The world of prospects is more fragmented, hidden from view by social media layers, and hit daily by so much white noise that they put in earplugs to avoid hearing loss. In corporations, these buying team members are often hidden from demand generation pursuit behind voicemail and email folders. They go at a fast pace and, in the past, averaged nine members. They are hard to find and hard to reach to influence.
In decades past, there was a widely held belief that a prospect must be touched by a brand offering seven times on average to compel those who might pursue a product or service to buy. Based upon a review of current B2B buyer behavior, my estimation suggests that fifteen is the new norm. In thirty years, the number of required touches has doubled; with it, the complexity of the awareness, interest, and preference process has doubled.
One of marketing’s primary responsibilities is building sufficient awareness and interest in the brand/offerings to make the shortlist possible for purchase consideration. This effort has become more difficult with a more remote workforce and geographic dispersion. Success reminds me of a Rule of Three about Nurture Marketing.
Topic: Nurture Marketing
Adage: Patience is a Virtue
Principle: Turn Points of Contact into Points of Value
1. Can storytelling or thought leadership programs deliver a value-based approach that uses insight and best practices- presented in a series of thematic and related assets delivered over time?
2. Can you generate experiences for the prospect that give them a measurable benefit? (time, effort)
3. Are your content assets adoption (build, manage, change) or buying stage-specific? (awareness, consideration, preference)
