Report: One-to-Three-Month Mark is Most Critical During the B2B Buyers’ Journey

B2B marketers have an ample amount of time to reach out to their target audience, but new research suggests that the first one-to-three months of the buying process are critical.

Demand Gen recently conducted the “2018 B2B Buyers Survey” and found that the first one-to-three months of the buying process are critical to getting customers’ attention. By this specific mark, 38 percent of B2B buyers have already developed an informal list of potential providers.

About 46 percent have already evaluated which solutions would fit well with existing partners, and 42 percent have collected information on pricing/costs.

At the one-to-three-month mark, B2B buyers say that they have spoken to a sales representative from a vendor they selected as well.

Consulting Content Marketing Assets During the Buying Journey

In addition to reaching out to prospects early in the buying process, it’s becoming more critical for B2B marketers to consider the content assets they are providing to their target audience as well.

According to the “2018 B2B Buying Disconnect” report from TrustRadius, B2B buyers turn to an average of 4.9 different information sources during the buying process. In addition, more than 60 percent say that they use product demos to make a decision, while 50 percent rely heavily on user reviews.

In regards to how much they trust these content assets, most respondents say they primarily rely on their own prior experience with the product or service. Turning to a free trial and receiving a referral from a friend, colleague, or peer also appear to help customers during the buying journey.