What is the Buyers Journey: Everything You Need to Know

Demand Gen Report found that 50% of B2B buyers use video specifically to help them evaluate purchases. Brightcove data shows that 96% of B2B buyers say video is an important factor when deciding whether to move forward with a vendor. The data overwhelmingly supports videos under two minutes for most B2B applications.

LinkedIn is the undisputed heavyweight—95% of B2B marketers use it for organic content, and it generates 80% of B2B social leads (Amra & Elma). Content isn’t just king—it’s the whole royal family. Instead, they’re talking to peers, reading user reviews, and consulting independent experts. AI is speeding up the buying cycle—84% of buyers say AI helps them make decisions faster. The days of the lone decision-maker are long gone—now, it’s all about buying committees, peer influence, and digital-first research. AI is now table stakes for content creation, lead scoring, personalization, and even chatbots that qualify leads before a human ever gets involved.

When evaluating options, 66% of buyers prefer established market leaders over niche (19%) or new (11%) products. As for timelines, 87% of buyers complete their purchases within a six-month sales cycle. To better understand the buyer’s journey, the study explored key insights around buying cycles and the composition of buying groups. Buyers who make purchases through digital self-service channels are 1.65 times more likely to experience regret compared to those who buy through traditional, rep-led interactions.

• To create effective buyer personas, you need to conduct audience research.
• Use the information to create buyer personas—profiles describing your main customers.
• Find more keywords by looking at what your competitors rank for.
• At B2B Summit North America, taking place in Phoenix from April 26–29, 2026, Forrester’s analysts will share how AI-driven buyer autonomy is collapsing traditional go-to-market models, what this inflection point means for businesses, and how to thrive in a world where buyers control the journey.
• “Buyer agents work only for consumers and can save them money – and they don’t cost more to hire.” – Los Angeles Times

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As a result, buyers are tightening budgets and closely examining both new purchases and renewals. In Forrester’s Business Risk Survey, 2025, respondents ranked economic uncertainty and trade wars among the top systemic risks facing organizations, alongside concerns about data integrity. In my experience, these tools allow sales teams to prioritize their efforts and personalize their approach based on a prospect’s specific interests and activities. Similarly, tools like HubSpot’s Sales Hub provide visibility into prospect behavior and engagement. He adds, “Leveraging a tool like G2’s buyer intent can help you focus on the folks who are actually in the market for your product or service.

Effective buyers journey engagement strategies are crucial for converting potential buyers into customers. Buyers play a multifaceted role in various industries, including manufacturing, retail, and government sectors. “As buyers reevaluate how they engage with organizations, providers must ignite action and put buyers first to create meaningful experiences.

The B2B buyer’s journey and the B2C buyer’s journey may sound the same, but, in practice, they’re entirely different. In the next section, I’ll break down the key differences between the two journeys so you can modify your sales strategy accordingly. B2B and B2C buyers have different motivations, timelines, and decision-making processes, which impact how sales teams should approach them. Each process varies significantly depending on whether the buyer is an individual consumer or a business decision-maker. They go through a specific process to become aware of, consider, and evaluate a new product or service before purchasing it.

Once you’ve identified the keywords you want to target, you can create SEO-friendly content and/or paid search ads. But it’s important to target keywords used in the earlier stages, too. Many marketers rightfully focus on buyer keywords (search queries that people use when they’re ready to purchase).

Consumers value emotional elements, such as branding, trends, and user feedback — resulting in purchases that suit immediate needs rather than long-term strategic objectives. Meanwhile, B2C journeys are typically shorter and more straightforward. These high-value purchases require a significant focus on return on investment (ROI), scalability, and risk management. Our data-driven digital marketing strategies are built to maximize your return on investment and put your brand in the spotlight.

To make sure that your messaging is consistent across all platforms, work together to create buyer personas and journey maps. By proactively identifying barriers and refining key customer actions, you pave the way for smoother journeys and more satisfied customers. Pain points in the B2B customer journey aren’t always obvious — they’re often hidden in the small moments that create friction. This approach puts the customer first and leads to long-term growth.