B2B decision-makers are everywhere—yet they are tough to find and difficult to target. Topics in this webinar include: What is the first step that virtually all B2B buyers take when considering a purchase? How do they use mobile devices in the purchasing process? When is the “right” time to reach B2B buyers?

1. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
How to Reach B2B Buyers:
A Data-Driven Approach
Kris Oser
Deputy Editorial Director
January 29, 2015
Made possible by

2. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
Agenda: Understanding Buyers in 14 Charts
 How do B2B decision-makers research purchases?
 What devices do they use and when?
 What online content is most effective?
 Which successful formats are emerging and which are
tried-and-true?
 How important are B2B decision-makers’ social
networks?

3. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
1. B2B
decision-
makers kick
off their
research
with search
Don’t underestimate the power of
search

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Search plays
a role at every
stage of the
purchase
funnel, but it is
especially
important at
the top of the
funnel

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2. B2B
decision-makers
do all kinds of
research on
smartphones
During idle
moments, quickly
found info is tapped

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Two-thirds
of business
buyers
worldwide
say they use
smartphones
to visit
vendor sites
Is your site mobile
optimized?

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Decision-makers do research at all stages of the
purchase funnel via mobile devices
“Buyers are always using different
devices. If you can get in front of
someone with a dynamic message,
you should be aware of the
device they are on.”
—Roger Barnette, president of IgnitionOne

8. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
3. B2B decision-makers are always-on for
business
They are always on the lookout
for information

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And don’t
assume a
tablet is only
used at home,
or a
smartphone is
only used on
the go

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The lines between business time and leisure
time have blurred
“You’re in and out of work mode.
You’re in and out of personal
mode.”
—Russell Glass, CEO and Co-Founder of Bizo

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4. B2B decision-makers expect to use personal
technology, like smartphones, at work
Most of us take our work home
with us, and most of us take our
“home” with us to work, too

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How many executives worldwide use their
personal mobile devices for business?
78% 75
%

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5. B2B
decision-makers
rely on content
to assist in their
research and
purchasing
decisions
Remember, content is not
consumed by a “business”

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And they are
relying on it
more and more
as time goes by

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The goal of content? To educate the buyer so
you are really being helpful
“Establish yourself as a trusted
authority and thought leader, and
identify that buying signal when it
occurs to close the deal.”
—Ruth Stevens, president of eMarketing
Strategy

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6. B2B decision-makers want content that is
quick and easy to access on their smartphones
If content is not optimized for
mobile, it could defeat the purpose

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A quarter of
US tech
executives
said “shorter”
content would
get them to
consume more
via their
mobile device

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7. For B2B
decision-makers,
shorter content is
better
Pressed for time,
they want to learn
quickly and move on

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Outside of
in-person
events, the
most
successful
content is
short content
Think: articles,
blog posts and
newsletters

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Your targets are busy people
“ I expect the people on my team to read
the solutions sheet and the white papers,
but when they recommend something to
me, just give me a 2-minute video and I’ll
check out what executives from that
company are saying on Twitter. Are they a
forward-looking company? Do they look
like a good partner?”
—Karri Carlson, VP of social insights at Leadtail

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8. B2B
decision-makers
pay close
attention to
vendor websites
(They arrive at your site via
your search optimization)

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Many B2B
buyers find
fault with
vendor sites
Half of US buyers
in this poll said
pricing information
was lacking on
vendor sites!

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9. B2B
decision-makers
use white papers
in the research
process
Even though white papers
can be long

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Content
length should
suit the stage
of the
purchase
funnel

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White papers work best in the ‘messy middle’
“ There’s not nearly enough content
effort at what I call the messy middle,
which is where lead nurturing through
education occurs.”
—Robert Rose, chief strategist at Content
Marketing Institute

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10. B2B
decision-makers
are getting more
interested in
video …
… as B2B videos become more
descriptive and professional

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Video is
among the
most effective
content
marketing
tactics

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11. B2B
decision-makers
share content
with other B2B
decision-makers
But they share differently
than consumers

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They are
much more
likely to use
email to
share content
But businesspeople
still use consumer
sites like Facebook
to share business
content, too

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12. B2B
decision-makers
trust content
from peers
Who else would they turn to?

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A majority of
business
executives
turn to
colleagues
and peers
over media
outlets for
trustworthy
content

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Professionals gravitate to sites and sources
recommended by respected industry colleagues
In the IT industry,
people “typically seek
out more technical,
peer-to-peer use-case-
based content.”
—Julie Brewer, director of
marketing at Sungard
Availability Services

33. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
13. B2B
decision-
makers
welcome
face-to-face
contact
with
vendors
Sometimes digital tactics just aren’t
enough.

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In-person
events and
face-to-face
meetings can
seal deals
Old-school methods
sometimes rule—
even in a digital
world

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14. B2B
decision-makers
are comfortable
making
purchases on
mobile devices
Another satisfied
mobile customer

36. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
If there’s a
relationship,
business
executives
feel
comfortable
making a
purchase via
mobile

37. © 2015 eMarketer Inc.
Takeaways
1. Mobile is an intrinsic part of the B2B decision-maker’s
purchase journey.
2. Content is central to the purchase journey. B2B
decision-makers prefer shorter content. They like
emerging content like video. But they like white
papers and face-to-face meetings, too.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of the share.

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Oracle Marketing Cloud
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Andrea Rosi
Product Marketing Manager
Oracle Marketing Cloud
January 29. 2015

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Number of impressions U.S. customers
make on one another about products
and services each year.
–Forrester
Today, Customers Control Your Destiny
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“Companies were in control up until 2000.
But now the customer is in the driver’s seat.
If you embrace that, you will thrive. If not,
then by 2020, you will not survive.”
–Jamie Nordstrom

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Kris Oser
How to Reach B2B Buyers:
A Data-Driven Approach
 Small Businesses as B2B Customers: Ready to Spend, but
Only if Given Good Reason
 What Makes B2B Decision-Makers Tick? How to Understand
Them in 14 Charts
 B2B Content Marketing: Finding Satisfaction Beyond the Lead
 B2B Email Marketing: Benchmarks and Best Practices