A new generation of buyers, digital natives, is shaking up the B2B purchasing landscape. Is your business ready to meet them online?

Digital natives, who now make up the majority of the B2B purchasing landscape, have completely changed how vendors need to market and sell to buyers.

In fact, according to a study of millennial buyers by Merit, some 73% of 20 to 35 year olds are involved in product or service purchase decision-making at their companies. Not only that, about half of all B2B product researchers are digital natives — and the number is rising by the year, according to a Google/Millward Brown digital survey of buyers.

It goes without saying that the B2B purchasing landscape is going through a radical shift. Here are 6 ways that digital natives have changed B2B purchasing — and how companies have to respond.

6 ways digital natives are changing B2B purchasing

1. Product searches begin with a generic web search.

This means that companies now have to focus on SEO and producing informative content. First impressions are everything in B2B markets, and when it comes to digital natives, your first impression is conveyed through every piece of content you produce and distribute online.

2. They bypass sales people.

So companies should aim to switch from primarily outbound marketing to inbound marketing. This doesn’t mean that salespeople are going to be out of jobs. But it does mean that sales and marketing need to work together in new ways.

3. Online search, vendors’ websites, and peer/colleague reviews are their most important sources of information.

It’s time to place focus on SEO, website development, social media, influencer marketing, and B2B review sites. Again, your reputation depends on your online content. Are you establishing your brand as a trusted source of information?

4. They prefer short bursts of information, often in visual formats.

 Not only that, they find phone calls tedious and disruptive. Companies need to be strategic about the type and format of any content they distribute. Emails and websites should be mobile-friendly, and visual formats like infographics are a highly effective way to present dense information.

5. Social media is a preferred source.

 These digital natives are relying on social media for information on brands, products, and services. How does your social media presence stack up?

6. They know what they want by the time a salesperson enters the process.

This new generation of buyers already has a clear idea of the value they expect from a vendor by the time they’re ready to move down the sales funnel. So vendors need to deliver on the promises made by their content.

How is your company accommodating the research and purchasing habits of digital natives?

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