Understanding the Buyer Journey for B2B Demand Generation

After 6 years building my B2B startup, the problems with our linear funnels screamed "level up required!” …   Rigid Linear Funnels are failing us faster than an ABM campaign without personalized approach!   I used to love our predictable funnel. Once upon a time buyers followed orderly funnel steps, today winding digital detours are the new journey.   Here are 3 ways our linear funnel fails modern buyers:   1. It can't fit elongated timelines Buyers self-educate for months across channels. Our funnel demands fast engagement.   2. It ignores complex group dynamics Multiple stakeholders influence decisions, not just one modeled buyer.   3. It lacks human connection Even late-stage, buyers want real rapport, not just content.   I clung too long to our oversimplified linear funnel. But now I see buyers explore on their own nonlinear terms.   Our team needs to embrace these messy realities:   - Map out complex cross-channel journeys. - Focus on genuine relationships over sequences. - Expect and encourage unpredictability.   This shift from rigid models was hard. But embracing fluidity keeps us laser-focused on customer needs.   In today's nonlinear world, strict linear funnels fail B2B buyers.   Mapping real-world journeys is complex but ultimately worthwhile for stronger customer connections. #b2bleadgeneration #b2bmarketing #salesfunnel

The catalyst for growth isn't the new tech stack (2024 more than ever), a shiny media buy, or even keyword expansion. Growth is catalyzed by a laser-focused ICP, a seamless user journey, refined messaging, and consistent engagement with an audience in an organic manner. When marketers force growth, it's often because: →We execute poor marketing strategies →We overcomplicate brand messaging →We stifle feature development and releases →We create copy for the board instead of the prospect →We measure success in volume rather than quality →We analyze TOFU versus pipeline sources For each client, I focus on 3 analysis pillars: 𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝘖𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦: 𝘛𝘰 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: → What are the baseline business details: ACV, ARR, and the sales cycle? → Which sources drive pipeline and revenue? → Which industries contribute to pipeline and revenue? → What industries are consistently lost, and why? 𝟮. 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲/𝗖𝗥𝗢 (𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) 𝘖𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦: 𝘛𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: → Map the current user journey on the website → Evaluate speed from lead to demo and first activity from SDR/BDR → Analyze the value brought by the Thank You page. → Measure the value yielded by follow-up emails. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘖𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦: 𝘛𝘰 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: → Listen to 3-5 sales calls with lost and won opps (by priority industries) → Group sentiments and questions into themes →Identify if issues are related to pricing, features, or poor selling → Map themes to existing content: What's lacking? What's strong? Understanding these pillars sets you up for future success and the right data to influence change. I've personally executed this framework with 15 SaaS clients and consulted 35 to date setting the stage for comprehensive optimizations from the ground up. It's a long marathon, but when fueled correctly, it feels less painful. #demandgen #growthmarketing #b2b #saas

🚀 Unlocking B2B Marketing Success: The Hierarchy of Needs 🚀 In my pursuit to enhance B2B marketing, I have focused on identifying the fundamental elements required to not only reach but also genuinely engage and convert any target audience. Imagine a pyramid, much like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but for your company's marketing strategy. Let's break it down: 🥇 First Tier: The Foundation of Success + Segmentation & Targeting: Identifying buyers and influencers is not just step one; it's the cornerstone of your strategy. + Business Intelligence: Personal buyer insights go beyond data; they are the lifeblood of meaningful engagement. + Integrated Approach: Demand gen, channel, sales, support - when these elements move in concert, the impact is unparalleled. 🥈 Second Tier: Building Momentum + Richer Profiling: Tools and data that offer a deeper understanding of your prospects set the stage for tailored interactions. + Timely Engagement: The gap between interest and follow-up is where opportunities are lost or won. + Content Marketing: Not just content, but customer-centric themes that resonate and drive deeper connections. 🥉 Third Tier: Refining and Perfecting + Customer Journey Insights: Visibility into touchpoints illuminates the path to conversion. + Adaptive Scoring: Lead scoring that evolves with your prospect's journey ensures focus where it's due. + Consultative Approach: Beyond selling, it's about advising, guiding, and becoming an indispensable resource. + Predisposed Prospects: Engaging those with verified purchase intentions means you're halfway there. Introducing the LEAP Model - a transformative framework meticulously designed to navigate these tiers with precision and effectiveness. This model isn't just a tool; it's a mindset shift. It's about transcending beyond improving traditional metrics; it's about profoundly enhancing deal value, ensuring timeliness in every interaction, and driving actionable outcomes that resonate with the core needs of our prospects. The LEAP Model empowers us not only to meet but exceed our customers' evolving expectations, fostering a marketing engine that thrives on innovation, relevance, and strategic foresight. To the Executives and Rising Leaders: Many organizations, however, remain tethered to the allure of short-term numbers, often at the expense of long-term strategic growth. Marketers may lack the capability or shy away from guiding the rest of the C-suite through discussing investment, ROI, and building momentum towards long-term objectives. In this context, where do you see opportunities for alignment, enhancement, and innovation with others in the C-suite? How can we steer our teams towards a future where marketing transcends its traditional function to become a pivotal force in shaping the success of our businesses? #B2BMarketing #MarketingStrategy #LEAPModel #ExecutiveLeadership #CMO

