2024年B2B买家洞察与趋势报告

2024 Insights &Trends Report 1,500 B2BBuyers Speak UpA DigitalzoneSpecial Report Triple Threat:3 Game-ChangingInsightsNew Guidelines forRocking the B2B BuyerJourney Slay Your NextCampaign!The Hottest SocialMedia StrategyInspo,Page 34 Effortless “It” Brand StatusYes, It’s That Easy!(With the Right People OFC) Always-On Marketing: Are You In?The Trend Everyone’s TalkingAbout,Page 10 Page 8 WillBlow YourMarketingMindThe FutureIs Here, andIt LooksMillennial ALetterfromtheEditor In just five years,we’ve seen significanttechnological leaps in AI, changingpolitical tides, and major shifts in theglobal economy. These transformationshave reshaped industries, alteredconsumer expectations, and increasedcompetition. Enter newB2B buyingbehavior, with decision-makers reportingfeeling increasingly pressed for time,brand authority making a comeback,and a growing generational gap in mediaconsumption–things have changed. With this new era in mind, we’ve gatheredinsights from1,500 B2B purchasedecision-makersfrom around the world tohear straight from the source about whatmakes B2B buyers tick. From the initial stages of identifying aneed to the final selection of a vendor, weexamined the preferences of today’s B2Bdecision-makers to answer the questionswe get most from our clients and fellowB2B marketers: •What does theB2B purchase journeycurrently look like?•What factors influencepurchasedecisionsmost?•How do media andcontent preferencesshape the buying process? B2B companies are at a challenging,but exciting, inflection point full ofopportunity–and the B2B buyer is here tohelp roadmap the way.Welcome to theage of the empowered B2B consumer. Where brands were once the drivers ofthe journey and authors of the funnel, theyare now riding in the passenger seat whilebuyers take the wheel. And as the modernB2B buyer continues to evolve, it’s difficultto pinpoint what’s driving their buyingdecisions and influencing their motivationsin the market–forcing a new culturedominated by dynamic listening over rigidassumptions. We hope that this report inspires you tocreate more meaningful interactions withyour buyers and that you find opportunitiesin the challenges. VP of Marketing at Digitalzone CONTENTS Timing iseverything The great socialmedia divide The top challenge for B2B buyersis navigating time constraints inthe mix of countless variablesand considerations. Reachingdecision-makers at the rightmoment is undeniably the mostcritical factor in achieving asuccessful purchase decision,but also the most fickle.p.10 Millennials and Gen Z B2B buyers aremore likely to use social media in theirbuyer’s journey compared to their olderpeers. While generational differencesare often overemphasized, socialmedia usage—especially platforms likeTikTok—highlights just how differenttheir media engagement is.p.34 How to becomethe “It” brand Survey Methodology randReputation, authenticity, and renownedexpertise are the key qualities thatcompel B2B buyers to purchase witha new vendor. Buyers are lookingfor knowledgeable partners whenmaking purchases—they rely on brandreputations to guide their decisionsand seek brands that offer a humanconnection.p.22 Digitalzone surveyed 1,500 B2B decisionmakers across the world directly involvedwith vendor purchases averaging $1,000+. Letter from Editorp.2Final Thoughtsp.8p.46p.32Meet your BuyerABM QuizAsk a Marketer p.18p.43About Digitalzone Markets SurveyedUS, EMEA, APACField Dates5/29/24 - 6/4/24 Survey Length6 minutes and 57 seconds39 questions total meet yourMoDern b2bBuyer. Set the scene with some foundationalcontext of today’s B2B buyer demographicsand their operating environment. Buyers in the Workplace With buyingcommittees oftencomprised of diverseplayers sometimesspanning differentdepartments,capturing theirattention andswaying theirpreferences is tough. Millennialsare the largestgroup of purchasers. However, don’tmistake the buyingcommittee for agroup decision. Whilethe opinions of eachstakeholder canplay a crucial role inshaping the purchasedecision,the finalcall is typically madeby an individual(92.5%) rather thanby consensus (7.5%).This means thatone key stakeholderultimately makesthe decision, thoughidentifying this personcan feel like finding aneedle in a haystack. We also found that buyers come from alltypes of departments and internal teams. The top challengefor B2B buyers isnavigating timeconstraints in the mixof countless variablesand considerations.Reaching decision-makers at the rightmoment is undeniablythe most critical factor inachieving a successfulpurchase decision, butalso the ficklest. Buyers face atickingclock In additionto internalsetbacks,outsideobstaclesare gettingin the way. 80%of buyers said that ittakes up tosix monthsto choose a vendor. as their journeysstretch out. The Takeaway? An overwhelming 80% of buyers reportthat it takes up to six months to selecta vendor. And if six months wasn't longenough, the buyer's journey is draggingout even more.