Views from Catherine Henderson, Founder of Boudicca Consulting
In the ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing, one thing has become increasingly clear: building lasting, meaningful relationships with customers requires much more than just clever campaigns and polished branding. The true power of B2B marketing lies in understanding and managing the complex buyer journeys that define how decisions are made in today’s fragmented, multi-stakeholder environment. And while marketers have always understood the importance of demand generation, there’s now an added dimension to their role—integrating brand with demand and optimising strategies that cater to every stage of the buyer’s decision-making process.
Based on key insights from industry experts and seasoned marketers, this article explores how B2B marketers can cater to the complexities of modern buyer journeys, prioritise metrics aligned with each stage of the journey, and integrate brand with demand to drive better business outcomes. Let’s dive in.
Cater to Complex Journeys: Account for Multiple Stakeholders and Entry Points
One of the key challenges in B2B marketing is the multi-stakeholder decision-making process. In contrast to B2C environments, where the buying process tends to be more straightforward, B2B purchases often involve multiple decision-makers, from department heads to budget holders. According to Katherine, a marketing consultant with extensive experience in B2B environments, “In sales-driven businesses, your product or service is essentially sold by salespeople, but your job as a marketer is to open those deals and qualify them.”
To successfully navigate these complex journeys, marketers must tailor their content and outreach to meet the needs of different stakeholders. This requires an understanding that decision-makers at various levels in the organisation may have distinct concerns, objectives, and pain points. For example, a procurement manager might be primarily concerned with cost, while a technical decision-maker might prioritise product functionality.
Multiple Entry Points for Engagement
Today’s B2B buyers are not following a linear path; they engage with brands through various channels, including social media, search, content marketing, and direct outreach. Marketers need to be ready to meet potential customers at every touchpoint with relevant content that speaks to their unique needs. As Katherine suggests, “You need to understand your business’s sales cycle and align your marketing strategies to support every phase of that cycle.”
This means understanding where prospects are coming from—whether they found your brand through a paid search ad, a social media post, or a colleague’s referral—and creating personalised content that nurtures them through their decision-making process.
To get a deeper understanding of how to manage non-linear customer journeys, check out Harvard Business Review’s articles on this topic here.
Prioritise Metrics by Stage: Focus on Metrics That Align with Each Phase of the Buyer’s Decision-Making Process
Effective B2B marketing isn’t just about creating great content and hoping the leads come in—it’s about understanding where your prospects are in their buyer journey and prioritising the right metrics at each stage. As Katherine explains, “In B2B, we need to focus on metrics that align with the different phases of the buyer’s decision-making process.”
Top-of-Funnel: Awareness and Lead Generation
At the top of the funnel, the goal is to build awareness and generate interest. Metrics here should focus on engagement: things like website traffic, social media interactions, and content downloads. For example, a marketer might track the number of visitors to a landing page, or how many people downloaded a whitepaper. This is where content marketing plays a key role in capturing attention and starting a conversation.
Middle-of-Funnel: Qualification and Nurturing
As leads move down the funnel, they need to be qualified. Marketers should focus on lead scoring and sales-qualified leads (SQLs) at this stage, ensuring that only the most promising prospects are passed to the sales team. Katherine points out that understanding what constitutes a “good lead” is crucial: “Marketing has to deliver the right leads to sales—leads that are not only interested but ready to engage.”
Bottom-of-Funnel: Conversion and Revenue
At the bottom of the funnel, the focus shifts from nurturing to conversion. Marketers should track sales pipeline velocity and conversion rates to assess how effectively leads are turning into paying customers. The goal at this stage is to support the sales team by providing them with highly qualified, well-nurtured leads that are ready to make a purchase decision.
By prioritising the right metrics at each stage, marketers can ensure they are measuring the performance of their efforts correctly and driving meaningful outcomes for the business.
For more insights on how to measure the ROI of your brand in B2B, explore Forrester’s research on the ROI of brand equity here.
Integrate Brand and Demand: Recognise That Strong Branding Fuels Demand Generation at Every Stage
Branding is often seen as something separate from demand generation, but in the world of B2B, the two are inextricably linked. Strong branding not only helps differentiate your company from the competition, but it also drives demand generation throughout the buyer journey.
Building Trust Through Branding
“Branding is crucial in B2B because it helps create trust,” says Katherine. “When a customer sees a well-branded company, they feel more confident in their decision to engage. Your brand is a signal of credibility and reliability.” In B2B, where decisions are high-stakes and involve significant investments, establishing a trusted brand is critical to capturing and nurturing leads.
Content as the Bridge Between Brand and Demand
One of the most effective ways to integrate brand with demand is through content marketing. Content serves as a vehicle for both building brand recognition and driving leads. Case studies, whitepapers, and customer testimonials not only educate potential customers but also reinforce your brand’s value proposition. As Katherine points out, “Well-branded reports or events can make all the difference in whether a client chooses to work with you.”
Every piece of content—whether it’s a blog post, a product demo, or a webinar—should serve to strengthen your brand identity while simultaneously moving the prospect closer to a buying decision.
Conclusion: A Unified Approach to B2B Marketing
In today’s complex and fragmented B2B landscape, marketing teams must navigate multi-stakeholder buyer journeys, prioritise metrics that align with each stage of the decision-making process, and recognise the powerful role branding plays in driving demand generation. By working closely with sales teams, understanding the buyer’s needs, and delivering relevant content, marketers can ensure they are nurturing leads effectively and supporting sales at every stage of the journey.
As Katherine aptly summarises, “Marketing’s role is to feed the sales pipeline, and that means understanding how to deliver the right leads to sales—leads that can be closed.”
To deepen your understanding of non-linear customer journeys and the role of brand equity in B2B, be sure to explore Harvard Business Review’s insights on non-linear customer journeys here and Forrester’s research on the ROI of brand equity in B2B here.
