It’s critical to consider B2B buyer statistics and facts when developing a B2B digital marketing strategy. In Australia, understanding how buyers buy and who they are is fundamental to getting your strategy right.

Today’s B2B buyer starts their buying journey online, so your digital marketing strategy needs to be central. But for many B2B companies building a digital marketing strategy is just about ‘the stuff’ – the content. This isn’t the right place to start. Before you do anything, you need to understand who your buyers are, what their role is, what their motivations are and how they are searching for you.

So who is the buyer you’re trying to influence in the B2B sales process? It’s probably not the person who’s going to sign off on the purchase. It’s more likely to be someone that’s been given the task to compile a shortlist. These people may have different drivers and may be using different assessment criteria than the ultimate decision maker – and you need to understand these to make sure you are able to connect with the right people.

Here are some key facts to consider from Think with Google and Demand Gen Report to understand B2B buyer statistics in Australia. Knowing who your buyers are and understanding their behaviour is a first step toward developing the right B2B buyer profiles. Then you can work out how you’re going to solve their problem and make them the hero in the eyes of their boss, their shareholders or their customers.

1. Mobiles are the most used device to access the internet

Is your site mobile optimised? If you’re selling industrial pumps into the agricultural sector and something breaks, is it likely that your buyer might be looking fast for a solution while on site? Or are your prospects at the airport, in transit or at a client meeting?

2. 68% of Australians used three or more devices to access the web

You need to make sure you’re accessible when and where your prospective buyer is online looking for info to understand their problem, considering a solution or looking to make a decision.

3. Australia ranks second in average annual online expenditure per head – behind the UK and ahead of the US

The market is online – you need to be there too. But what if you’re selling big-ticket capital equipment solutions, does this matter to you? Yes, what about spares and other consumables? While it might not be the core of your business, make them available online. Having a place to go to for consumables is easy for the client, keeps you front of mind and is likely to create a passive revenue stream.

4. The equal most popular internet activities are email and research & information gathering = 94% of participants

Research and information gathering is a core part of the B2B buying process. Don’t forget that prospects who aren’t yet ready to buy, but are real B2B prospects, are looking to filter you in or out early in the buying process. Don’t get caught out here and miss the business you should be pitching for.

5. 89% of B2B researchers use the internet during research for process for procurement

No brainer, right?

6. Half of all B2B researchers are Millenials

That’s right, at the start of the B2B buying process it’s the 3rd year graduate or the junior procurement manager who’s going to be deciding who’s in or out. It’s the junior who’s been given the responsibility for weeding you out or including you in the shortlist. Have you been building your B2B digital marketing strategy around the wrong person?

7. 81% of non C-suite (“Chief”senior executives) have a say in key purchase decisions

See point 6. Do you need to consider developing content for a B2B buyer with different motivations?

8. 71% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search

“Commercial Vacuum Pumps Perth” is an example of a generic search entry. No brands, nothing special, just a plain old vanilla search. Are you ranking for this search term? have you SEO enabled your site to make sure you’re in the mix? Are you blogging around the keyword to make sure you rank for it?

9. B2B buyers are already 57% of the way down the purchase path before they perform an action on your site

You need to be able to engage a prospect even before they’re sure they’ve got a problem. It’s not about selling in the early stages of the buying process – it’s about helping, building trust and making your site THE place a prospect goes to solve their problem.

10. 90% of B2B purchasers say that their #1 resource for research is online search

Another no brainer! If this statistic doesn’t get you swinging into action, nothing will.

11. On average B2B researchers do 12 searches prior to engaging on a specific brand’s site

If this isn’t the case for developing valuable online content in the form of website copy, blogs, downloadable tip sheets, case studies, videos and other trust building material, then nothing is. You need to align your marketing to the buyer’s journey. That’s journey is happening online.

12. 42% of B2B researchers use a mobile device during the B2B purchase process (increase of 91% in the past 2 years)

Cutting corners? No, it’s the new normal. For a lot of millenials (your target B2B buyer profile – see #6) their mobile is their first and primary screen. Match your buyer’s behaviour and consumption habits to give yourself the best chance of being in the race. Think about this – you might be ruled out by someone researching you while commuting to work on the train.

13. 49% of B2B researchers using their mobile for research are doing so at work

just emphasising point 12!

14. B2B researchers use video through the entire path of their purchase

Yet for many of us in B2B, shooting video is still in the too hard basket. But, is it really difficult to walk onto your workroom floor with your iPhone and talk your prospects through how a water purification system works (when you need a vacuum pump or a pressure pump)?

It’s not that hard, we just have to re-calibrate our thinking and put ourselves in the shoes of our B2B buyer, now that you know a bit more about them.

How are you going to re-calibrate your B2B digital marketing strategy in light of these B2B buyer statistics?