If you're not already freaking out about the major shift happening in our industry, you should probably start. Because let me tell you, things are changing, and they're changing fast.
Gone are the days of relying on the same old tactics to reach our customers. It's time to embrace the disruption and figure out what the heck is going on.
So, what's going on, you ask? Well, it's the complete disruption of how we distribute content and communicate with our customers. And more importantly, it's the new communication channels that have opened up between our peers in B2B. You know, the channels that allow us to actually talk to each other and share information in a way that wasn't possible 10 years ago.
But don't worry, we'll go into all of that in more detail. For now, let's start with the dark funnel and what it means for you.
The dark funnel and its impact on B2B marketing
So, what the heck is the dark funnel? It's basically a term for all of the channels that B2B buyers use to research, discover, and evaluate products that companies can't track. How rude of them, right?
Think about it: where do you discover new products and brands? Maybe it's through podcasts, third party events, or word of mouth from your peers. Or maybe it's through organic social media or other PR channels. The thing is, these channels are all happening in a third party, where companies don't have their trusty cookies and marketing automation to track everything.
And let's be real, LinkedIn has no incentive to pass along data about who watched your video or liked it. And Apple certainly isn't going to give you any data about who's listening to your podcast. So, because companies can't track these channels in the way they're used to, they often don't even use them. Or if they do, they don't take them seriously as major business drivers.
But here's the thing: the channels that are winning right now are the ones where people are actually making buying decisions and understanding products. It's not about paid search or gated ebooks or cold calls. It's about distributing content that people actually want to see in the places they go to find it.
The evolution of communication channels in B2B marketing
Now, let's take a little trip down memory lane. Back in 2012, B2B buyers saw their peers once or twice a year at industry conferences and had very little communication with them otherwise. They had to rely on industry conference presentations and analyst firms like Gartner for information, or just Google search if they couldn't find it.
Fast forward to today, and B2B buyers are hyperconnected on the internet through social channels and third-party communities. We can communicate with each other and access information in a way that wasn't possible before.
And let's be real, we don't need a sales rep to deliver us information and help us complete a purchasing process anymore. We can just ask our peers or search online for what we need.
The role of content in the B2B buying process
So, what does all of this mean for us as B2B marketers? It means we need to start distributing our content through the channels that B2B buyers are actually using. And the companies that are winning right now are the ones that are doing this effectively.
Think about the products and brands that you love and how you discovered them. I bet it wasn't because they were dominating paid search or because they cold called you after you downloaded a LinkedIn gated ebook. It was probably because they were distributing content you actually wanted to see in places you actually go to find it.
So, let's start taking these channels seriously. Let's start distributing our content through podcast, third party events, community, word of mouth, organic social, and PR. Because let's be real, those are the channels where the real magic is happening.
So, to wrap things up, we're in the midst of a major shift in B2B marketing. And it's all about the evolution of communication channels and the way B2B buyers are making purchasing decisions.
The dark funnel and all of these emerging channels are the key to success. It's time to embrace them and start distributing our content in a way that actually resonates with our customers.
So, go forth, B2B marketers, and conquer the dark funnel! And if you need a little help along the way, just remember: we're all in this together.
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