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Two-Year Content Analysis Reveals Surprising Insights
Our agency conducted a comprehensive two-year analysis of content consumption across four industries, examining over 50 closed deals. The findings? In 80% of the cases, there was no clear connection between content engagement and the buyer’s journey. In other words, only 20% of closed deals showed a direct link between content and the buying process.
This indicates that, despite marketing’s efforts to align content with the buyer’s journey, the majority of the time they missed the mark. However, not all news is bad for marketers.
5 Reasons Why Content Isn’t Connecting with the Buyer’s Journey
Alongside our analysis, we collected data from sales and marketing tools and interviewed sales reps about successful deals. Here’s what we uncovered:
1. Visibility and Integration Issues
One major reason for the disconnect is the lack of integration between marketing and sales tools, such as Gong and Outreach. This gap highlights the ongoing challenge in aligning sales enablement with marketing efforts.
2. The Secret Stash
Sales reps often have their own go-to content, usually created by marketing but modified by the sales team. Successful reps frequently rely on three to four key pieces of content to drive conversations forward. A favorite case study is often part of this secret stash. If you’re not aware of what content reps are using, it’s crucial to find out.
3. Customers Don’t Always Tell the Truth
While customers don’t lie intentionally, there’s often a gap between what they say and what they actually do. Our analysis of online behavior shows that people engage with content based more on personal preferences than actual information needs.
4. Multiple Buyer Journeys Exist
Based on feedback from sales reps, every buyer’s journey is unique. Following the 95-5 rule is a good approach: with only 5% of buyers actively in the market, you should prepare for at least two distinct buyer journeys.
5. Buyers Don’t Trust Your Content
In certain industries, like cybersecurity, buyers are skeptical of vendor content. In fact, our research found that vendor content ranks low in both usage (7th out of 10) and credibility (8th out of 10). Instead, buyers prefer to rely on personal connections for information.
Understanding the Buyer’s Journey: A Work in Progress
Our research concludes that the buyer’s journey is more of an organizing framework for content than an exact path. While we know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, the framework does help guide content strategy.
The Big Takeaway: Mapping the Purchase Process
The biggest revelation came from mapping the actual purchase process. While we didn’t discover a “holy grail journey,” we found a method to improve it using both online and personality-based behavioral data.
The key was understanding who was involved in the buying process and at what stage. For instance, influencers appeared early on, but their role diminished as the process moved forward. Champions, on the other hand, were present from the middle to the end of the journey, while skeptics typically entered the conversation later.
Armed with this knowledge, we can now build a more realistic buyer journey. Though it may not fully bridge the gap between sales and marketing, it certainly reduces it.
Using Behavioral Data to Redefine the Buyer’s Journey
To improve the buyer’s journey, the focus should shift from content aligned with stages to the type of buyer present at each stage. This distinction is critical, and it highlights why traditional customer research often falls short.
For example, asking buyers what marketing assets are valuable at different stages will usually result in logical, but not necessarily accurate, responses. A buyer might say a case study is essential mid-journey to demonstrate business impact, but in reality, champions use case studies early to visualize how the solution affects them or their team personally.
Actionable Steps for Mapping the Journey
To identify who is involved in the journey and when, enlist the help of your sales team. Map the actual buyer journey in closed deals, using CRM data and sales rep insights to understand the role of each individual in the buying group at various stages.
Next, leverage AI tools to predict buyer personalities. Combine this with marketing data—such as the content they engage with—and you’ll have a clearer connection between buyer preferences and the stages of their journey. This not only enhances your content strategy but also aligns you more closely with the sales process.
While perfection isn’t possible, this approach brings you much closer to aligning your content with buyer needs. And that’s a significant step in the right direction.