Great journey maps start from the intersection of user touchpoints. A customer journey map shows a customer's experiences with your organization, from when they identify a need to whether that need is met. Journey maps are often shown as straight lines with touchpoints explaining a user's challenges. start •—------------>• finish At the heart of this approach is the user, assuming that your product or service is the one they choose to use in their journey. While journey maps help explain the conceptual journey, they often give the wrong impression of how users are trying to solve their problems. In reality, users start from different places, have unique ways of understanding their problems, and often have expectations that your service can't fully meet. Our testing and user research over the years has shown how varied these problem-solving approaches can be. Building a great journey map involves identifying a constellation of touchpoints rather than a single, linear path. Users start from different points and follow various paths, making their journeys complex and varied. These paths intersect to form signals, indicating valuable touchpoints. Users interact with your product or service in many different ways. User journeys are not straightforward and involve multiple touchpoints and interactions…many of which have nothing to do with your company. Here’s how you can create valuable journeys: → Using open-ended questions and a product like Helio, identify key touchpoints, pain points, and decision-making moments within each journey. → Determine the most valuable touchpoints based on the intersection frequency and user feedback. → Create structured lists with closed answer sets and retest with multiple-choice questions to get stronger signals. → Represent these intersections as key touchpoints that indicate where users commonly interact with your product or service. → Focus on these touchpoints for further testing and optimization. Generalizing the linear flow can be practical once you have gone through this process. It helps tell the story of where users need the most support or attention, making it a helpful tool for stakeholders. Using these techniques, we’ve seen engagement nearly double on websites we support. #productdesign #productdiscovery #userresearch #uxresearch

Stop chasing shadows in your demand generation. The issue isn't your strategy; it's your understanding of the buyer's journey. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵. ↳ They navigate a maze of choices and influences, making linear strategies a NULL point. Also, life happens to us all, including your potential buyers. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. ↳ Prospects interact with a myriad of ads and platforms, diluting the impact of singular channel focus. You cannot set yourself up for disappointment by thinking of anything other. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵, not a straight line. ↳ It's characterized by complexity, unpredictability, and the nuanced behaviors of potential customers navigating through a sea of information. Interest does not equal intent. Browsing isn't buying. Recognize the difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Assuming a linear path ignores the reality that potential customers wander, often aimlessly, through digital landscapes, driven by curiosity rather than clear intent. Our advertising efforts fall short when they fail to recognize that engagement does not equate to readiness or willingness to purchase. Forcing a linear model leads to marketing misfires, with messages that either overshoot or miss the target altogether, failing to meet the buyer where they truly are. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄. 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝗢𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: ↳ Dominate every platform. Your visibility should be ubiquitous, leaving no digital stone unturned. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲-𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 ↳ Deliver exactly what your audience needs if and when they are in different stages. No fluff, just precision. The buyer's journey is a labyrinth, not a straight line. Conquer it with omnichannel strategies, pinpoint content, and use data to help inform the when, where, and how in a logical but NOT overly technical way. It's time to meet buyers on THEIR journey, not the journey you wish they were on. #Marketing is not magic; it's a means of communication. #demandgen #demandgeneration #b2b #b2bsaas #saas #paidmedia #advertising

