The way that companies purchase software has changed considerably in recent years. Nowadays, B2B purchasing is a collaborative process involving management and staff. As software stacks have become bigger, management is seeking input from their staff about what tools are required for the job.
Many of the users with the most considerable influence on choosing which software a business uses are probably flying under your marketing team’s radar. So how can we use marketing technology to connect with these anonymous users and turn them into customers?
The shift in decision-making and customer data
We can split up software purchasing into three neat eras.
● In the 80s and 90s, software was so expensive and specialist that it needed the decision-making and technical skills of a chief investment office (CIO)
● In the 2000s, non-technical executives picked the company tools based on things like key performance indicators (KPIs) and return on investment (ROI)
● Since the 2010s, the end-user has played a vital role in deciding and advising on the software stack.
The anonymous user is one of the most influential decision-makers in the modern B2B landscape. However, many companies are stuck in the 2000s, targeting non-technical executives.
To add to this issue, customers are becoming more particular about sharing their details. According to LinkedIn, only about 25% of B2B customers are happy to share their details to access interesting content.
The anonymous user has a lot of power and influence. This demographic has a huge say in what tools and services their company uses, but because marketing teams don’t know who they are most of the time, they can’t tailor the message to them.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that the anonymous user is about to get even more unknown. Apple and Google are killing third-party cookies to increase user privacy. As a result, attributing purchasing decisions to various marketing channels will need a new approach.
So what are the solutions to these problems, and how can marketing technology help turn the anonymous user into paying customers?
Who is the anonymous user?
An anonymous user could be anyone in the organization. They might be someone who signs the checks. However, they could just as easily be a department head, manager, or even a regular staff member.
One thing that we know is that these people don’t consider themselves B2B buyers. They are happy to research and evaluate the merits of products, but they aren’t there to be pitched at by sales teams.
How to reach the anonymous user?
So, how do you reach these non-traditional customers? The first thing to do is understand the difference between anonymous users and traditional B2B buyers.
B2B executives are swayed by things like ROI, price, and what opportunities the product will allow them to pursue.
However, anonymous buyers care more about things like:
● product features
● other customers experience
● brand and reputation
● user experience
● how a product or service will make their life easier
How to use marketing technology to convert anonymous buyers
Marketing technology has a significant role to play in capturing anonymous buyers.
#1. Turn the marketing funnel on its head
Most marketing technology setups are built to capture leads first. Identifying potential customers and then nurturing them with a series of relevant content that nudges them along the sales funnel makes a lot of sense in a world where people are casual with their contact details.
However, when only 1 in 4 prospects is happy to share their details with your company, this process can’t produce maximum results.
So rather than pursuing leads so you can target them with marketing content, it’s time to flip the strategy on its head. Instead of producing gated content like whitepapers, webinars, and eBooks to generate leads, businesses will need to explore other ways to connect with potential customers.
Producing great content for each stage of the marketing funnel is essential. Short, punchy material for brand awareness, followed by more expansive and persuasive content at each subsequent touch, can be used to build trust and familiarity.
When prospects are more familiar with your offering, then you can ask for their details.
#2. Brand awareness
Connecting with anonymous users and providing them with a personalized buying journey is challenging without asking them for their details. However, it’s still possible.
Businesses should define their values and their purpose. More than 71% of consumers prefer to buy from a company that aligns with them on important issues.
A lot of marketing technology is concerned with moving decision-makers down the sales funnel. However, anonymous users represent broad and frequently undefined demographics.
Widening the reach of your marketing campaigns to account for the anonymous user will pay off. Yes, they are harder to track, but if you produce the right content, it will pay off.
Redress the balance by taking the emphasis off lead generation and upping your spending on campaigns that target these influential potential customers.
#3. Consider the consideration phase
As we mentioned above, the anonymous user looks at products in a different way from CIOs or other executives. In many ways, these two distinct groups have different goals:
● Executives want to improve productivity while also delivering cost-effective solutions with a high ROI
● Anonymous users want tools that make their life easier
There is some crossover in both these groups’ aims, but they are driven by different urges.
As a result, you need to speak to them in separate ways. If your messaging isn’t conscious of this shift in buying patterns, you can’t connect with these users.
Companies should use their marketing technology to increase awareness of their brands. A good content marketing strategy is the optimal way to connect with these users and position your brand as a helpful guide. How-to guides, thought leadership, and other educational materials are a great way to build trust and authority.
Delivering value to your customers before you ask for their details is the name of the game.
#4. MQL leads
Your marketing technology stack is most likely set up to gather a list of prospects and whittle them down into marketing qualified leads (MQLs). From there, your nurturing process begins.
However, to capture the anonymous buyer, you need to nurture them to become a lead. Changing this process means you will have fewer leads; however, the prospects you generate will be more qualified and of higher quality.
Accounting for this process requires sales and marketing teams to align tightly. Many businesses have already begun this process by removing sales, marketing, and customer success from their respective siloes and grouping them under revenue generation.
This orientation toward revenue as the core goal has several benefits, like:
● Focusing on shared goals and objectives
● Aligning KPIs and metrics across different departments
● Marketing technology stacks that are built to accommodate the customer journey
● Increased responsiveness
● More relevant messaging
● Produce higher quality sales leads
#5. Make your data work for you
The anonymous user won’t actively share data with you. But you can still find ways to get the information you need to target this audience.
For starters, you can use current first-party data to build typical buyer personas. These details can help you understand your audience and the reasons they use your product. You can use a mix of demographic information they provide, ad surveys, or request interviews.
Once you know the details of the typical user — not the buyer — you can build out your messaging to speak to their pain points and concerns. Remember, you’re not only targeting executives anymore, so you need to broaden your marketing channels.
#6. Give value early & engage in pre-selling
The anonymous buyer is about the product. Discussing budgets and sales isn’t part of their remit. As far as they are concerned, their role is in researching and evaluating the product, not engaging in commercial discussion.
However, they are open to engaging with businesses when finding ways to solve their problems. Anonymous buyers are able to do a lot of their own research. They have access to other customers’ reviews and experiences. Additionally, They’ll read and watch your content.
The end result is a buyer who is far more informed about your product. However, when it comes to engagement, they’ll be far more receptive to discussions about how the product can help them.
Sales professionals can fulfill these discussions, but the emphasis should be more consultative.
This type of pre-sales can be about sales demos, freemium versions of your product, or simply additional content that demonstrates in detail how they can unlock the power of your service.
Conclusion
B2B sales have changed. Traditional marketing models that target executive buyers ignore the “dark” audience of anonymous buyers. However, just because you can’t see them, it doesn’t mean you can reach them.
With some creative and innovative adjustments, you can turn anonymous buyers into anonymous customers by using marketing technology to grow your audience.
Producing valuable educational content and removing friction can help you win the trust and build a relationship with the anonymous user. Once you’ve done this, they can advocate for your product from inside the organization.
