What is the B2B Buyer Journey?

The last year and a half or so has had a massive impact on the way consumers shop for goods online, but they are not the only ones changing the way they approach buying decisions. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the B2B buying process has also massively changed, and if you’re operating in this sector it’s key that you pivot to suit the new world of B2B commerce. 

The B2B buying process has always been a swirling loop involving many influencers doing research, meeting, evaluating, and weighing pros and cons before making a final decision. In the past there has been a big focus on in-person meetings and relationship building prior to committing, but this has changed. 

When Covid shut the world down, face-to-face meetings and conferences came to a halt, buyers had to pivot the way they gather information. Buyers now largely conduct their own research prior to making decisions, which means it’s more important than ever that suppliers use their online assets to clearly communicate their benefits instead of relying on their sales teams. 

This also means that buyers today appreciate or even may rely on suppliers who make their path-to-purchase as quickly and straightforward as possible.

What Influences a B2B Purchase Decision? 

Although many buyer’s path to purchase is different by what sector they operate in, many B2B buyers are influenced by the same factors beyond pricing and general fit of the solution. 

1) SOCIAL CHANNELS

Social media channels are highly effective for many types of marketing campaigns for B2C ecommerce brands, both paid and organic. But social channels can be used to influence B2B buying decisions as well. 

LinkedIn is quickly becoming the go-to channel for B2B businesses to get their products and services in front of key decision-makers. 

LinkedIn operates the largest interconnected network of professionals in the world with 774 million members. LinkedIn also boasts that their users have double the buying power of average web audiences with 4 out of 5 of their users in the position of making key decisions, making them the best social channel for B2B lead generation. 

2) Social Proof and End User Validation

In the B2C world, there’s been a massive uptake in reliance on user-generated content before making a purchase, showing a change in the general attitudes of consumers. The B2B world is facing a very similar change.

Reviews were higher rated for building trust than vendor experience, advertisements, case studies, and more. Clearly, social proof and end user validation is essential for generating demand, driving awareness, and building trust in the B2B world.

3) B2B Marketing Doesn’t Need to be Boring

Many marketers believe that B2B marketing is boring because it’s information based and corporate. But this mindset is slowly changing— and it should! 

Modern audiences don’t respond to boring. People like to be entertained, and buyers in the B2B are no different. Whether they realise it or not, buyers rely on their emotions to guide their decision making just like any other consumer. If you can entertain and inform at the same time, you will delight your buyers, and if buyers feel delighted they will favour what you’re selling. 

The best way to inject personality into your B2B marketing is to root it in human stories of conflict, challenge, failure, and victory from the outset instead of trying to add humour or emotional appeal to a completed message as an afterthought. Get away from thinking about your B2B audience as corporate and stiff. Treat it like any other campaign from the outset. 

Check out 4 examples of businesses getting creative with their B2B marketing if you’re looking for some ideas or a place to start.