Think B2B Companies Don’t Need Digital Advertising? Think Again

🔑 Key Takeaways

• B2B buyers need brand familiarity before they'll engage with your sales team

• Only 5% of B2B buyers are ready to purchase right now, which makes consistent advertising essential

• Digital ads build trust and credibility with decision-makers during the research phase

• Data-driven tools like the Wheeler Digital B2B Buyer’s Scan help you target the right audience with the right message

• Marketing supports sales by warming up leads and shortening the sales cycle

• Online channels matter—buyers rely on search, social media, and reviews before making a decision

• A smart advertising strategy keeps your brand top of mind, even before the buying process begins

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If your business sells to other businesses, you’ve probably heard (or said) this before: “We don’t really need to advertise. We’re B2B.”

At first, that might sound reasonable. You’re not selling sneakers or meal kits. But here’s the thing. B2B buyers are still people. And people don't buy from companies they've never heard of.

That’s where digital advertising makes a big impact. The B2B buying journey is long, built on trust, and full of research. Showing up early and often gives your brand a huge advantage.

At Wheeler Digital, we help B2B companies get in front of the right decision-makers with the right message, using data-driven tools to guide every step of the process.

Why It Matters for B2B Brands

The typical B2B buyer goes through about 27 touchpoints before making a decision. Only 5 percent of them are actively shopping at any given time. If you’re not already in their mind before they start that process, you’re probably not in the running.

Strong brand recognition gives your sales team an edge before the first conversation even happens. That’s what we help you build.

What Today’s B2B Buyers Expect

• They need to recognize your name. If they’ve never heard of you, they won’t return your call.

• Most of them aren’t buying today. But they will be soon. Consistent presence keeps you top of mind.

• They do their research online. Social media, Google searches, review sites, and your website all play a role.

• They look for trust signals. That includes customer reviews, testimonials, and a smooth digital experience.
  

How We Reach Them

We use a tool called the B2B Buyer’s Scan to move beyond guesswork. It gives us insights into more than 100 categories of business decision-makers so we can understand:

• Where they spend time online

• What kind of advertising they respond to

• What types of offers or messages make them take action

• What helps them feel confident in choosing a vendor
  

Example: Reaching Heavy Equipment Buyers

Let’s say you sell or lease heavy machinery and want to reach contractors, landscapers, or municipalities.

The Buyer’s Scan tells us that:

• Social media and search ads are among the top platforms they engage with

• Over half will click on an ad or search your company after seeing your name

• Their top motivator is price discounts

• They value recommendations from industry experts and prefer companies with great customer service
  

This kind of insight helps us shape the strategy, messaging, and media mix for your campaign.

Putting Insights Into Action

This is more than just ad placement. We help you:

• Create messaging based on what your buyers actually care about

• Reach them in the channels they already use

• Align your website and ad experience with how they want to engage

• Share valuable insights with your sales team so they know what buyers expect on that first call
  

We also look at how your ideal customer prefers to communicate. If they respond better to email or phone calls, we make sure your ads and website are optimized to make those connections simple.

B2B Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

You don’t need a massive budget or fancy creative. You need to be visible, trustworthy, and relevant when your next buyer starts researching. With the right tools and strategy, digital advertising can shorten the sales cycle, strengthen your reputation, and drive steady growth.

That’s exactly what we help B2B companies do every day.

Ready to Start Showing Up Smarter?

Let’s take a look at your audience and build a strategy that meets them where they already are. No guessing. No wasted spend. Just data-backed digital campaigns that help your brand stand out and stay top of mind.

Reach out and let’s see what’s possible. Your next customer may not be ready to buy today, but they should still know your name when the time comes.