If ten percent of your buyers are in-market, do you know which ones?
For B2B vendors, generating sustainable and predictable growth is harder than ever. Why? B2B sales teams can no longer engage and influence in-market buyers. These buyers are ready to buy today, representing approximately 10 percent of a vendor’s target audience and ICP, and actively seeking a solution at any given time. The remaining 90 percent won’t be ready for weeks, months, and even years. So, how can marketers effectively focus and convert that crucial 10 percent while nurturing the broader audience of prospects? Success requires a combination of high quality, the ability to decipher real-time behavioral signals, and the delivery of personalized content at the right time.
The Importance of High-Quality and Reliable Data: The rate of B2B data decay has accelerated in recent years, driven by changing work habits after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many B2B vendors learn the hard way that wrong or missing data directly correlates with quality and consistency. A dynamic data validation and enrichment process is essential for both in-market buyers and future processes to ensure that your database is consistently current and the right decision-makers are aware of your brand.
Capturing and Acting Upon Real-Time Behavioral Signals: Real-time behavioral and content-consumption data signals which accounts are actively in the market. Some examples include a decision-maker researching the pricing page on your website or multiple individuals from a single account downloading content or querying specific keywords. When using intent data, it’s essential to note that intent signals are often misinterpreted — especially when relying on a singular data source — leading to false positive results. B2B vendors should leverage multiple trusted sources to cross-reference intent signals and verify in-market status with greater probability.
Activating Your Data with the Right Messages, Content, and Campaigns: Knowing when an account is ready to buy represents only half the battle. The other half requires using the right message at the right time and context. Boosting brand awareness is crucial for the vast 90 percent of accounts that aren’t immediately ready to buy. These prospects should recognize and trust your brand as a top-tier vendor before they’re ready to buy. Reengaging these decision-makers later with in-market content and messaging will generate forward momentum through their path to purchase and beyond.
On its surface, mastering the 90-10 rule may appear daunting. However, with accurate data, timely behavioral insights, and precise content activation, B2B marketers can take advantage of opportunities while maximizing the revenue potential across their target audience segments.