{"id":574,"date":"2025-06-05T17:28:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T17:28:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/?p=574"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:30:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T14:30:29","slug":"how-ai-is-rewiring-the-b2b-buyer-journey-and-what-smart-marketers-should-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/05\/how-ai-is-rewiring-the-b2b-buyer-journey-and-what-smart-marketers-should-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"How AI Is Rewiring the B2B Buyer Journey\u2014And What Smart Marketers Should Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ducttapemarketing.com\/how-ai-is-rewiring-the-b2b-buyer-journey-and-what-smart-marketers-should-do-about-it\/\">How AI Is Rewiring the B2B Buyer Journey\u2014And What Smart Marketers Should Do About It<\/a> written by <a href=\"https:\/\/ducttapemarketing.com\/author\/johnjantsch\/\">John Jantsch<\/a> read more at <a href=\"https:\/\/ducttapemarketing.com\">Duct Tape Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n<article>\n<nav>\n<h2>Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#introduction\">Introduction: The AI Tsunami in B2B Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hourglass\">The Marketing Hourglass: A Quick Refresher<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ai-transforms\">How AI Is Transforming Every Stage of the Buyer Journey<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#know\">Know: Getting Discovered in an AI World<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#like\">Like: Building Genuine Engagement, Not Digital Noise<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#trust\">Trust: Earning Confidence Before the First Call<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#trybuy\">Try &amp; Buy: Frictionless, Personalized Experiences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#repeat\">Repeat &amp; Refer: Turning Customers into Lifelong Advocates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#examples\">Real-World Examples: AI in Action<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#action\">Action Steps for Marketers (and Fractional CMOs)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#takeaways\">Big Takeaways and Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<section id=\"introduction\">\n<h2>1. Introduction: The AI Tsunami in B2B Marketing<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s get real\u2014AI isn\u2019t coming for B2B marketing. It\u2019s already here, and it\u2019s shaking the foundation of how buyers find, evaluate, and choose vendors. If you\u2019re still treating AI like some futuristic gadget, you\u2019re missing the point. Buyers\u2014especially Millennials and Gen Z, who now make up over two-thirds of B2B decision-makers\u2014are digital-first, AI-empowered, and want answers on their terms.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the kicker: up to 90% of B2B buyers now use AI tools like ChatGPT to research vendors, and 83% of the buying journey is spent on independent, self-directed research, often before a sales rep gets a whiff of the deal.<\/p>\n<p>So, how do you adapt? Let\u2019s walk through the journey, stage by stage.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"hourglass\">\n<h2>2. The Marketing Hourglass: A Quick Refresher<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve followed my work, you know I love a good framework. The Marketing Hourglass breaks the customer journey into seven down-to-earth stages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Know<\/strong>: How strangers first hear about you<\/li>\n<li><strong>Like<\/strong>: When prospects start to engage and pay attention<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trust<\/strong>: When you\u2019ve earned enough credibility for them to consider you<\/li>\n<li><strong>Try<\/strong>: Sampling your expertise or product, risk-free<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buy<\/strong>: Sealing the deal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repeat<\/strong>: Customers come back for more<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refer<\/strong>: Raving fans send new business your way<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s see how AI is changing the game at every turn.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"ai-transforms\">\n<h2>3. How AI Is Transforming Every Stage of the Buyer Journey<\/h2>\n<section id=\"know\">\n<h3>Know: Getting Discovered in an AI World<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>AI-Driven Discovery:<\/strong> Buyers don\u2019t just Google you anymore\u2014they ask AI assistants open-ended questions. If your content isn\u2019t optimized for AI summarizers and natural language search, you\u2019re invisible.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Generative AI Content Explosion:<\/strong> With tools like GPT-4, even small teams can pump out high-quality blog posts, guides, and videos at scale. This boosts your presence on Google, LinkedIn, and all those places AI bots scrape for answers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Micro-Influencers and Social Proof:<\/strong> AI can pinpoint niche influencers who matter to your buyers\u2014think engineers on forums or hosts of small podcasts. Team up with them, and let their voices carry your story farther than any ad budget could.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Down-to-Earth Tip:<\/strong> Structure your content for both humans and algorithms. Use question-and-answer formats, clear headings, and direct answers to likely buyer queries. That\u2019s how you win in both AI and old-school search.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"like\">\n<h3>Like: Building Genuine Engagement, Not Digital Noise<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Personalized Content Experiences:<\/strong> AI tailors what each visitor sees, making your site and emails feel like a concierge service instead of a billboard.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Responsive Interactions:<\/strong> Chatbots and recommendation engines can answer questions, suggest resources, and invite users to webinars or demos based on their interests.