- HoneyHat

What You Need to Know about B2B Buying

Let’s start with a few trends that B2B marketers need to be aware of regardless of who they are targeting.

The journey to purchase can be very long. It takes energy and time to switch suppliers. Hubspot estimates that the average SaaS contract closes in 84 days. Understanding your audience is the key to keeping them interested and engaged at every stage, so you should always focus on relationship-building from the jump.
To ensure seamless brand experience, you must tell the same story across all touchpoints. Although you may tell the story differently to different audiences it should remain consistent. Use our brand-building toolkit for free to help you clarify your brand story before you put it out there.
Personalization is key. Data Axle found that 81% of consumers would like to receive personalized communications from the brands they purchase from. Marketing tools make it easier to personalize buyer journeys and create unique customer experiences for every generation. People will be more inclined to work with you if they feel valued, respected, and seen. Personalization is key to this.

These three points will help you stay ahead of the curve when you plan your marketing strategy. How do you effectively market to different generations of people? The formula is quite simple.

Find out their preferred channels. You can find out their preferred channels and then create content that will fill their feeds.
Make sure you create the right content. Whether they prefer infographics or videos, deliver the right content. Learn more about the 13 types B2B content available and how you can use them.
Use an emotional hook. Although B2B buyers buy on behalf of their company, there is still a personal investment. You can tailor your marketing messages to each of these drivers by identifying what motivates them, what their preferred language is, and what makes it feel empowered.

Understanding what each one means to each generation is the key. Let’s take a look at the thoughts of three emerging B2B groups: Gen X and Millennials.

How to Market To Gen X B2B Buyers

Generation Xers were born between 1961-1980. These are children born between 1961 and 1980, when the Cold War ended and tech was booming. Many were latch-key kids with a strong independent streak who rely on themselves and are more distrustful of “establishment” authority–particularly large corporations. Boomers are more interested in work-life balance than being slaves at their corporate jobs. They value their work more than the company they work for.

Data Axle: Email, social and TV are the top three most preferred channels for Gen X, according to Data Axle.

They prefer content that is credible and efficient: This is what Gen X values. According to Meta & B2B International Research infographics and whitepapers were their preferred formats of B2B content.

How to emotionally connect them: Gen X is a strong independent group and distrusts sleazy corporations. They are drawn to transparency and directness. Gen X is also very concerned about their individuality.

Avoid using corporate buzzwords. Talk to them as people and don’t try talking around them. They are usually allergic to salespeople. Be honest about your company, who you are, and what you do for them.
Talk to your employees about their day-to-day problems. They don’t wish to be treated as a cog in a machine that exists only to serve corporate interests. Your B2B product/service may be beneficial to their business. But, it is important that they see how it will improve their personal work life. Bonus points if they can relate it to a better work-life balance (e.g. less stress, fewer late night, etc.).
You can let others speak for you. Gen X, the anti-establishment generation is less likely to trust corporate words than a user or consumer. Use testimonials, reviews online, influencers, and other forms of feedback. This will show that others support your brand and make Gen X feel more secure.

Tip: Learn more about how to write compelling, emotional copy that appeals to Gen X.

How to Market To Millennial B2B Buyers

Between 1981 and 1995, millennials were born. They are the first generation to embrace technology as an integral part of their daily lives. They grew up in a world of conflict and social unrest and demand greater accountability from governments and corporations, but they are less likely than others to promise loyalty. They view themselves as employees, who work for their employers and not against them. Their biggest motivators are freedom and flexibility.

Data Axle revealed that email, social media, and television are their preferred channels. They are digital natives and use social media to get news and views on society and business.

Their favorite content: According to Meta & B2B International Research videos and microcontent are their most preferred content.

How to emotionally connect with them: Get out of their way if you want to cater for millennials in business-to-business. They are digitally savvy and media-literate, and can easily find their information online. They don’t want to be held up during the buyer journey. According to Gartner 44% of millennials would prefer not to have any salesperson contact in a B2B buying environment.

