Why B2B Marketers Should Focus on Capturing Demand

Do you find yourself navigating through a maze of marketing strategies that sometimes seem to lead nowhere?

If you’ve invested time and resources into B2B marketing campaigns only to be met with disappointing results, it might be time to take a fresh look at your approach.

Many B2B marketers pour their efforts into creating awareness and generating interest, but they often overlook a critically important element: understanding where their target audience truly stands in the buying process and prioritizing prospects who are ready to make a purchase.

Today, I want to introduce you to the demand pyramid—a powerful framework that categorizes your target market based on purchase intent. By prioritizing capturing existing demand over creating new demand, you can focus your efforts on engaging the small yet significant percentage of your audience that is actively looking to buy. This strategic shift can lead to higher conversion rates, more efficient use of resources, and ultimately, greater success for your business.

Is Your Marketing Missing the Mark?

Despite well-crafted campaigns and substantial budgets, many B2B marketers are noticing that the disconnect between effort and outcome is becoming increasingly evident. Understanding the nuances of buyer behavior and the current market dynamics is essential to pinpointing why your marketing might not be hitting the mark.

The Gap Between Efforts and Results

You might be investing considerable time and money into creating awareness and generating interest, yet the leads don’t convert. Why?

A significant portion of your audience might not be ready to buy when you’re trying to reach them. Our research shows that up to 90% of your total addressable market (TAM) is not actively seeking a solution at any given moment. As a result, many traditional lead generation tactics can feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.

Changing Buyer Behavior

Today’s B2B buyers are more empowered than ever. They conduct thorough research on their own before reaching out to vendors, often preferring to explore options in-depth before engaging with sales teams. This shift makes it increasingly important to understand where your potential customers are in their buying journey.

Overcoming Information Overload

With the vast amount of content available online, buyers can easily feel overwhelmed. Many struggle to sift through generic marketing messages, making it harder for your brand to stand out. A one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t cut it anymore.

Understanding Your Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Your total addressable market represents the entire universe of potential customers for your offerings. It encompasses everyone who could benefit from your product or service, assuming there are no competitors.

However, not everyone in this vast pool is ready to make a purchase.

The Power of Market Segmentation

Recognizing and segmenting your TAM is essential. Within this broad market, you’ll find various buyer personas at different stages of awareness. Not all leads are created equal. By identifying who is actively looking for solutions versus those who aren’t, you can optimize your marketing strategies and allocate resources more effectively.

The Demand Pyramid: A Blueprint for Success

To help you focus your marketing efforts, let’s consider the demand pyramid, which categorizes your audience based on their readiness to buy. The pyramid is divided into five stages, starting from the bottom, and can also be separated by demand creation vs. demand capture.

Lower 90%: Creating Demand

• Unaware (30%): These individuals don’t recognize they have a problem or that solutions exist. They may not be receptive to your marketing messages yet.
• Problem Aware (30%): They know there’s an issue but haven’t started looking for solutions. At this stage, they may be open to information but not ready to act.
• Solution Aware (30%): This group understands potential solutions but is still in the research phase. They’re comparing options and may need more convincing.

Top 10%: Capturing Demand

• Consideration (7%): These are the individuals actively evaluating options and starting to narrow down their choices. They’re primed for engagement.
• Decision (3%): This tiny segment consists of your active buyers—those ready to make a purchase. They’ve done their research and are choosing between providers.

Many B2B organizations waste valuable resources trying to convert leads from the larger segments of the pyramid, where engagement is often more challenging. By focusing on the top 10%—those in the consideration and decision phases—you can maximize your marketing budget and improve your conversion rates.

Embracing Demand Capture: Why Capture Demand?

B2B marketers frequently face the challenge of directing their efforts toward individuals who aren’t ready to buy. Instead of spreading resources thin across various initiatives, consider narrowing your efforts to the 3% who are ready to make decisions. This shift can significantly enhance your marketing strategy, aligning it more closely with your sales goals and driving growth.

A Real-World Example of B2B Demand Capture

Let’s look at a SaaS company offering project management tools. If they primarily focus on raising awareness among the unaware or problem-aware segments, they might create generic content about productivity trends. While this builds brand recognition over time, it won’t necessarily lead to immediate sales.

Now, imagine if they redirected their efforts toward capturing demand from the consideration and decision stages. By utilizing targeted pay-per-click (PPC) ads, optimizing their website for conversions, and engaging on review platforms, they’d be connecting with prospects who are actively seeking a solution—ultimately leading to higher conversion rates.

Evaluating Your Marketing Investments: Where Are Your Resources Going?

A careful analysis often reveals that many marketing budgets lean heavily towards creating demand. For instance, broad social media campaigns and awareness-focused content may consume significant resources without yielding immediate returns.

To effectively reach high-intent buyers, it’s essential to identify channels that deliver results. While creating awareness is important, the focus should be on capturing demand from those who are ready to buy.

Turning Insights into Action: How to Leverage the Demand Pyramid for Your Business

To effectively capture demand, B2B marketers need to translate their insights into actionable strategies. Understanding the nuances of buyer intent and behavior is essential for creating targeted marketing efforts that resonate with your audience.

By understanding the demand pyramid and aligning your strategies with where your prospects are in their buying journey, you can effectively engage your audience and convert leads into loyal customers. Prioritizing demand capture not only maximizes your marketing resources but also sets the stage for long-term brand loyalty.

Recognize Active Buyers vs. Potential Market

It’s essential to distinguish between those who are actively looking to make a purchase and the broader audience that may not be in the market at the moment. By focusing on the small percentage of active buyers—those who are already evaluating solutions—you can allocate resources more efficiently and increase the likelihood of conversion.

