The Hidden Reality of B2B Demand: Your Buyers Aren’t Ready… Yet
Understanding how B2B buyers operate is foundational for B2B marketers.
Here’s a data point that doesn’t circulate as much as it should: Only 5% of B2B buyers are in-market for a product or service at a given time.
Meaning, that data list you have of 5,000 leads you are ready to market to – 95% of those people are not interested in what you have to offer at the time you are sending your pitch.
I’ll break down why this is important to know in one sentence: Your short-lived outreach campaign is irrelevant for almost your entire list.
But if you read between the lines, over the course of 12 months, 90%+ of that list might be in the market for your solutions. When you understand that in B2B, purchasing decisions are often based on proper timing, your strategy changes.
With that in mind, you want to give yourself an advantage for when it is time to buy, and that advantage is simply building familiarity. This involves continuously producing content for your target ABM list across multiple channels, as well as thought-leadership posts.
The words familiarity, and top of mind should be spread more among B2B marketers, because without it, outbound marketing falls flat, and inbound is almost non-existent.
Most B2B companies can fit all their potential clients in MetLife Stadium. If you frame it this way, it shouldn’t be hard to ensure the majority of your ICP sees your content. Emails/LinkedIn posts, direct mail, and Media Partnerships are among the best distribution channels you can use. Do this right, and with consistency, and when it’s time to buy, you’ll be in front of every other option.
Resources that can assist with building demand:
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