Aligning thought leadership campaigns with the modern B2B buyer
How do PR professionals persuade B2B buyers to purchase from their organisation? By providing trusted thought leadership, verified reports and credible data that cuts through the competition's marketing noise.
In B2B marketing, standing out has become increasingly challenging. Buyers are inundated with content from brands competing for attention, with everyone claiming to be an ‘expert’.
The well-known 95:5 rule in B2B marketing helps explain why faceless, promotional content is fading. In short, businesses waste months marketing to the 95% of the market that isn’t ready to buy yet. And the noise is deafening.
The risk for your clients? Blending into the background, being ignored, and losing reputation.
As for the remaining 5% that are actively in the buying process, they have already made their decision from their day-one list, even before contacting potential suppliers.
At the same time, technology is raising the bar. This evolution is driven by platforms like LinkedIn, where content from individuals often resonates more than corporate posts, and by the rise of AI-driven search, which prioritises the clearest, most authoritative answers to buyer questions.
Additionally, most B2B buyers are now gen Z and millennials who prefer a digital, self-directed journey of discovery.
As Matt Derella, VP of LinkedIn says, modern B2B buyers are “influenced by what they watch, who they follow, and what they trust. Video and creators are shaping the shortlist. If you want to win, you need to turn views into relationships – and relationships into revenue.” This behaviour is particularly evident in the tech and B2B sectors, where younger buyers often consult numerous digital channels and expect instant, personalised interactions.
And as a PR agency, it falls on you to ensure your clients are at the top of their audience’s trusted list from day one. This means building authority, so your clients aren’t just heard but trusted.
At the heart of this is original research.
When everyone else is publishing opinions, those who can publish verified facts stand apart. Original data delivers three big advantages – authority, credibility and longevity – providing a foundation upon which thought leadership can be built. It offers relevance and a unique perspective that can't be easily replicated. Done well, research can also underpin a whole PR and thought leadership strategy:
- Flagship reports become the cornerstone of PR campaigns when broken down into blogs, infographics, webinars and press releases, fuelling your clients’ PR strategy for the year ahead.
- Arming your clients’ spokespeople with data adds credibility to interviews, panel discussions and LinkedIn posts.
- Attention-grabbing headlines are great for media coverage and backlinks, giving journalists fresh insights and boosting SEO authority at the same time.
- Answering the specific questions buyers are asking online supports AEO and GEO strategies by ensuring your client is seen as the most knowledgeable and trusted source.
Finally, don’t forget to build for the future. Repeat studies are a great way to track trends and behaviours, helping you showcase your clients’ industry knowledge and ensure their authority is seen and remembered.
But even the strongest research can be wasted if it isn’t seen. Credibility only matters if the right people see it.
This is where sponsored thought leadership posts (particularly on LinkedIn) come in. Unlike traditional brand advertising that’s focused on awareness and visibility, sponsored thought leadership uses individual leaders’ accounts to build trust digitally. Your clients’ research is shared through a human voice, ensuring those insights reach the right audiences at scale.
Original, data-led thought leadership has become a critical pathway to reach the modern B2B buyer while they’re still forming opinions. If your clients aren’t visible at that stage, they’re unlikely to make it onto the day-one list. Luckily, you can position them do just that and build relationships that turn into revenue.
Andrew White is the CEO and co-founder of Sapio Research. He leads a team that helps brands and PR agencies turn complex questions into clear, data-driven answers, fuelling thought-leadership campaigns, market understanding, and growth. Andrew regularly speaks on the future of market research and the importance of data integrity, advocating for research methods that prioritise quality and insight over cost-cutting trends.
