The surveys included “tools” such as:
• Industry Media Print Publications
• Information Direct from Dealers/Distributors
• Online Video
• Email Offers from Manufacturers
• Industry Media Email Newsletters
• Industry Media Websites
• Industry Peers
• Online Educational Content/Training
• Search Engines -- and a number of other information sources; 40 in all.
Audience members from each marketplace that ACBM serves were asked
to rank the tools they used and trusted most at each step of the Buyer’s Journey for information related to:
• Brand or Product Awareness
• New Trends
• Process Innovations
• Successful Technique Developments
• Product Comparisons
• Help in Purchasing a Product
• Potential New Product
Manufacturers
Answers were compiled and presented in charts that “mapped” their usage and trust of information sources. “We took a hard look at our product portfolio to see if it matched the ‘Jobs to be Done’ by our marketing customers today.” said Ron. “Were we helping them to drive sales growth, to identify highly likely prospects and move them along on the buyer’s journey, to drive leads through
engagement, and to achieve client acquisition, retention and repetition with the least amount of friction?
When that wasn’t the case, we disrupted ourselves so that disruption was less likely to come from some outside source.” Ron shared how these maps of audiences’ usage and trust of information sources helped ACBM fine-tune its product and services portfolio by both adding and eliminating
features. They also helped ACBM’s salespeople get the attention of clients and prospects. They could show advertisers where to invest their budgets to be in the places where their target buyers were looking for information – as they passed through every phase of a buying decision -- maximizing marketing investment, and efficiency.
“Now we can tell marketers, ‘Here is where your target audience is looking
for answers during each stage of their buyer’s journey’”, said Ron. “’And here is how our suite of products can help you meet them in each of those places.’"