Stand out from the crowd

Brand reputation has always mattered. But with most buyers now picking a provider prior to final evaluation, it’s crucial for marketers to build their brand long before the buying cycle begins. That means using thought leadership and being visible across all channels to increase trust.

For buyers, industry specialization is now more important than price and brand heritage. Marketers must ensure their specializations are front and center, using thought leadership and case studies to demonstrate credibility and expertise.

Most buyers cannot tell firms apart without research, and they find their advertising falls short on creativity and memorability. Marketers can look to brands outside the industry for inspiration on how to make ads more emotive and fire buyers’ imaginations.

Marketers often obsess over capturing a C-Suite audience, but these days IT, Finance, Strategy and Operations are key influencers too. As buying groups get bigger and processes take longer, marketers should understand the whole buying group and ensure content speaks to their diverse needs.

Buyers’ needs are constantly changing. They use information they have learned from social media at all points in the sales funnel; from researching topics to sharing information with decision-makers. Marketers should anticipate this mix of outlooks and objectives and address them each step of the way.

While buyers often choose winning suppliers early in the process, they also like to research plenty of options. Marketers should be familiar with the information sources buyers use and then diversify their approach to match.