Embrace Buyer Enablement for a Complex Buyer Journey
Navigating today’s buyer journey is like solving a labyrinth, isn’t it? Buyers bounce around different stages, researching independently and expecting personalised interactions. Traditional content marketing strategies often miss the mark. It’s time to rethink our approach and focus on buyer enablement – a strategy based in the Gartner B2B buyer enablement model.
Understanding A Non-Linear Buyer Journey
Have you noticed how buyers no longer follow a straight line from awareness to decision? They’re more like detectives, piecing together information from various sources. We’ve seen this firsthand with our clients in the IT sector, where potential buyers frequently revisit the consideration stage even after showing initial interest.
Shift Your Content Strategy To Focus On Buyer Enablement
The Gartner model breaks down the buyer journey into six phases. Let’s dive into each phase, discussing the type of content that works best and the kind of questions you should be asking yourself.
- Problem Identification
- Content Needed: Educational articles, blog posts, infographics, and videos that highlight industry challenges and pain points.
- Example Questions: “What are the common problems my audience is facing? How can I make them aware of these issues?”
- Real-World Application: When working with a consulting firm, we created blog posts addressing common industry pain points, which helped clients identify and articulate their own challenges.
2. Solution Exploration
- Content Needed: Guides, whitepapers, and explainer videos that outline potential solutions and strategies to address the identified problems.
- Example Questions: “What solutions are available? How can I present them in a clear, understandable way?”
- Real-World Application: For an accounting firm, we developed detailed whitepapers that explored various financial strategies, helping clients understand the options available to them.
3. Requirements Building
- Content Needed: Checklists, templates, and how-to guides that help buyers define their requirements and criteria for solutions.
- Example Questions: “What criteria should buyers consider? How can I help them build their requirements?”
- Real-World Application: We provided an IT organisation with checklists and templates that their potential clients used to outline their technology needs, making the decision process smoother.
4. Supplier Selection
- Content Needed: Case studies, comparison guides, and product sheets that highlight the benefits and differentiators of your solutions.
- Example Questions: “What makes my solution stand out? How can I clearly present these advantages?”
- Real-World Application: By creating detailed case studies for a consulting practice, we showcased the tangible benefits of their services, helping clients make informed choices.
5. Validation
- Content Needed: Customer testimonials, ROI calculators, and product demonstrations to provide proof of value and effectiveness.
- Example Questions: “What evidence can I provide to validate my solution’s effectiveness? How can I reassure buyers of their decision?”
- Real-World Application: Our use of ROI calculators and customer testimonials for an industry association provided the necessary validation, leading to increased trust and commitment from potential members.
6. Consensus Creation
- Content Needed: Collaboration tools, stakeholder presentations, and Q&A documents to help buyers build internal consensus and get buy-in from all relevant parties.
- Example Questions: “How can I assist buyers in getting internal approval? What materials will support their case?”
- Real-World Application: We equipped an IT organisation with comprehensive stakeholder presentations and Q&A documents, facilitating smoother internal discussions and consensus-building.
Develop targeted content that guides buyers
Are you leveraging data to understand what your buyers really need? Analytics can reveal a lot about content performance and buyer behaviour. Use these insights to refine your strategy continuously.
For instance, we discovered that CEOs and business owners on our own site preferred detailed, long-form content, while marketers favoured concise, actionable tips. By tailoring our content formats, we saw a significant increase in engagement.
Maintaining Continuous Engagement
Buyer enablement doesn’t end at the purchase. What happens next? Do you continue to support your clients with valuable content? Post-purchase content like user guides and best practices can enhance customer retention and demonstrate your commitment as a long-term partner.
Take our success with an industry association, for instance. By providing ongoing marketing updates about their available training, we helped them build a loyal member base and significantly reduce churn rates.
We Can Help
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of the buyer journey? You’re not alone. Shifting your content strategy to focus on buyer enablement can make a world of difference. By understanding your buyers’ needs, creating targeted content for each stage, leveraging data, and fostering continuous engagement, you can guide your buyers more effectively and establish your business as a valuable partner.
Curious to see how this works in practice? Check out our content marketing services and let’s start enabling your buyers together.
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