Imagine trying to make a decision when not just one, two, or even three people have a say, but 10 people (or more!) are throwing their opinions into the ring. That’s what the market looks like right now. So, those days when having a website was a cool bonus? Yeah, those days are looooong gone… If you’re not online at this point in some way, you’re practically invisible (yes, even a landing page with only your contact information is better than nothing). Think about the last time you went out to eat somewhere new. How many restaurants did you look up? How many reviews did you browse? Everyone, in every sector, goes through a buyer’s journey … Whether it’s for a new restaurant, new sub-flooring or commercial window and door options. 74% of B2B buyers conduct more than half of their research online before making an offline purchase. The buying process needs its own GPS system, and that’s where great digital marketing comes in. Each step of the journey is an opportunity for your digital marketing to make their decision much easier. Here’s how: 1. First up, someone figures out there’s a problem. This is your cue to shine with content that says, “Hey, we get it, and here’s what’s going on.” 2. Next, they’re on the hunt for solutions, and your website and content need to pop up like a friendly guide saying, “This way!” DO NOT SELL. You’re not telling them “This way to all of our products and look at this one. it comes in blue. buy now.” Answer questions. Yes. Give guidance. Yes. Flood their inbox with products, features and benefits. Nope. 3. Now, they’re looking for the specific requirements they need. Your site needs clear comparisons to help them find the best choice. Even if that’s not your product. 4. They’re almost ready to choose, and your digital ads, success stories, and active online presence will make sure your name is in the final hat. 5. Just before the finish line, they need reassurance. Make it easy for them to find glowing reviews and solid proof so that they know they’re making the right call by choosing you. 6. The last step is getting all decision-makers to nod yes. This is where marketing and sales alignment is crucial so you can address everyone’s concerns. You have to be a part of their journey from the get-go so that when it’s time to decide, you’re not just another option … you’re the only option. It all boils down to this: Your digital marketing’s sole purpose is to help customers and prospects move through a complex buyer journey. From that first "Hmm, we have a problem" moment to the final "Yes, let’s go with these guys," your online presence, content, and strategy should make the road easier to navigate. Forget about making it complex. Keep it simple, straightforward, and, most importantly, useful. That’s how you’ll simplify your customer’s journey and make sure your product stays top of mind. #buyersjourney #contentstrategy #marketingtips #digitalmarketing

I love the fact that the most influential text in modern B2B marketing was an eBook. It was Marketo’s definitive guide to marketing automation, and it shaped how today’s marketing playbooks are built. I don’t know for sure who all actually put fingers-to-keyboard on it (if you know, please comment below). But it was definitely from the mind of Jon Miller, co-founder of Marketo, founder of Engagio, and now CMO of Demandbase. Jon recently wrote a piece for OpenView's blog (link below) about the shift in that playbook. Specifically, there is now a dearth of attention amongst buyers, so we need to rethink our approach. As part of the LinkedIn discussion about that piece, he and Joe Chernov had a great exchange about marketing’s importance not just at the top of the funnel, but also in accelerating and improving conversion in the middle of the funnel. I think this is a vital part of marketing’s value. Marketing fundamentally is about driving the complete flywheel of go-to-market. So, that includes those two stages in the journey, and I would also add post-sale. Let’s look at each of the three and how marketing can impact revenue: Awareness: In this stage, marketing shapes the market and its narrative. Marketing identifies what is the principal trend in the space and guides the development of a solution to make winners from the trend (i.e. future happy customers). Marketing identifies the kinds of companies and people that are most impacted by the trend and will win by adapting to the shift. The use of narrative here, whether that’s through fun or educational content, or maybe a founder-led story, highlights the importance of taking action now. Pipeline: Once those ideal customers decide to proceed with a discussion, marketing’s job isn’t done. Today’s economic climate ensures that marketing needs to do more. That means helping to generate enthusiasm for change across additional buyers or influencers within the target account. Marketing plays a key role in supporting the Value > Cost + Risk + Effort equation through a great product evaluation experience, educational content, compelling messaging and tools, and more. Upsell: Post-sale is too often a neglected part of marketing’s job. If you are in a subscription or renewal-based business, marketing must continue to play a role. How? By helping to demonstrate value and improve adoption across the organization. When users see more value, and when energy within a user base increases, marketing can leverage that to drive more awareness and visibility – i.e. we return to the start of the flywheel with more power. That could be through case studies, speaking slots, dark social, and more. The result: more renewals, upsells, and referrals. The playbook that was so successful for so many years has evolved. And marketing needs to move out of its traditional as a top-of-funnel provider into the more strategic “full lifecycle” position.

