (on average) produce a 20% increase in sales leads, spending extra time on effective lead nurturing will build trust with buyers and establish your company as a credible information source.
Step 4: A community of brand advocates is essential
When it comes to making that all-important purchase decisions, 67% of B2B buyers agreed that they had heard of the chosen supplier before. So if you want to win that well-earned business, it’s time you had an army of brand advocates ready to spread the word about your product.
With B2B marketing stepping away from the dull and dreary and into the limelight, why not get creative with your brand advocacy and make it fun for your customers, partners and fans to fuel your business growth?
When it comes to closing the sale, buyers are hungry for reassurance that they are making the right decision so take a look at these 5 success stories and be inspired in giving your brand advocates a real reason to shout about you.
The mind of a B2B buyer is a (mildly) dangerous and very confusing place for a marketer. But delve deep into understanding the attitudes and behaviours of your business customers and you’ll unlock the secret to generating more leads from your marketing activity.
It’s time to thoroughly understand the behaviours and attitudes of the modern B2B buyer, as an individual – Download the Marketing To The Modern B2B Buyer Guide.
