4 Ways Technological Innovation is Reshaping B2B Customer Behavior

Technological innovation empowers customers by granting them practically unlimited access to information about the types of products and services they’re looking for. In no sector is this fact more pronounced than it is in the IT sector itself, where purchase decisions typically span large buying committees and involve significant financial commitments.

In this article, we’ll explore four trends that marketers need to know about to modernize their ABM strategies:

#1. Security as a competitive differentiator

Information security is no longer just a technical discipline – it’s also a key selling point in any technology solution, along with data privacy and regulatory compliance. Even for vendors that aren’t explicitly in the cybersecurity space, security is still a vital competitive differentiator and one of the leading priorities for B2B buyers.

Just as information security has evolved, so too has cybercrime. Technology vendors have to keep up to assuage growing concerns among their customers, and it falls to marketing teams to do that. Whether your product uses a zero trust security model, offers decentralized identity management, or AI-powered data protection, it’s essential to communicate security as a key value point.

#2. Emphasis on value-based marketing

While the consumer sector has often focused on conventional advertising rather than inbound marketing to raise awareness, B2B focuses more on long-term lead generation and nurturing. B2B marketers can’t expect to succeed simply by extolling the virtues of their product – instead they need to educate customers and, in doing so, deliver real value.

Today’s technology solution buyers are increasingly focused on return on investment and the real, measurable benefits your company’s solutions and expertise can offer. Because of this, CMOs must tailor their messaging to show how their solutions contribute to broader business goals.

#3. Artificial intelligence and automation

Businesses invest in technology for a number of reasons, but most of them fall under the same umbrella of enhancing efficiency or reducing risk – or both. Now that artificial intelligence and automation have reached entirely new levels of capability and acceptance, they’ve become key drivers of purchase decisions.

Almost every technology company is now talking about AI and automation in their marketing content and lead generation strategies, and for good reason. Perhaps the greatest challenge in this case is standing out among the hype and competition and avoiding falling into the trap that many marketers do of communicating what comes across as yet another ‘AI-driven tech solution.”

#4. Focus on scalability and integrability

Technological complexity continues to grow, presenting significant challenges for businesses considering adding new IT solutions to their technology stacks. A constant source of concern among would-be buyers is whether your solutions will work well with their existing technology infrastructures and, in doing so, add value to their operations.

Because of this, integrability and scalability have become key drivers of purchase decisions in the IT sector. As a CMO, the last thing you want to give potential customers is the impression that you expect them to eliminate their existing tech stack and start over, especially at a time when budgets are often constrained and internal expertise is limited.

Are you ready to level up your sales prospecting? Energize Marketing can help you identify the high-value leads that bring your business the results that matter.