3 MIN. READ
In a digital world where B2B purchasers spend only 17% of their decision-making time meeting with potential suppliers, content marketing for manufacturers is indispensable. Potential buyers conduct more rapid and far-ranging research on mobile devices and computers than ever before. As a result, the sales rep no longer holds the informational reins.
The buyer’s journey consists of three stages:
● Awareness.
● Consideration.
● Decision.
Successful content marketing will reach potential buyers at each stage.
Awareness
A successful pitch must present a solution to a buyer’s problem. During the awareness stage, the potential customer becomes aware that they have a problem. They’ll be searching for resources to define it, understand it better, and label it. So marketing content should highlight the pain the product will alleviate.
For example, as environmental regulations become more stringent, the cost of emissions rises. A posting might point out emissions generated by a manufacturing process and potential fines and limits on production. A manufacturer’s research will encounter several articles addressing the subject. So the investigator moves to the next stage.
Consideration
At this point, the buyer already has a name for the problem plus descriptive terms to insert back into search engines. With the abundance of internet data, the researcher will look into various approaches and solutions to the problem. Potential customers will explore multiple paths, including:
● Expert opinions.
● Case studies.
● Comparison guides.
● Sample availability.
● Catalogs.
Continuing the example, suggestions for cutting emissions might include:
● Alternative materials.
● Scrubbers.
● Filtration systems.
● Recycling systems.
Whatever approach a vendor offers, effective, high-information content will bring it to the fore of a potential customer’s consideration.
Decision
During this stage, the potential customer employs all its accumulated data to narrow the choice to one provider. At this point, it is now the chosen vendor’s sale to lose. However, even with the competition on the sidelines, this is no time to let up on the flow of information.
For example, suppose the customer chooses a recycling system for water releases. After evaporating pure water, this system returns costly chemicals to processing tanks. Once the customer has made their choice, the supplier needs prepared content to address any possible stumbling blocks. For instance, will the purchaser require a permit or other approvals? Will the system require monitoring? What kinds of testing will ensure proper functioning? How long can the system run without maintenance? To answer queries of this nature, supplier posts might feature:
● Regulatory information.
● Contact information for regulatory experts.
● Trials.
● Demos.
● Specification sheets.
● Datasheets.
● Brochures.
● Product videos.
Before completing a sale, a vendor must assuage the customer’s concerns. Remember, a buying journey is not always a straight line. For instance, an unsatisfied potential purchaser can always step back to explore another option. Comprehensive preparation moves a sale to completion.
Getting Past the First Step
Unfortunately, if the potential buyer’s awareness doesn’t include a company’s product, it’s dropped from the rest of the itinerary. For example, 75% of online searchers never go beyond the first page of hits. Over two-thirds of clicks on Google are on the first five pages. Even a top-notch supplier needs a high search rank to reach the majority of possible customers. IndustryNet can help.
Many websites fail to make the grade. Amazingly, 55.24% of websites contain no backlinks. Due to the lack of a backlink, 91% of pages receive no unpaid Google traffic. One website linking to another creates a backlink. Each backlink a website acquires raises confidence in a site, which leads to a higher ranking. As the level of trust in a site grows, its rank grows in concert. As a trusted source, IndustryNet links provide high value.
IndustryNet Can Help
Suppliers can obtain even more visibility with an IndustryNet preferred or featured listing. A prominent listing on IndustryNet can assist at every stage of the buyer’s journey. IndustryNet’s marketing solutions offer publishing opportunities and social media exposure, while advertisers can also post catalogs, videos, and image libraries to their listings. Advertising with three or more categories also gain the option to specify a separate landing page for each category. The more links, the better a company’s search engine optimization (SEO), especially with a high-authority site like IndustryNet.
IndustryNet provides the tools a supplier needs to become the final stop along the purchasing road.
Article Sources:
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/what-is-the-buyers-journey
https://www.womeninretail.com/the-5-stages-of-the-buyers-journey-and-why-you-need-to-know-them-in-2022/
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/buyers-journey-explained#what-are-the-stages-of-the-buyers-journey
https://hbr.org/2022/02/traditional-b2b-sales-and-marketing-are-becoming-obsolete
https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/seo-google-mobile-statistics-facts/
https://www.industrynet.com/listing/3941567/optessa
https://industrynet.com/marketing/
