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Writer's pictureJona Doda

Building a Dynamic B2B Marketing Function in 2024: Mapping the Buyer’s Journey

2024 presents a landscape that's more dynamic and customer-centric than ever. To truly resonate with your target audience, you need a keen understanding of the different stages of the buyer journey. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you do just that.

digital marketing buyer's journey

1. GTM Strategy: Laying the Foundation

First and foremost, you must have a robust GTM (Go-To-Market) strategy in place. This will serve as the foundation of your entire B2B marketing function. Key aspects of this strategy include:

  • Revenue-based Goals and Objectives: This isn’t just about numbers. Understand the velocity of your sales pipeline. How quickly are leads turning into customers? This metric can offer profound insights into the efficacy of your marketing efforts.

  • Market Segmentation: Identify and focus on your target segments. Not every market will be a good fit, so hone in on where your product or service can provide the most value.

  • Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Know who you are selling to. Who is your ideal client? What are their pain points? What solutions are they seeking?

  • Marketing Message: Craft a message that speaks directly to your ICP’s needs, challenges, and aspirations.

2. Dive Deep with Customer Research

To resonate with your audience, you must first understand them. This involves delving into:

  1. Buying Triggers: What makes them even consider a product like yours?

  2. Research Process: Where are they gathering information? What queries arise as they compare different products?

  3. Decision-making Process: Who’s the decision-maker? What factors sway their choices?

  4. Value Perception: Once they've made a purchase, what value do they believe your product offers them?

  5. Goals and Needs: How does your product align with their goals and address their challenges?

  6. Industry Insights: Where are they getting industry news and updates? Whom do they trust for professional advice?

3. Decoding the Buying Journey

A pivotal realisation is that you're not selling to faceless entities, but to people with roles, aspirations, and apprehensions.

Here’s a breakdown of the typical personas involved:

  1. Champions: They kickstart the process. Their research sets the stage for what comes next.

  2. Decision-makers: They have the final say.

  3. Influencers: While they might not be directly involved in the initial research or negotiation, their opinions during the evaluation stage can significantly impact the final decision.

  4. Blockers: Perhaps the most challenging, these are individuals who might be skeptical or apprehensive about your solution.

Remember, each member might join at different stages, with distinct motivations. Crafting tailored journeys for each will enhance the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.


4. Streamlining Marketing Programs

Now, with a clear understanding of the buyer personas, map out your marketing and sales tactics across their journey.

Contrary to the misconception, you don’t need an arsenal of tactics. Instead, focus on key strategies at each stage:

  • Awareness: Make them aware of a solution.

  • Attention: Grab their interest.

  • Demand: Create a desire for your product or service.

  • Activation: Drive them to take action.

5. Roles and Skill-sets: Building Your Team

With your strategies in place, the next step is to assemble a team that can execute them flawlessly. Assign roles based on the aforementioned tactics and identify the skillsets required for each. This clarity ensures you have the right people doing the right tasks, maximising efficiency and outcomes.


A Note on the Buyer Journey: While the above might seem like a linear progression, it’s essential to remember that the B2B buyer journey is far from it. Buyers might skip steps, revisit earlier stages, or meander in their decision-making process.


In Conclusion

By defining clear activities at each stage of the buying process and aligning them with the right skill sets, you can create a marketing function that’s agile, efficient, and, most importantly, effective. Remember, it's not about casting the widest net, but about casting it in the right waters. With these insights, you're well on your way to doing just that.


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