Lead Forensics

In B2B Marketing, Timing is (Almost) Everything


Matching your message with the buyer’s journey is important in B2B marketing.

You’ve got a dynamite product. Your brand messaging is hitting exactly the right note. Your video posts are charming and funny, your content always adds value. When it comes to B2B marketing, you’re checking all the boxes.

But you’re still not seeing a solid return on your marketing investment. What could be the problem?

It could be your timing. A recent survey by durhamlane found that 64% of B2B buyers said that marketers aren’t connecting with them at the right time. Only 21% say they are given relevant information.

You may be adding value with your content, but it’s also important that the content arrives to your audience at the right time. Here are a few ways to improve your timing:

Plot the Journey: In B2B marketing, purchases generally follow a similar path. It’s a good idea to get your team together to document the stages of a purchase from your company. You’ll be able to more clearly see how a buyer gets from initial consideration to the actual purchase.

Consider elements such as whether there is a committee approach to buying or if the decision tends to happen with a single decision-maker. What kinds of budgetary limitations might exist, or timeline obstacles?

Segment your Market: It’s likely that you’ll have a few categories of customers and leads, and if you’re working with relatively clean data, you should be able to segment them into smaller groups based on job roles, types of products they would be interested in or their timeline to a potential purchase.

Develop Value-Add Content: You may already have an extensive content library. Spend some time identifying topics and information that are most relevant to each stage of your buyer’s journey. Take a look at some ideas:

  • You may have blogs that talk about solutions for common problems in your industry; this is a great way to build trust with new contacts so that when a buyer begins considering vendors, you’ll already be on their mind.
  • An unboxing video that debuts a new product line may be a good fit for leads that are in the initial consideration phase of buying. They’ll see examples of your innovation and you’ll be able to demonstrate the authenticity of your brand.
  • A live Q&A is a great content piece for those making final decisions about a purchase. You’re not only available to answer questions; you’re also demonstrating that if they choose your brand, they’re never on their own.
  • How-to segments and little-known uses pieces can help those that have already made a purchase continue to reap more benefits from your brand.

Don’t Forget About Simple Logistics: When you talk about timing with B2B marketing, it’s also important to think about the nuts and bolts. For instance, when are your audience segments most active on social media? Or maybe there is a preferred week in each month where your e-newsletter is more likely to be opened. Knowing when to deliver content is a valuable piece of your timing puzzle.

Sure, timing is everything, but time may also be in short supply when it comes to your B2B marketing strategy. Turn it over to the experts at SJC Marketing. From helping you tighten up your timing to simply handling your entire marketing strategy, we’re here to help you create more time in your schedule. Let’s talk!

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