In B2B marketing, the buyer’s journey is anything but simple. Gone are the days of a neat, predictable funnel from awareness to decision. Now, buyers navigate a tangled web of touchpoints and factors, with the ‘messy middle’ at the heart of it all. This stage is a research-heavy maze where buyers juggle competing priorities and options. To succeed, you need to understand buyer behaviour and deliver the right, personalised information that cuts through the noise and helps them make decisions.
The messy middle is the mid-point of the buyer’s journey, where potential customers evaluate their options but haven’t made a final decision. Unlike the awareness stage, where buyers explore solutions, the messy middle is defined by:
For international marketers, this stage is further complicated by the need to account for local buying behaviours, cultural expectations, and linguistic preferences.
Because the messy middle is where deals are won or lost. It’s the point where buyers either find the confidence to move forward or walk away for good. Generic messages, lack of local relevance, or unclear value can undo months of hard work. For international brands, understanding and meeting diverse market needs is crucial. Mismanaging this stage doesn’t just risk a lost sale – it can also damage trust across entire markets.
The messy middle has become more complex in recent years, largely because of buyers’ growing preference for self-education. Decision-makers increasingly rely on online resources, peer recommendations, and industry reviews. This decentralised decision-making process means marketers now need to engage multiple stakeholders effectively.
It starts with discovery: buyers recognise their problem and begin hunting for solutions. According to Global Web Index in 2023, 60% of senior decision-makers find brands through search, which means search engines, blogs, and comparison sites are the prime real estate for standing out.
Next, they evaluate options. Buyers research on their own, so brands need to offer clear, accessible, and compelling content. Rich media ads and solution-driven campaigns can make all the difference.
At the final sales phase, multiple stakeholders weigh in. A strong online presence, diverse content, and targeted messaging are essential to keep the momentum and seal the deal.
To help customers during this crucial stage, you need to use personalisation, localisation, and strategies that build trust. These approaches should cater to diverse international audiences.
Localise content for specific markets. Localisation focuses on adapting content to resonate with specific cultural, linguistic, and market preferences. It ensures that your messaging feels right for each target market, addressing nuances that generic content might overlook. Key aspects include:
Build trust through transparency. Trust is essential in the messy middle, especially for high-stakes B2B decisions:
Remember also that attitudes towards trust can vary by culture, so what builds credibility in one market might not work in another. Tailor your approach to reflect the expectations and values of each region.
Personalise at scale. Buyers demand tailored experiences, even in large-scale campaigns:
Address stakeholder complexity: With an average of 17 stakeholders involved in B2B purchases (Bain & Google, 2022), your marketing must cater to diverse priorities.
Combine data with human expertise: Data can reveal patterns, but human expertise adds context. Together, they create smarter strategies:
Leverage familiarity while challenging buyers: Most buyers start with a shortlist of vendors, but new contenders can still gain attention.
Measuring success in the messy middle of B2B marketing can be tricky, but having the right frameworks in place makes all the difference. Here’s how to break it down:
Data maturity matters in B2B: With sales cycles often lasting around 100 days or more (although this varies by sector), measuring ROI too early can give misleading results and derail growth strategies. Patience and a clear roadmap for tracking performance are key.
Attribution isn’t an exact science: In B2B, with multiple stakeholders, long decision cycles, and increasing tech and data privacy challenges, precise attribution simply isn’t realistic. Instead, think of attribution as a helpful guide, not the full story.
Build a strong measurement framework: To drive international growth, you need a clear measurement strategy. Tracking metrics like MQLs, SQLs, and sales is crucial. Social media and rich media channels, while harder to measure, can have a big impact when used effectively with localised insights and tools tailored for international audiences.
Ensure the right KPIs for the right goals: Lower measurability doesn’t mean lower value. Align your KPIs with specific business objectives, focusing on connecting with the right audience to drive meaningful growth.
As ever, it’s vital to understand that what works in one market might not translate effectively – or could even backfire – in another. Key differences include:
Oban’s Local In-Market Experts bring first-hand knowledge of these subtleties. They ensure your campaigns effectively engage target audiences, enhancing the relevance and impact of your marketing efforts.
The messy middle of B2B buying is here to stay, and it’s only getting more complex. But with the right approach, it’s also an opportunity to build deeper connections with buyers. Success lies in mixing automation with personalisation, global strategies with local insights, and catering to diverse stakeholders.
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With over 20 years in international B2B marketing, Oban has the expertise to ensure your message stands out in a competitive landscape. We can help you turn complexity into results – get in touch to find out more.
