The B2B buyer journey used to be relatively predictable. But if you're still using the old marketing funnel to map your customers' journey from awareness to conversion, you're missing out on opportunities, as many of your customers have taken a different path.
Today's B2B buyer sets their own rules. They research independently, compare vendors, and consult their peers, all while using AI tools to help them along the way. Most of this happens before any sales outreach, with many prospects completing about 70% of their journey before they even contact a vendor. On top of that, 75% of buyers say they prefer not to engage with sales at all.
So, what are they engaging with? As EndeavorB2B Corporate Marketing Manager BreAnna Jones explains, buyers are turning to online content, verified reviews, and AI recommendations. This shift reflects modern B2B buyers' desire for control, simplicity, credibility, and transparency. In many cases, they've accelerated the decision-making process after doing so much work in advance, so they form opinions based on how clearly and quickly you answer their questions. Since they're conducting so much of their journey solo, they value brands that have self-guided experiences and personalized tools readily available before purchase.
B2B marketers should recognize how this flips marketing into a trust engine: It's your job to meet buyers where they research — not just where they convert — with actionable insights and seamless omnichannel engagement.
Jones breaks down the action items for B2B marketers here.
About the Author
Abby White
Vice President, Content Studio
Abby White is a content strategist, newsroom-trained writer, and brand storyteller. As Vice President of EndeavorB2B’s Content Studio, she leads client-driven custom content programs across 90+ brands and the content strategy for topic and role-based newsletters serving executive audiences. An award-winning journalist with a marketer’s mindset, Abby brings 25 years of experience leading editorial, communications, marketing, and audience-building efforts across industries.
Abby launched her first magazine, Abby’s Top 40, in 1988 and made everyone in her family read it. While attending the University of Illinois, she paid her rent as a professional notetaker, which might explain why she still gets asked to take notes in meetings. Since then, she has held editorial leadership roles at an alt weekly, a newspaper, a luxury lifestyle magazine, a business journal, a music magazine, and regional women’s magazines, developing a sharp writing edge and a conversational tone that resonates with professional audiences.
She expanded into marketing while leading communications for an entertainment industry nonprofit and later drove rebranding and audience-building efforts for an NPR music station. At EndeavorB2B, she has been instrumental in driving editorial excellence, developing scalable content strategies across multiple verticals, and building the foundation for EDGE, the company’s portfolio of executive newsletters.
And if you’re a writer interested in contributing to MarketingEDGE, she’s the person you need to (politely) bug.
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