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Value-Rich Touchpoints:<\/strong> Use AI to transform long-form assets (like webinars) into snackable videos, infographics, and blog posts. Get your best ideas in front of more eyes, in the format prospects prefer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"trust\">\n<h3>Trust: Earning Confidence Before the First Call<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>AI-Enhanced Comparison Shopping:<\/strong> Buyers use AI to shortlist vendors, analyze reviews, and even draft RFPs. If your content isn\u2019t structured for AI to pull key facts, you\u2019ll get left behind.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Proof on Steroids:<\/strong> AI aggregates reviews and peer feedback, showcasing real customer opinions where it matters most. Make it easy for customers to leave detailed, specific reviews\u2014AI will do the rest.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Predictive Lead Scoring:<\/strong> AI can help you focus trust-building efforts on leads most likely to convert, making your marketing and sales more efficient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"trybuy\">\n<h3>Try &amp; Buy: Frictionless, Personalized Experiences<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>AI-Driven Self-Service:<\/strong> Let prospects test your solution with AI-powered demos, calculators, or sandboxes. This builds confidence and transparency.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Personalized Nurturing:<\/strong> AI can tailor follow-up emails, demo invites, and resource recommendations to each account, based on where they are in the journey.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"repeat\">\n<h3>Repeat &amp; Refer: Turning Customers into Lifelong Advocates<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>AI for Customer Success:<\/strong> Predict churn, spot upsell opportunities, and proactively address issues before they become complaints.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Referral Tracking:<\/strong> AI analytics can show which advocates drive the best referrals, so you can double down on what works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"examples\">\n<h2>4. Real-World Examples: AI in Action<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Content Scale-Up:<\/strong> Acme Corp used generative AI to create dozens of targeted, SEO-friendly blog posts and a LinkedIn ad campaign. Within a quarter, their web traffic tripled, and industry influencers began sharing their content, delivering brand awareness that old-school tactics couldn\u2019t match.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AI-Shortened Evaluations:<\/strong> A procurement team used AI to quickly shortlist vendors, analyze risks, and draft custom RFPs. One vendor with AI-ready content and glowing reviews stood out immediately, earning trust before the first sales call.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h2>5. Action Steps for Marketers (and Fractional CMOs)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Optimize for AI Discovery:<\/strong> Structure all content\u2014blogs, videos, product pages\u2014for easy parsing by AI (think summaries, bullet points, clear Q&amp;A).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expand Multichannel Presence:<\/strong> Keep your profiles and content up to date on LinkedIn, YouTube, Quora, and industry forums.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leverage Generative AI, But Add Human Touch:<\/strong> Use AI to scale creation, but always polish for accuracy and brand voice.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focus on Social Proof:<\/strong> Encourage detailed customer reviews and participate in peer forums. AI will amplify your best feedback.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Personalize at Scale:<\/strong> Deploy AI for targeted nurturing, follow-ups, and website experiences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Track and Analyze Referrals:<\/strong> Use AI analytics to see which advocates and channels yield the best results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stay Strategy-First:<\/strong> Don\u2019t chase every shiny AI toy. Use AI to serve your core strategy and customer needs, not the other way around.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"takeaways\">\n<h2>6. Big Takeaways and Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>AI is transforming the B2B buyer journey, making it more buyer-driven, personalized, and efficient than ever before. Marketers who embrace these tools will thrive while staying focused on strategy and customer value. Don\u2019t just keep up with the evolving buyer; shape the journey to your advantage.<\/p>\n<p>Remember: Marketing has always been about understanding and serving your customer. AI just lets us do it deeper and smarter. Blend your expertise with AI\u2019s muscle, and you\u2019ll build not just more customers, but more loyal fans who come back and refer others.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s make marketing a little less overwhelming\u2014and a lot more effective. That\u2019s the Duct Tape way.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/section>\n<footer>\n<h3>References<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cImpact of AI on the B2B Buyer Journey Using the Marketing Hourglass\u201d (2024), industry research and expert commentary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Want to dive deeper or see how this applies to your business? Let\u2019s talk strategy, not just tools.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How AI Is Rewiring the B2B Buyer Journey\u2014And What Smart Marketers Should Do About It written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing Table of Contents Introduction: The AI Tsunami in B2B Marketing The Marketing Hourglass: A Quick Refresher How AI Is Transforming Every Stage of the Buyer Journey Know: Getting Discovered in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=574"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":575,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574\/revisions\/575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}