As a former CMO, data has always been core to my strategy. How can you activate the right channels at the right time while fueling it with a people-first approach? HockeyStack just released new research that is a marketing leader's dream. They took over 1.5M data points from 50+ companies and shed light on the intricate dance of converting prospects to customers. Here are the key learnings: ☑️ The Non-linear Path: The journey from first contact to deal closure is far from straightforward, requiring upwards of 700 LinkedIn impressions and 54 website touchpoints to generate an MQL. ☑️ Email and YouTube Remarketing Magic: Remarketing strategies, especially through email and YouTube, significantly cut down the number of touchpoints needed, speeding up the conversion cycle. ☑️ The High Stakes of Touchpoints: From initial contact to closing a deal, the required touchpoints increase with the deal's complexity, highlighting the need for a nuanced approach to engaging prospects. ☑️ The Role of Multi-Channel Strategies: An end-to-end strategy incorporating LinkedIn, Google, email, and more is crucial in navigating the B2B buyer journey efficiently. This game-changer analysis reinforces the importance of an orchestrated multi-channel approach to effectively reach and engage your target audience. It's not just about quantity; it's about each touchpoint's quality and strategic alignment. 👉🏻 The biggest takeaway for me is attribution modeling needs to involve signals. Using the true signals of each buyer as a way to help guide them to a purchase. True people-first attribution is finally here.

After launching a new campaign, many CMOs I've met often declare, "Mission accomplished." But new B2B research from HockeyStack suggests - “Not so fast!” as their data shows that, between a prospect's initial website visit and the creation of a high-intent lead, they will typically have at least 18 website touchpoints. That’s 18 more touchpoints on your website before that lead is actually captured This suggests that before completing - a demo request form, - visiting a pricing page, - or submitting a contact form on your website, your prospects have explored 18 other pages. This is in stark contrast with assumptions that a great direct response ad need only drive to a landing page, capture lead data, and turn it over to sales to close. Upon reflection, the data makes sense. A new visitor doesn't typically say: great ad!, now "Let’s see a demo." "Let me speak to an expert." "Let’s research pricing." ___ For example: Recently we performed an audit for a large enterprise software company.  We noticed that visitors who checked out a product page were 7x more likely to make a purchase than those who didn't. However, out of the 851 target accounts that visited their product page, only about 52 ended up converting. (We figured this out using their 6Sense data). ___ Key takeaway: This client had a ton more key accounts checking them out but they realized how inadequate their key pages were to prompt a conversion. Which should cause us to audit: Are we designing our website solely to serve visitors with high-buying intent, specifically those at the bottom of the funnel? Or... are we crafting our website with our prospects' buying journey in consideration, ensuring we meet their information needs from their initial visit to the final purchase?

B2B leaders - if you are only looking at your pipeline data for learnings, you are missing out. The 2023 B2B Buyer Behavior Report by 6sense reveals a shocking truth: by the time buyers contact you, they're already 70% through their buying journey. They've done their research, narrowed down their options, and are nearly ready to make a decision. That means 84% of deals are won or lost before you even know they exist! Here's the wake-up call: 👉🏽 Buyers are in control. 83% initiate contact when they're ready, not the other way around. 👉🏽 Their needs are already defined. 78% have their requirements figured out by the time they reach out. Here's a sneak peek into the buyer's journey: Vendor interactions: Ads (34%), events (42%), webinars (31%), content downloads (31%), physical meetings (35%), calls/emails (37%), chats (41%), proactive outreach (50%). Overall journey: Virtual meetings (55%), internal meetings (52%), vendor content (43%), reports (39%), peer discussions (33%), industry events (31%), social media (31%), reviews (24%), industry publications (19%). So, how do you win in this hidden game? 1. Be on the day zero list. If you are waiting for intent signals, it's already too late. This means marketing needs to market and not be sales in disguise. 2. Be accessible. Make it easy for them to find you at every stage. Post-purchase matters just as much as pre-purchase. 3. Understand dark social. Know that the majority of their interactions will happen behind the scenes. Be present in your absence. #b2b #b2bsales #b2bmarketing #gtm #gtmstrategy #b2bpr