This targeted approach ensures that your marketing efforts are not wasted on audiences that aren’t ready to engage.

Educate, Don’t Just Sell

Rather than adopting a hard-sell mentality, position your brand as a knowledgeable resource in your industry.

Providing valuable insights and information helps build trust with potential clients, making them more likely to turn to you when they are ready to make a purchase. Educational content, such as webinars, white papers, and informative blog posts, can establish your authority and keep your brand top-of-mind for future buying decisions.

Maximize Market Reach

Tailoring your marketing strategy based on where your audience falls within the demand pyramid allows for more impactful engagement.

For those in the consideration phase, targeted advertisements and personalized communication can guide them closer to a decision. Conversely, for those who are still unaware of their needs, informative content that highlights relevant pain points can help raise awareness and set the stage for future engagement.

This strategic alignment with your audience’s position not only enhances engagement but also fosters a deeper connection with potential customers.

4 Proven B2B Marketing Strategies for Capturing Demand

In B2B marketing, the challenge is not just to reach your audience but to engage the right segment of it—those who are actively seeking solutions.

Instead of scattering your efforts across numerous channels and tactics, focus on the strategies that yield the highest return on investment (ROI). A small percentage of activities can drive the majority of your results, often referred to as the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule. By honing in on the 20% of strategies that truly capture demand and drive 80% of your results, you can maximize your impact and ensure your marketing budget is used effectively.

Here are a few demand capture strategies to help you get started.

1. Leverage Paid Search & PPC Ads

Paid search and PPC ads allow you to reach users actively searching for your solutions. By targeting buyer-intent keywords, you ensure your ads are seen by potential customers who are ready to make decisions.

• Identify negative keywords: Create a list of keywords to avoid irrelevant clicks and improve ad relevance.
• Utilize ad extensions: Incorporate sitelinks and callouts to provide more information and enhance click-through rates.
• Develop specific landing pages: Tailor landing pages for each ad group to improve the user experience and boost conversions.

2. Implement Retargeting

Retargeting allows you to re-engage users who have previously interacted with your brand but didn’t convert. Personalized ads can remind them of their interest and encourage them to take action.

• Segment audiences: Use behavior-based segmentation to create tailored messaging.
• Try dynamic retargeting: Showcase products or services based on previous user interactions.
• Limit ad frequency: Avoid overwhelming potential customers with excessive ads to prevent ad fatigue.

3. Optimize Your Website for Conversion

A well-designed, user-friendly website with clear conversion paths is crucial for capturing demand. Ensure potential buyers can easily find what they need and make a purchase.

• Simplify navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find relevant information.
• Use clear CTAs: Strong calls to action can guide users toward making a purchase.
• Conduct A/B testing: Regularly test different elements of your site to optimize performance.

4. Harness Intent Data

Analyzing intent data—insights into user behavior—can help you tailor your messaging and marketing strategies to meet the specific needs of your most promising leads.

• Use advanced analytics tools: Track user behavior on your site to gain valuable insights into potential customer interests.
• Create buyer personas: Develop personas based on real user data to better understand and target your audience.
• Monitor keyword trends: Stay updated on search term trends to adapt your content strategy accordingly.

Measuring Demand Capture Success: 3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Track

To evaluate the effectiveness of your demand capture strategies, focus on key performance indicators such as the following:

1. Marketing qualified leads (MQLs): Track how many leads convert from your high-intent offers.
2. Opportunity creation rate: Calculate the percentage of MQLs that progress to opportunities in your pipeline.
3. Conversion rates: Measure how effectively your marketing efforts turn prospects into paying customers.

By tracking and analyzing these metrics, you can continually refine your strategies, ensuring your marketing budget is being utilized effectively.

B2B Demand Capture FAQs

What Is Demand Capture in B2B?

Demand capture in B2B refers to the strategies and actions taken to convert potential customers who are aware of their problems and actively seeking solutions into actual sales. It emphasizes engaging with those who are in the later stages of the buying journey.

What Is the B2B Demand Pyramid?

The B2B demand pyramid is a framework that illustrates the different stages potential clients may be in their purchasing journey. It categorizes the market into segments ranging from those who are unaware of their problems to those who are actively considering solutions. The top 10% of the pyramid represents those who are ready to make a purchase, emphasizing the importance of targeting this segment for effective demand capture.

What Are Common B2B Demand Capture Strategies?

Common strategies include leveraging paid search campaigns, retargeting interested visitors, optimizing website conversion paths, and utilizing intent data to tailor messaging. These approaches allow marketers to engage with prospects who are already interested and ready to buy.

What Is an Example of Demand Capture in B2B?

An example of demand capture is using targeted PPC ads to attract potential buyers actively searching for a specific solution, like software or consulting services. This approach leverages buyer intent and drives immediate engagement.

What Is the Difference Between Capturing & Creating Demand?

Capturing demand focuses on converting individuals who are already interested and ready to buy, while creating demand involves raising awareness about a problem or solution that potential buyers may not yet recognize. Both strategies are important but serve different purposes within the marketing funnel.

Conclusion

The message is clear: if your marketing efforts aren’t delivering the results you want, you may be focusing on the wrong audience. By prioritizing demand capture and gradually working on creating awareness, you can streamline your approach for sustained growth.

At OneIMS, we specialize in helping B2B companies attract new audiences, retain existing customers, and generate more revenue with the help of our growth formula framework and the demand pyramid.

Ready to learn more? Let OneIMS be your growth partner. Schedule a consultation with us today to get started.