Make sure you provide as much information as you can. This includes guides, templates, toolkits and resources that help them to get to know you and your product. Don’t lecture them, but be a resource. Just make sure the content is clear and easily visible for them to explore.
Allow them to test things out on their own. This helps them to sell your product/service to their team, and their experience with your brand will help them become brand advocates.
Ask for their feedback/participation. They are often called the “participation trophy generation” because they want to be acknowledged and seen. They can be your greatest asset, as they will provide the testimonials Gen X loves–wink-wink. Use digital tools to interact with your customers, whether it’s via social media or a quick survey. (Millennials are likely to run the moment you ring their phones.
Your values should be shared. Share your beliefs with the world. Millennials are especially interested in your brand’s beliefs.

Tip Check out our tips to transform your brand values into content Millennials will love.

How to Market To Gen Z B2B Buyers

Gen Z was born in 1996. They are the first generation to be born in a digital world and live an online-centric lifestyle. They grew up in an unstable world and want stability and security. They are much like Millennials and have a negative view of company behavior, both in terms of who they buy from as well as who they work for. However, they consider themselves entrepreneurs because they happen to be employed by a company. They are job-hoppers because they are more focused on their careers than the company they work for. They do want financial stability.

Data Axle’s top three preferred channels are: Social, email and influencer marketing. They give more weight to social content, as well as other opinions about brands.

Their favorite content: They will consume any type of social media content but video is their preferred medium, especially through platforms like TikTok and YouTube. To create the best content for them, check out our guide to brand videos.

How to emotionally connect them:GenZ is similar to Millennials because they are extremely savvy and can navigate online spaces easily. They should be empowered to do everything on their own by successful brands.

You can create a seamless online experience. Gen Z is an independent and digitally-oriented generation. You can create resources, guides, interactive demos and an easy-to access suite of content that they can explore. You can appeal to their entrepreneurial spirit and empower them to make the right decisions for their B2B brand.
Provide education that enhances their credibility. They are the youngest generation of workers and they want to prove themselves to the higher-ups within their company. They will appreciate educational and practical content that enhances their knowledge, makes their work easier, and makes them smarter. Here are five easy ways to teach them about SaaS marketing. )
Online sharing of your culture. Gen Z is extremely selective in the brands they choose to buy from. They are looking for holistic brands that offer great customer service and good employees. They don’t want salespeople calling them or putting their faces in front of them, but they want to know that the brand has happy employees. You can capture their attention by sharing fun culture content to your social media profiles. Here are 7 ways you can do it. )
Influencers are a good idea. According to <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-gen-z-spends-money-on#:~:text=Another%20thing%20we%20can%20expect,factors%20in%20their%20purchase%20decision. According to Hubspot, 55% Gen Z-ers believe that recommendations from influencers are a key factor in their purchase decision. Hubspot has a guide for influencer marketing to help you make the most of all this. These areas are especially powerful for micro- and niche influencers.

Note : While Gen Z makes up the smallest percentage of B2B buyers in the world, it is still the most important segment to watch over the next decade.

How to Strengthen your Marketing Across the Board

It doesn’t matter what generation you are marketing to, understanding the unique needs of each person and how your brand can meet those needs is key to winning. Here are some ways you can do this.

Your Ideal Customer Profiles and Personas. You need to identify the type of company or organization you are marketing to and who has the purchasing power. To segment and document your audience, see our guide on creating ICPs and Personas. This will help you come up with better ideas that resonate with your audience.
You can refine your buyer’s journey. You must deliver the right message at right time to make your brand’s impact. Check out our guide to help you refine your buyer journey.
Be authentic and honest. Do not overthink your content. Just focus on creating content that feels authentic and real. This is especially true when it comes to video. Hubspot found that 78% of consumers believe it is more important to have a marketing video that is authentic and human than one that has high-quality audio and video.

If you require outside assistance, ensure that you choose the right agency partner. Check out our tips for finding the right B2B agency. Also, check out our content strategy FAQs. Or, just contact us directly. We would be delighted to help you reach your audience, whoever they may be.

Column Five first published the post How To Market to B2B Buyers by Generation.