Mobile search has changed the way companies are getting found online. A great quote from Benedict Evans puts it simply into understanding, “It’s actually the PC that has the limited, basic, cut-down version of the Internet… it only has the web.”
In other articles we have talked about the use of mobile video and how that can and should play a HUGE roll in your content strategy. In this article we will look at things at a more macro level.
Often, larger corporations or Fortune 500 B2B companies have a very poor understanding of the ways in which their clients are finding them, or why they are choosing their competitors over them. A study by Google can help shed some light on how B2B companies are beginning to do business.
The World Is Not The Same
One huge change that companies need to take note of is the fact that more and more Millennials are making big B2B purchasing decisions. We talked about this more in another article, but what the Google study revealed is that, as of 2014, nearly half of all B2B buyers were Millennials (between the ages of 18-34). This is a percentage that can only have increased in the past 2 years.
Ages of purchasing researcher demographics
It’s not enough to know who your buyers are, you have to know how they seek out information, both during work hours and after. The fact that more Google searches are now being done on mobile devices than desktops not only means changes in how your market is seeking information, but it also means changes in how Google is deciding to serve them the answers. Last year Google released information, telling the world that soon it would be serving up the “mobile versions” of websites above their desktop counterparts. Google saw how searching has changed, so in order to keep giving users the best results to their queries they are evolving their indexing of websites.
What changes should be made?
Stop assuming your customers are researching solutions to their problems the same way they were even 2 years ago.
Start targeting your market where they are, not only today, but where they will be tomorrow.
The Power is Changing Hands
Another big change is how C-level executives are making their buying decisions. In the past, most B2B buying decisions were being made by high level executives. It is still true that the majority (64%) of the final decisions still lie with the C-levels, but just barely. Not only are non C-level employees making purchasing decisions, but over 80% of them have influence in the final purchase!
Employee Influence on Purchase Decisions
What changes should be made?
Stop marketing exclusively to the high level, C-Suite decision makers.
Start investing time and money into understanding who these influencers are.
Search First, Ask Questions Later
Even though the way purchasers are searching has changed drastically in the past few years, the fact that Internet search is the #1 source of research has not. 90% of B2B purchasing research is done online, but simply having a website will no longer get the job done. That’s because a purchaser will typically do 12 searches before engaging on a brand’s site. So how are they finding you? The most important channels will be those accessible on a mobile device. Video and social should be at the top of the list. If you aren’t exactly sure where to start, here is a great article highlighting the use of video marketing for each stage of the buyer’s journey.
What changes should be made?
Stop waiting for your customer to find your site.
Start understanding your customers buyer’s journey, where they spend time online, and give them the right information at the right time through the correct channel.
What I find to be remarkable is that no matter how search patterns change, or who is making the decisions, the general Inbound Marketing methodology remains strong. There will always be new and important channels to explore in our marketing, but knowing your customer and their journey from problem to solution and guiding them along that path is still the best way to win. Why? Because it puts the buyer first.