Lurkers Are Listening: How Top of Mind Awareness Wins Hidden Leads
How Top of Mind Awareness Turns Silent Followers into Buyers
In the B2B world, a lurker isn’t someone suspicious hiding in the shadows. They’re your silent audience. These are the people who read your LinkedIn posts, watch your webinars, open your newsletters, and browse your website without liking, commenting, or replying.
It’s easy to assume that a lack of engagement means a lack of interest. But that’s a major misconception. In reality, many B2B buyers consume content quietly, waiting for the right time to make their move. Lurkers aren’t ignoring you. They’re absorbing, evaluating, and remembering.
Think of them as slow-burning leads. They may not be ready to raise their hands yet, but they are inching toward the tipping point. The key to unlocking their potential is staying top of mind.
The Psychology of the B2B Lurker
B2B decision-makers often operate under pressure. They’re accountable for major budgets, team performance, and long-term outcomes. That’s why they consume information carefully and cautiously, often without broadcasting their interest.
Public engagement can feel risky. Liking or commenting on a post might signal intent to competitors or raise internal questions before they’re ready to answer them. So, they watch from the sidelines.
There’s also the “pain threshold” factor. Buyers act when the pain of their current challenge outweighs the hesitation to change. And when that moment comes, when the pain tips the scale, they won’t search for solutions from scratch. They’ll reach out to whoever has been consistently helpful, visible, and top of mind.
Real Data, Silent Impact
If you’ve ever had someone DM you out of nowhere to say, “I’ve been following your content for a while, and I think we’re ready to talk,” you’ve met a lurker.
They often sign up for your newsletter quietly. They show up in analytics as repeat visitors with long dwell times. Then one day, a calendar invite hits your inbox. Discovery call booked. Big budget. Zero public engagement history.
This silent behaviour is more common than many marketers realise. Website analytics and email platforms often reveal a pattern of repeated engagement long before a lead ever makes contact. These signals may not be visible on social media, but they’re powerful indicators that your content is working.
That’s the real impact of top of mind awareness. Even when no one’s applauding, the right people are paying attention, and when the time is right, they act.
Stevie V Brown MSc is a highly qualified and experienced Marketer having worked for major ad agencies on global brands in a career spanning 23 years. Stevie is CEO of The Change Starter; a boutique marketing consultancy brand based in Australia and operating globally. The Change Starter specialises in transforming marketing strategies and delivering outsourced implementation across all aspects of marketing from traditional to digital. The Change Starter works with growing SMEs across FMCG & grocery, food service, product manufacturing, reselling, b2b services, e-commerce, retail and allied health.