Reinvigorate your B2B Buyer Journey for the Informed Digital-First Buyer

What is the B2B Buyer Journey?

The B2B Buyer Journey is the active research process a B2B customer goes through leading up to a purchase.

According to Sirius Decisions, B2B buyers have 12 to 18 non-human and human interactions along the buyer’s journey. It’s a marketer’s role to ensure this behavior is central to their marketing efforts. They can do this by building content to address these interactions perfectly.

Forrester found that 68% of buyers prefer to research on their own online and 62% develop selection criteria or finalize a vendor list based solely on digital content. Therefore, when you create content that follows the Buyer Journey, you can help influence your buyers’ research process.

“68% of buyers prefer to research on their own online and 62% develop selection criteria or finalize a vendor list based solely on digital content.”

— Forrester

As prospects become familiar with your brand and associate you with the services they need, you’re at the top of their mind when they’re ready to take action. This is important because your buyers start their journey long before they ever speak with you.

To put it simply, your job is not to sell, but to help them buy — by providing useful breadcrumbs along the path of their digital journey. You can do this by creating content that speaks directly to them — and more importantly — delivers value based on the particular stage they’re at on their journey.

To put it simply, your job is not to sell, but to help them buy.

It’s not Just a Journey, It’s an Experience

Your buyers are people. They are on a journey of discovery to identify the right solution for their business challenges. If you can make memorable and delightful experiences along that journey, your buyer will associate you as a leader when they’re ready to choose a solution.

Your content creates those experiences. Aim to craft exciting content to fit the needs of your buyer at the exact stage that they’re at on their journey.

Read on for examples of content you should create to ensure you meet your buyer at their points interest, help guide them along their journey, and deliver a memorable buyer experience.

What are the Key Stages in the Tech B2B Buyer Journey?

The key stages in the Tech B2B Buyer Journey are Awareness, Consideration, Decision:

1. Awareness

The buyer is expressing symptoms of a problem. They can’t yet identify their problem, but they are attempting to diagnose it through research.

2. Consideration

The buyer has identified their problem and is seeking a solution. They deepen their research to find and understand the best available options on the market.

3. Decision

Now the buyer is looking at potential vendors. They have a solution or strategy in mind, and they are narrowing their options through even deeper research and comparison until they make their final decision.

There are hundreds of Buyer Journey frameworks — some with five stages and some with up to ten stages! It’s best to keep it simple and focus your marketing efforts around the top three.