Todd Ebert, Chief Marketing Officer

HOW DO PEOPLE BUY TODAY?

AGENDA• Digital Changed Everything

• B2C Buying Journey

• B2B Buying Journey

• Digital Advertising Influences the Journey

How much time do YOU spend online a day?

Daily Media Consumption

Online7.6 Hours

Offline7.0 Hours

23%

28%

@ 6% 24%

1%Search

Email / IM

Surf Content

Surf Social Media

Online Shopping

19% Surf Video

@

49% of digital media consumption is through mobile devices

Consider the last time you needed a new car, braces for your kids, or even something as simple as a restaurant for date night. What did you do?

How do YOU buy something today?

Search on Google or Bing to see which businesses showed up for a service you need?

Ask for a recommendation from friends on Facebook?

Check reviews on Yelp, Google, or another directory site?

Compare the websites of a few different businesses to help make your choice?

See a display ad that jogged your memory about a brand you were already considering?

Use your mobile phone to search for a product’s price while in the store?

See a display ads that made you aware of a product or brand you weren’t familiar with?

If businesses are not visible online when people are doing their homework, believe me, they’ll find others who are.

-- Jim Lecinski, Managing Director, Google

Why does it matter?

Google’s Zero Moment of Truth by Jim Lecinski

Click to Get Full Google ZMOT Ebook

B2C Buying Journey

The Customer is in Control!

Before ever contacting a business they…

SearchUse mobile phones to instantly research products and services

anytime, anywhere.

SurfSee ads on every site and form impressions of businesses and

products.

SocializeShare buying experiences with hundreds, even thousands, of

others in an instant.

Have a need or want and research the potential solutions online

Identify some brands for consideration and contact a few of them

Research reputation and price online then buy the best option

Share their experience on social and review sites

No need, unaware of most brands

Do you ROBO? Research Online Buy Offline

Simple Version of the Consumer Buying Process

Every tactic cuts down the entire funnel – for example consumers see ads at the beginning, middle and end of their buying journey

What Influences Buying Decisions?

Customers start and stop the process over time and are influenced by many different types of advertising & content at every stage.

The Journey is Not a Straight Path

Low Cost NeedWater Heater Repair

Cindy’s hot water heater is broken so she has to find a good plumber fast. She does a quick search on Google and clicks on the search ads for brands that she knows after years of hearing their radio and TV ads. After that she checks their websites and reviews and then calls a few to check availability and price.

DISCOVER CONSIDER BUY REVIEW / REPEAT

High Cost WantKitchen Remodel

Mary has dreamed of remodeling her kitchen for nearly a year while waiting for her bonus. During that time she has seen many ads for local remodelers while casually surfing home improvement sites and magazines. Now she is ready to find a remodeler to do the job but wants to make sure she gets a high-quality builder who will do the job right.

DISCOVER CONSIDER BUY REVIEW / REPEAT

B2B Buying Journey

B2B Buying: How is it Different from the Consumer Journey?

• Business professionals plan ahead– buying is planned and budgeted as part of their

job, emotion plays less of a role

• Longer, more complex process– high cost products require more time to research

solutions and evaluate multiple vendors

– wrong decisions are very costly to the business and the buyer’s career

• Additional information available– associations, buyers guides, industry news

briefs, blogs, research reports, user reviews, etc.

The B2B Buying Journey

Who is involved in the decision for a major purchase?

Decision Makers

Influencers

Users

Users of the Solution• Often identify the need for a new solution• Can torpedo a decision if not involved

Influencers• Colleagues in other departments• Industry analysts outside the co.

Decision Makers• The buyer• The buyer’s boss• The buyer’s CFO

How far along the journey before talking with a Sales person?

The Buyer is Now in Control of the Journey

*Source: Sales & Marketing Management, March 2015

Unaware

Aware

Explore

Consider

Evaluate

Purchase

Renew

Advocate

Time

Buyers complete 70% of the journey prior to making contact*

How can a business influence their customers buying journey?Unaware

Aware

Research

Consider

Evaluate

Purchase

Renew

Advocate

Time

Before they are looking?

During their research?

Through the RFP process?

After they become a customer?

BRAND

Search Tradeshow Website Email Association Display

Search Demo Reputation Email Re-Targeting Display

Account Service Training Content Loyalty Program Display

PRODUCT@

@

Unaware

Aware

Research

Consider

Evaluate

Purchase

Renew

Advocate

Time

B2B Marketers Use Many Tactics Across The Journey

Blog/Social Tradeshow Print Direct Mail Association Display

BRAND

Search Tradeshow Website Email Association Display

Search Demo Reputation Email Re-Targeting Display

Account Service Training Content Loyalty Program Display

PRODUCT@

@

Unaware

Aware

Research

Consider

Evaluate

Purchase

Renew

Advocate

Time

Blog/Social Tradeshow Print Direct Mail Association DisplayBut they need Display Advertising because it…

• Is the fastest and most cost-effective tactic for awareness

• Captures more mind share than organic search or social

• Influences buyers across every step of the journey

• Powers brand lift for all marketing tactics

B2B Marketers Use Many Tactics Across The Journey

Digital Advertising Influences the Journey

OWNEDMEDIAWebsiteBlogSocial PagesEmail

Three Pillars of Digital Marketing Work Together to Influence Decisions

EARNEDMEDIAPR MentionsSocial SharesReviews

• It’s the most cost-effective tactic for increasing your awareness and preference with prospects

• It captures more mind share and site traffic than organic search results or social posts which are seen a fraction of the time

• It powers brand lift across all your marketing tactics, e.g. higher CTR on search results, increased email open rates, higher social media likes/shares, etc.

Digital advertising is critical to your strategyPAID MEDIADisplayRetargetingSearch Social

Display Influences Buyers Across the Entire JourneyUnaware

Aware

Research

Consider

Evaluate

Purchase

Renew

Advocate

Time

Persona TargetingAssociation WebsiteAssociation News Brief

A

Behavioral TargetingAssociation Buyers Guide

Site RetargetingAssociation RetargetingA

CRM Data Targeting

The Right Creative for Each Stage of the Buyer JourneyUnaware

Aware

Research

Consider

Evaluate

Purchase

Renew

Advocate

Time Keep your brand top-of-mind with website visitors who don’t convert and remind them to come back

Drive awareness and engagement with prospects researching your products and services

Create brand awareness with a highly defined audience of decision-makers and influencers

Brief / Web / Persona HD

Buyers Guide / Behavioral

Assoc. HD / Retargeting

What’s YOUR buying journey story?Write out the journey for a customer you work with.

Ask your prospects about the buying journey their customers take and how to reach them at each step.

Additional Resources

Read about the digital buying journey on my blog here

T O D D E B E R T@ToddEbert

THANK YOU!