In our previous blog we discussed marketing tools B2B marketers can choose from to optimize their digital marketing efforts. Choosing the right tools from the rich marketing technology landscape is your first challenge, and but aligning them is you next. Which building block matches the functionality you need to communicate with potential customers per stage in their buyer journey? Lets look at the different categories of B2B marketing tools and the type of lead data we defined first and then at the buyer journey stages to map them together.

B2B marketing tools in 10 categories

From a lead generation and lead nurturing perspective we can categorize marketing tools into these 10 building blocks:  

1. CRM captures contact information and interactions of existing customers and qualified leads
2. Email Marketing Tools captures email address, subscriptions, emails sends and behavior on those emails
3. Content Management tracks of behavior on web visits and builds profiles based on things like interests and location
4. Forms & Landing Pages capture unqualified lead contact information like email, name, company and industry and response history like downloads and registrations.
5. Social Media Tools engagement of members with your content, direct social media tokens and basic profile information
6. Chat & Chatbots basic contact information of web visitors like email and name plus chat or answer history
7. Webinar Tools basic contact information like email and name plus registration, participation and interaction of webinars
8. Tools for In-Person Events basic contact information like email and name plus registration and participation history of events and sessions
9. Tools for Data & Tracking comprehensive tracking of known and unknown web visitors, recognition of companies on your website and enrichment of basic profile information
10. Advertising Networks track information of anonymous visitors across the network and lead data with services like LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms and CPL media

For an in-depth discussion of these 10 building blocks please read our previous blog ‘35 Recession Proof B2B Marketing Tools for Your Small Business’.

Buyer Journey Stages

So as a B2B marketer, you have many options to use technology to amplify and target your content to generate and nurture leads. But which tool is used for which buyer stage?

Commercial decisions are generally not made overnight. Decision-makers undergo a process known as the “buyer journey.” Before making investment decisions, people generally first arrive at an idea. The current situation, for example, is no longer sufficient or external developments create the possibility for new opportunities, or threats, which need to be dealt with. Subsequently, possibilities are examined and improvements can be made and implemented. Finally, the various options are assessed and decisions are made.

This journey can be divided into five stages:

• Discovery. The starting point is recognition or acknowledgement of a problem or challenge followed by the understanding that a solution is needed.
• Consideration. Internally wishes and requirements are reviewed and all the external possibilities are lined up. This search generally ends with the preference for one, or a limited number of, suppliers.
• Decision. In the decision-making phase, the chosen option must be justifiable and have the “feel good” factor.
• Implement. After the actual purchase, the product or service needs to be implemented or taken into use. As a supplier, it’s key to optimize this step.
• Use. Finally, the service or product is taken into use. Now it’s essential to turn users into fans!

Aligning B2B Marketing Tools to Buyer Journey Stages

The phase in which a buyer finds himself within their journey is related to the technology building blocks you can use. In the first stage, potential buyers are still unknown so you need to attract them with relevant content, for instance, using owned, earned and paid media like SEA, remarketing and social media. A next step is to convert relevant buyers into leads so you can learn more about your potential customers and reach out to them. To help and educate leads in their consideration phase, tools for lead nurturing like email workflows or LinkedIn Sales Navigator can be used. And when leads are sales-ready based on their lead score, they need to be transferred to your CRM for a follow-up by sales.

The tools in our 10 building blocks can be used in the different buyer journey stages. A typical framework for mapping the different tools a small business uses to facilitate interaction in the different buyer stages is presented in the graphic below.

In our next blog on this topic we will discuss how to integrate them to enable a seamless customer experience during their buyer journey.