Embracing the new B2B buyer landscape to drive business

I read a fascinating fact the other day. Did you know that 60 million hours were spent watching other people open things. Yes, according to YouTube, in 2015 videos featuring amateur (and semi-pro) unboxings of anything from running shoes to dog toys were viewed more than 1.1 billion times.

Let’s let that sink in a little bit.

As crazy as it sounds, millions of people have shown that they’re more than willing to invest five minutes or more watching someone unpack a box. In fact, 62 percent of people who view unboxing videos do so when researching a particular product.

While I, myself, have succumbed to the “unboxing” experience, it wasn’t until I saw the statistics that I decided to check them out for myself. From potato peelers to boots (and everything in between), I was blown away by the sheer menu of categories. People are willing to spend 10 or 20 minutes talking about a product and/or its package (for free I might add) and millions are watching. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

In a recent article: Plot a course for sales success with a marketing message that matters to millennials, I explain how the changes reflected in today’s consumer buying habits are now impacting the way businesses research and purchase equipment, technology and print. Key characteristics of tomorrow’s (and a good chunk of today’s) buying audience include how and what content is being consumed and shared and their approach to companies and brands.

Today’s “unboxers” make up your buying audience.

Many of today’s business buyers didn’t know life before the Internet and grew up with information at their fingertips. Over a third of millennial buyers expect a business website to be their most helpful resource. They search and research, then connect, collaborate and challenge. Most don’t even consider dealing with a salesperson until the later phases of their buying journey. (source)

As of 2015, there are more millennials represented in today’s workforce than any other generation.

In my article: Beat the competition with a marketing message that matters, I reflect on how many printers continue to answer the question “What do you do?” with the same ubiquitous message. I then explain that we don’t read…we skim. We look for words that stand out and have meaning to us. We look for testimonials, impact statement and reviews that build trust and showcase the ability to drive results that matter to us.

If website visitors can’t tell what you do and why it matters to them within 6 – 8 seconds they WILL leave. Your message must get to the point… quickly. And it needs to be on the channels where your buying audience hangs out, consumes and shares content. From the unboxing channels to LinkedIn.

Anyone hoping to succeed in business, particularly printers, will need to have a strong online marketing mix, starting with their website. It’s no longer about how your content can drive sales, but about what your content can do for your audience.

It’s content that people actually want to engage with. It’s information they want to read, watch or listen to. If all you’re doing is selling and preaching about your brand instead of creating useful, interesting content, your bottom line will soon suffer.

Be clear about how you help your customers and add value. Provide a variety of content that can be shared and consumed on different platforms. Pay attention to the conversations taking place and the groups having them. Ask questions and contribute. Put what you learn to good use… in your messaging, your content and your conversations.

Top 5 untapped opportunities to maximize your message.

When you start thinking of all the ways you interact with people, you begin to recognize opportunities to share your message. In the article: 5 ways to maximize your message and engage your network, I put together my Top 5 untapped opportunities to get a message into the hands of almost everyone you interact with. And they are simply…overlooked.

Now is the time to focus on the behaviors of your current (and future) buying audience and provide resources they are looking for to make independent decisions. Decisions that can make or break your business.

From today’s unboxing phenomenon to the next trend that further shifts buyer behaviour, print and marketing industry professionals who embrace the changing landscape will capture the attention – and wallet-share – of their customers.