Do you know how sometimes you discover a song—but it takes a few times to grow on you?
Well, it’s something similar with B2B companies trying to get in front of their audience.
And product discovery—the first “contact” between the brand and the consumer is probably the most crucial step in the B2B journey. Besides the sale itself.
We looked at some fresh data on B2B discovery which should hopefully help better understand the product discovery process from the buyer’s perspective.
Get your briefcase and let’s dive in.
🖱️📈 Clicking on each individual chart will take you to its interactive board.
1) A quarter of B2B buyers find it difficult to discover products online
Finding the right B2B product—whether it’s software or hardware—is hard in itself.
A difficult discoverability can be a nightmare for a potential buyer.
So let’s see what that looks like, according to reports:
Okay, first, some good news. It seems that 45% of B2B buyers found it easy—or very easy—to discover products online this year.
However, a significant portion faces some challenges as well.
More than 30% report “average” experience. Which suggests a few things:
- B2B awareness marketing campaigns have room for improvement
- Landing on B2B pages is just a first step towards discovery, that’s where the real work start
The crucial piece of data says that a quarter of all respondents struggle during product discovery online.
What does that mean? This discoverability can vary—from loosely defined value proposition and confusing copy, to hard-to-navigate landing pages or product pages, or even a lack of proper website navigation.
What can you do: Work on your discoverability.
You want your brand to fall into the easily discoverable category by improving on-page elements and navigation and with clear and concise promotional campaigns.
2) B2B buyers want to see more creativity in ads
Traditionally, there is no place for humor or a lot of creativity in B2B.
At least that was the consensus. Traditionally. But over the years, we’ve seen a lot of SaaS tools and other B2B brands incorporating humor in their ads.
They might be onto something:
What do we see? If you’re creative with your ads:
- Half of all responders would explore more of your brand’s offerings
- 46% will be on the active lookout for the brand
- 43% will talk about it more
Given that product discovery can be long and dragged out, this is a vital piece of information.
When targeting B2B audiences, get your creative juices flowing. Don’t shy away from content—whether it’s through humor, unique visuals, or a strong narrative.
3) Which channels contribute to B2B acquisition?
Discovery is the first step towards acquisition.
And if you’re promoting a B2B brand, you know that customer acquisition can be quite expensive.
That’s why it’s good to know which channels are more effective—so you allocate budgets accordingly.
Here’s what the data says:
It appears that social media is the prime driver of B2B acquisition with 22%. Surprised?
With the majority of B2B buyers being online—especially on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook—it makes sense that social media presence will play a huge role.
This is quite possibly organic social as well, as digital advertising follows closely with 16%. There’s a wide range of digital ads offerings besides social media ads, of course—like contextual ads you see in Stacked Marketer’s newsletters, search ads, or even digital billboards.
It’s interesting to see SEO so low on this list—given that it’s usually one of the pillars of B2B promotions.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do SEO, of course. Especially if it’s working for you.
It can prove to be a vital cog in the discovery machine. Especially as B2B discovery requires a lot of touch points, as we’ll soon see.
4) How do different generations learn about B2B brands?
You are a marketer.
You know that each generation has its “thing” when it comes to the discovery process.
Here’s what it looks like for B2B:
Over half of all B2B purchasers are millennials.
It makes sense, as they are more or less in peak business development ages. But as you see, all generations—from Zoomers to Boomers—could be B2B customers.
Now let’s break the chart down: Internet search is the dominant method for discovering B2B vendors across all generations. However, email and LinkedIn are also in top 5—which shows that online outreach is one of the main drivers of awareness.
Younger generations prefer LinkedIn, while referrals and direct relationships are more popular with older generations—so tailor your approach accordingly.
There’s a growing reliance on social media: Besides LinkedIn, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are becoming more relevant for B2B discovery among younger groups.
Make of that what you will.
👴🧒 How different generations shop online? Some prefer social media, others prefer hearing other people’s feedback. Some are more frugal, others are spendthrift. Since you can apply this behavior to B2B buyers as well, you might want to check the story we did for each generation:
5) How many touchpoints do B2B customers need during the discovery process?
Let’s just say that one ad won’t cut it.
Here’s the chart:
Only 7% of respondents will trust a brand after seeing it 1-2 times.
On the other hand, nearly half (47%) of buyers need at least 3-5 touch points before it makes an impact.
There’s also 35% that need even more than that—at least 6-10 interactions.
A B2B customer journey is a long one. Your potential buyer might see your ad in a Stacked Marketer newsletter—and maybe join your list. But it might take a targeted email campaign and a few social media posts for them to make a decision.
… Then it might take a targeted email campaign, a few social media posts, and maybe even multiple demos or trials, for them to make a decision. See what we mean?
Bottom line: To build trust as a B2B brand, you’ll need to be consistently visible across multiple channels—and that’s for your customers to even start considering your product.
📰 We notice this with Stacked Marketer advertisers, too.
B2B brands that advertise in our newsletters see results in two ways:
– The newsletter as the initial touchpoint—like big names who regularly use lead magnets and educational content to then nurture those interested leads.
– The newsletter as a regular touchpoint for staying top of mind.
Most brands see better results with us as the initial touchpoint to then have people in their own lead nurturing process.
Verdict on B2B discovery
A B2B customer journey is less a trip to the store and more an all- night ride on an interstate.
So that’s how you should approach it.
Effective product discovery relies on creativity, targeted channels, and multiple touchpoints. Sometimes it takes a few “touches” during the discovery process itself for the journey to start.
Understanding discovery—which is the first step—you’re better positioned to connect, engage, and convert potential customers.
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