How advertising agencies can build effective targeted account lists

E-commerce is relatively straightforward: a consumer sees an advert, visits a site and may transact quickly. Business-to-business (B2B) account-based marketing (ABM) works differently. Buying cycles can last 6 to 24 months, and decisions are usually made by buying groups whose research is largely invisible until they contact a vendor.

The available statistics are striking. According to the 2023 B2B Buyer Experience Report published by 6sense on 11 December 2023, B2B buyers complete 70% of their online research anonymously before initiating contact with a vendor. The report also finds that 78% of buyers have already decided what they want and that 84% know which vendor they are going to choose before they make initial contact with a sales team. In other words, B2B buyers do almost all their research silently before talking to anyone. This means that if you are not visible during their research phase, it is highly unlikely that you will secure a deal. The big question is: how do you know who is researching and when? If you have this information, you can reach buyers at the right time so that, by the time they are ready to buy, you have been on their radar, and they are evaluating your products or services.

:::table | B2B Buying Stage | Benchmark Metric | Commercial Implication | | :--- | ---: | :--- | | Anonymous Online Research | 70% | Initial buyer evaluations occur invisibly before vendor contact | | Requirements Decided in Advance | 78% | Product criteria are locked before initial sales conversations | | Vendor Shortlist Pre-Selected | 84% | Final choice is determined prior to direct sales engagement | :::

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