Why is B2B demand generation complex?

As the buying process and decision-making evolve in B2B and SaaS spaces, marketers are faced with some new and some perennial demand generation challenges.?The task of a demand generation leader to build interest across the buyer group across the entire target group makes demand generation a complex function by itself.

Below is the list of top 7 B2B demand generation nuances that add to its complexity.

1.?Overwhelmingly large number of accounts and contacts

The fundamental complexity for demand marketers stems from the fact that an average B2B company targets at least 4-5 thousand accounts or 25-30 thousand contacts at a time. This results in an influx of massive amounts of data posing a major data science problem.

2.?Deploying multiple outreach tactics simultaneously

Companies need to cast a wide net across available channels to maximise their outreach efforts. Multiple engagement tactics are in play at all the times – SEM, SEO, outbound (ABM), social, events, webinars and direct mails. To avoid a trap of diminishing returns, one needs to drive a harmonious coordination across all tactics.

3.?Driving engagement across the buyer group

Buying decisions in B2B are made by a committee of individuals with different responsibilities around the same requirement. Hence, it is imperative for B2B sellers to engage and convince all of these individuals through the stages of the buying journey. However, ascertaining the buyer group or demand unit to engage with, largely remains elusive for marketing teams.

4.?Engagements need to be timed for best outcome

Gaining the attention of stakeholders over the course of a non-linear B2B buyer journey is a challenge. To drive maximum impact from any engagement, B2B sellers need to align their messaging with the buyer journey stage. It’s a daunting task to understand and monitor journeys for tens of thousands of contacts and accounts.

5. Contacts have channel preferences

Every stakeholder in a buying group will have a preferred channel. One needs to understand what is the best way (or tactic) for a given stakeholder to consume your message or content. The absence of this understanding could not only lead to wasted efforts but also unwarranted increase in marketing spends.

6. Continuous engagement tracking throughout a long sales cycle

B2B sales cycles are long, typically running anywhere between 8-10 months. Add to this the magnitude of accounts and contacts that lie ahead of demand marketers. The process of systematically collecting, processing, and interpreting the engagement signals of a large target group over a long duration increases the complexity of demand generation.

7.?Multi-country and multi-product operational nuances

Most enterprises have multiple product or service offerings and operate across different geographies. For every offering and geography, there will be a certain set of nuances that demand marketers will have to tap into. Different outreach tactics, buyer groups and buying journey nuances, and product interest information are some of the variables that B2B sellers need to decipher in order to take appropriate actions for a successful demand generation motion.

Read about the 5 critical actions we suggest for Simplifying demand generation in this article.