Anyone operating in the B2B space these days knows a major transition is unfolding. Between shifting generations, behaviors and preferences, the B2B buyers of today (and tomorrow) are highly distinct from their predecessors. Demographics-wise, 71% of B2B buyers are now Millennials or Gen Z. This cohort of digital natives, now further empowered by AI, are heavily engaging in self-directed buying journeys. Gone are the days of up-front sales calls: 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience. Deep research is conducted independently online prior to engaging a sales representative, with many not even engaging a rep at all.
In response, B2B companies everywhere are making valiant (or not-so-valiant) efforts to flood the market on both owned and earned channels, pumping out a slew of blog posts, white papers, LinkedIn thought pieces and, quite frankly, AI-generated noise in the hopes of reaching these buyers.
However, volume does not earn loyalty and trust. Resonance and consistency do. How buyers consume and research topics that matter to them now – and how they’ll do so in the future – relies heavily on insightful, authoritative content and impartial journalism in the right place at the right time, on the right channels.
To deliver this, companies need to be more adaptable and agile. Marketers need to think more holistically about the buyer and carve out ownable conversations that will inform and educate. This means aligning content efforts with actual buyer intent and pain points, not just product features or sales cycles. It also requires breaking down silos between marketing, sales and product teams to ensure messaging is consistent, timely and genuinely helpful. If all things are equal, the difference between choosing one vendor over another may come down to the quality of content produced.
Tackling major change is never easy. So, let’s break it down into my three most impactful tips for evolving to meet today’s B2B buyers.
1. Help B2B Buyers Discern Fact from Fiction
In today’s convoluted, access-to-everything-all-the-time online space, B2B buyers are struggling to discern fact from fiction when researching new services and solutions. Most B2B decisions are bigger and more nuanced than those for B2C. Buying a new pair of jeans, though important, requires nowhere near the level of consideration involved in purchasing a new SaaS, for example, given the financial commitment and complexity of the purchase.
McKinsey found that B2B buyers use about 10 channels across their buying journey and increasingly rely on social media, mobile apps and text messages early in the sales process. But on this multi-channel journey that’s littered with overblown marketing hype and misinformation, it can understandably be quite hard for buyers to sift through the clutter and find reliable, trusted sources of information.
But you can help them by bridging the gap between journalism and content marketing. Enter the branded newsroom: a dedicated online space where companies bring together editorial, marketing and industry experts to produce audience-centric content. What we’re talking about here is so much more than a place to put press releases. Great branded newsrooms are multimedia hubs chock full of expert interviews and videos, thought leadership blogs, podcasts and premium photography.
In addition, companies need to think about broadening their reach with strategic placement of this kind of high-grade content with independent media publishers, smart SEO and analyst engagements and partnerships. But knowing where and when to place content that truly moves the needle with your audience requires access to quality audience data.
2. Leverage Permissioned Intent Data
As more buying journeys become self-service, and the technology market becomes even more saturated with competitors, permissioned intent-driven content and strategies are mission-critical.
According to Forrester, 89% of B2B buyers are using generative AI as a self-guided information source during every phase of their buying process.
With permissioned intent data, cutting through the SEO and genAI noise to connect with potential buyers is possible. By having access to your target buyer’s top concerns, areas of interest, consumption habits and buying stage in real-time, you can seamlessly engage them with hyper-tailored content.
But the potential of this rich intent data gets squashed when siloed. Vendors must democratize these insights across sales, marketing, product teams and beyond. When done correctly, organizations are able to “surround sound” potential buyers with targeted, personalized engagements and content that’s a perfect match to where they are on their journey.
3. Play the Long Game
Due to the complex nature of B2B purchases and shifting buyer expectations, B2B marketing is a long game that is nonlinear. For some, it requires a major switch from thinking about marketing as a tool to get through the quarter to thinking of it as a set of diversified yet interconnected activities that work in concert over time to drive sustainable growth and build brand preference.
Vendors won’t get the results they’re after by going full throttle on lead gen and expecting instantaneous conversions. Today’s buyers want personalized solutions specific to their problems and will reward those who are able to deliver.
The proof is out in the open: 92% of tech buyers are more likely to engage with a tech vendor who has helped educate them on a particular subject or technology concept.
Ready to play the long game? The best way to do so is to build a more modern approach to media that’s designed to deliver real value to potential buyers. This means pulling on different sales and marketing threads and levers at different times with insightful, authoritative content and impartial journalism.
Stay Top of Mind for Today’s B2B Buyers
It’s no longer enough for a B2B company to provide the product or service that a buyer needs; they must also be a credible source of information in order to build awareness and reinforce trust.
What worked on previous generations won’t cut it with today’s digital-first, self-directed buyers. To earn their trust, you need to meet them exactly where they are. Doubling down on high-quality, personalized content to reach these buyers on all the channels they frequent will set your solution apart and keep your brand at the top of the list when it comes time to convert.
