The Buyer's Journey Demystified

"Buyer's journey" - it's not just another buzzword to throw around in meetings to sound smart. It's the backbone of modern marketing, and if you're not owning it, you're losing money. Here's a wake-up call: 84% of B2B buyers purchase from the first vendor they speak with. First. Vendor. Let that sink in.

So, are you that first vendor, or are you still fiddling with your lead scoring while your competitors close the deal? It's time to stop playing catch-up and start leading the pack. We've crafted this ebook to help you do just that! 

Customizing Your Journey Blueprint

Cookie-cutter approaches are for baking, not marketing. Your buyer's journey needs to be as unique as your business. Here's how to craft one that actually works:

1. Nail Down Your Stages: 3-5 stages, depending on your sales cycle. Don't just copy-paste from some generic template. Think about what makes sense for your business. Novel concept, right?
2. Set Clear Boundaries: Define entry and exit criteria for each stage. No more "gut feelings" about when to move prospects along. We're professionals here, not fortune tellers.
3. Speak Their Language: Each stage needs its own voice. From building trust in Awareness to squashing doubts in Purchase, your messaging should evolve faster than a chameleon on a disco floor.
4. Mix Up Your Moves: Vary your channels and tactics for each stage. Broad-reaching social media for Awareness? Sure. Personalized demos that make your product look like the second coming for Evaluation? Absolutely.

So you do all this work, but how do you get it in front of your intended audiences? 

Your Tech Stack, The Unsung Marketing Hero

Let's talk tech. Your martech stack isn't just a bunch of shiny tools to impress your CEO. It's the engine that powers your buyer's journey. But here's a sobering stat: 81% of companies have a tech stack that's about as integrated as a group of cats at a dog show.

Want to join the elite 19%? You need these six components working together like a well-oiled machine:

1. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
2. MAS (Marketing Automation System)
3. ABM Platform (Account-Based Marketing)
4. Content Intelligence & Personalization
5. Chat Tool
6. Sales Engagement Platform

But here's the kicker: having the tools isn't enough. You need to know how to use them. Just ask Anaplan, who had the "perfect" tech stack on paper but couldn't make it sing in real life. Sound familiar? Thought so.

Anaplan's Journey From Tech Chaos to Marketing Magic

Anaplan was facing as much headwind as a swimmer trying to cross the english channel:

• Revenue team was playing by their own rules
• Operations team was drowning in a sea of non-standard processes
• SDRs were overwhelmed by a lack of prioritization
• Customer experience was disjointed with conflicting messages

Sounds like fun, right? But they turned it around. Here's the highlight reel:

1. Taming the Tech Beast: They used Demandbase as their central nervous system, pulling together all the crucial data about account engagement, buyer journey stages, and third-party signals. Suddenly, they had a crystal-clear view of each account's journey.
2. Integration Nation: They made their tech platforms play nice together. Marketo, Salesforce, Anaplan - all humming along in perfect harmony. The result? Personalized engagement at scale that would make even the most jaded marketer weep with joy.
3. Goodbye, Spray and Pray: They broke down accounts into "functional journey stages" within Demandbase. Suddenly, they could tailor messaging and campaigns based on each account's specific needs. Revolutionary, I know.
4. Content Intelligence on Steroids: Using PathFactory, they created personalized content experiences that would make Netflix jealous. They leveraged this throughout the buyer journey:
   • A content hub that's actually useful (gasp!)
   • Web experiences customized for each audience segment
   • Sales follow-ups so personalized, prospects thought they were psychic

The Road to Lasting Marketing Success

Anaplan's story is great, but remember - marketing success is a journey, not a destination. Want to follow in their footsteps? Here's your roadmap:

1. Face the Music: Be brutally honest about your challenges. You can't fix what you're pretending doesn't exist.
2. Plan Like You Mean It: Create a roadmap that breaks your goals into manageable chunks. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a killer marketing strategy.
3. Embrace the Suck: Change is hard. Get your team on board or get out of the way.
4. Demolish Those Silos: Align your marketing team around common goals. Channel-based thinking is so last decade.
5. Who's on First?: Define clear roles and responsibilities. Yes, it might ruffle some feathers. Do it anyway.
6. Process, Process, Process: Develop standard processes that make your team hum like a fine-tuned engine.
7. Tech with a Purpose: Create clear use cases for your tech. Otherwise, you're just collecting expensive digital paperweights.
8. Never Stop Improving: Constantly evaluate and optimize. The market doesn't stand still, and neither should you.

Bringing It All Together

Here's the bottom line: automating and personalizing your buyer's journey isn't rocket science. But it does require strategy, the right tech, and a willingness to shake things up. By following Anaplan's lead and implementing these best practices, you can transform your marketing from a chaotic mess to a revenue-generating machine.

Remember, the buyer's journey is your chance to get into pole position before the race even starts. So, are you ready to take the wheel, or are you content to watch your competitors zoom past? The choice is yours. Now go make some marketing magic happen.

Download the Automating the Buyer's Journey eBook and get started! 

‍