Companies that get brand experience right are more likely to generate loyalty, which leads to repeat purchases and reduces time to purchase.
How to Future-Proof Brand Experiences in the B2B Customer Journey
Companies that get brand experience right are more likely to generate loyalty, which leads to repeat purchases and reduces time to purchase.
Simon Calvert, Chief Strategy Officer at Merkle B2B, believes that every B2B customer experience should be a path to commerce. Intelligent use of data helps identify functional and emotional details that can impact outcomes by designing a customized experience.
The B2B customer journey is constantly evolving, and the path to purchase is now made up of longer buying journeys made up of different decision makers with different needs. This involves some complexities, but the chances of success are higher than ever. By delivering truly tailored experiences that adapt to customers’ changing wants, needs, and behaviors, brands can deliver meaningful value at every touchpoint they engage with.
Our research shows that B2B buyers are demanding more and more from their B2B brand experiences. Today, success is increasingly determined not just by meeting the needs of the organization, but also the needs of individual people within the company. The winners will be the brands that can achieve both. It’s more important than ever for brands to connect with their customers. When making purchasing decisions, shoppers look for brands that can help them achieve their professional ambitions and goals.
They also want to work with brands they believe truly understand their business and the challenges it faces. This can be conveyed through a content strategy that speaks directly to the company and directly addresses its issues, priorities and concerns.
On an emotional level, they want to work with brands that share the same business values and reiterate their stance on ESG initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion policies. These softer values and more personal aspects are proving to be the true differentiators in the B2B customer journey.
From a commercial perspective, B2B brands that get their brand experience right are more likely to buy again. This means shorter time to purchase and greater loyalty.
Future-proofing your business, rethinking your existing data and technology, and making every experience a path to commerce are the three most important requirements to add meaningful value to your customer experience. But how do you future-proof CX in a B2B world?
Be customer-centric
Changing customer expectations and a turbulent economic environment are forcing brands to work harder to respond quickly and meet the ever-changing needs of their customers. While technology supporting CX has gotten smarter and more efficient, no single product can meet the needs of every brand. The focus should always be on how investments, whether in technology or talent, will bring tangible benefits to customers in terms of their needs, wants, and how they interact with the brand.
Customer obsession starts with data. To provide customers with truly personalized products and services, companies must thoroughly mine customer data to prioritize individual wants and also understand which decision drivers work best for their specific industry.
Our research shows that there are six decision drivers for successful B2B marketing: Respond quickly and adapt to changes in plans; Offer customizable products and services; Provide necessary expertise, information, and support; Transmit new knowledge/skills; and Have a progressive approach to all stakeholders. However, the importance of these decision factors will depend on the respective business sector. For example, employees in professional services preferred working with B2B brands that could provide them with “new skills/knowledge”, while employees in technology preferred “customizable products and services”.
In a world where B2B teams are in even greater demand, companies need to consider which decision factors are appropriate for which sectors. Without meeting these requirements, these brands may fall by the wayside.
Pay attention to the details of the B2B buyer journey
The average B2B buying process takes around 350 days and is by no means linear, but that doesn’t mean the path to purchase has to be difficult and tedious. B2B brands are now at the forefront of rethinking how they sell products and services.
The evolution of B2B marketing is driving a shift towards delivering experiences that matter not only to companies, but also to the people who work there. By using data to focus on each touchpoint throughout the journey, brands can understand what matters to specific audiences at each stage and deliver a customized, personal experience. In a post-pandemic world, B2B brands will need to take their experiences to a new level to truly connect with customers on both a corporate and personal level.
As millennials and Gen Z rise to leadership positions within companies, the need for self-service and automation is impacting the status quo of B2B sales. This commerce transformation brings CX opportunities through technology and data-driven human relationships.
By integrating customer data from various channels, including media platforms, content management systems, commerce platforms, supply chains, and customer service platforms, B2B brands can deliver the personalization customers expect. Additionally, companies can optimize CX orchestration through technology and human-driven processes.
Create a brand experience that goes beyond sales
In recent years, we have seen a significant shift in the values that B2B buyers place importance on in their B2B brand experiences. Our research shows that brands that provide personal value to buyers are more likely to achieve better commercial outcomes, resulting in a 16% shorter sales cycle in 2022.
For buyers, the pride of working with a brand that is a source of inspiration in the business world, a leader in innovative products and services, or has a clear ESG strategy is now a key differentiator in B2B business. Similarly, brands can add meaningful value by helping buyers achieve their own professional ambitions and goals.
Every experience should be seen as a path to trading. By acting like forward-thinking companies, brands can create experiences that go beyond the sale. Just as consumers don’t just interact with brands to buy products, the same holds true in B2B. No one wants a relationship that feels one-sided. It’s about building an emotional connection on a personal level, creating long-term loyalty and trust.
