Following the crowd only leads to average results. To truly stand out, you need a contrarian approach. I recently attended a session with Ty Heath, Director and Co-founder of The B2B Institute, that provided a playbook for marketers ready to challenge conventional wisdom.
The focus was clear: build a winning brand long before your customer is ready to buy.
If you think marketing success begins when a buyer is actively "in market," you're already behind. Learn how to implement the strategies that build lasting brand memory and secure your place on your customer's "Day 1 List."
Actionable Insights for the Modern Marketer
Move beyond fleeting metrics like clicks and start focusing on what drives long-term growth: memory. Shift your strategy to connect with the 95% of buyers who are currently "Out of Market" but represent your future revenue. Here’s how:
- Secure a Spot on the "Day 1 List": An astounding 92% of B2B buyers purchase from a brand in their initial consideration set. Your top priority should be making a strong impression long before the official buying journey begins. This is the most critical factor for success.
- Engage "Out of Market" Buyers: Stop focusing solely on traditional lead generation, which misses the largest segment of your audience. Start investing in brand-building and memory creation among the 95% of future buyers. This is how you will generate sustainable growth and create future cash flow.
- Measure Attention, Not Just Clicks: Clicks don't build brands; attention does. Measure what truly matters, like dwell time, to determine if you are creating a memorable experience for your audience. A click doesn't equal a memory, so start optimizing for the latter.
- Break Free from the "Sea of Sameness": Are you indistinguishable from your competitors? Leverage distinctive brand assets, such as characters and thought leaders, to stand out. This ensures your message is correctly attributed to your brand in a noisy marketplace.
- Align Marketing and Sales for Real Impact: To achieve true alignment, marketing and sales need more than shared goals, they need a shared audience and a shared strategy. Identify and eliminate the "Circles of Doom" that silo your brand and demand generation efforts. Create strategic overlap to drive a measurable lift in sales.
Are you ready to challenge the status quo and build a brand that lasts?
Dive into these data-backed insights and reshape your approach to B2B marketing.