B2B buyers want control. They prefer to explore, compare and make purchase decisions on their own terms. That’s where self-service marketing comes in. It gives buyers the ability to access the information they need without waiting for a sales conversation.
Many B2B buyers now complete most of their research before speaking with a sales rep. As a result, they expect quick, on-demand access to insights, tools and answers – just like they experience in their personal lives. For marketers, that means designing a journey where prospects can get what they need, when they need it, while keeping a path open to connect with sales.
So, how are B2B marketers making this happen? Let’s explore a few strategies that make self-service effective:
Content hubs that guide and inform
A self-service experience starts with a strong content hub – a central place where buyers can find valuable information. This isn’t just a blog – it’s a curated library of resources, including articles, white papers, case studies, videos and tools, that cover every stage of the buying process.
A great content hub helps buyers:
- Research independently at their own pace
- See your company as a trusted expert and thought leader
- Find you through search and stay to learn more
- Move from educational content to product information naturally
In addition, when you build a content hub with the buyer’s journey in mind, it attracts visitors and qualifies them. Instead of pushing everyone into a “request for quote” form, prospects can self-assess their needs. Therefore, sales gets more conversations with informed, interested buyers.
For in-depth guidance on content hubs and how to prove their return on investment, check out our free e-book, “B2B Content Hubs: The Complete Guide to Driving Revenue.”
CTAs that reduce the barrier to entry
Some calls to action (CTAs) can feel like too big a step for early-stage prospects, such as “book a demo” or “talk to a sales rep.” SureCam solved this by pairing its live demo CTA with a second, low-commitment choice: a five-minute, self-service “Product Tour” video. The new CTA generated roughly four times more leads per month than the demo alone, boosted the site’s overall conversion rate, and gave the sales team additional opportunities with better-informed prospects. However, the trade-off is that these leads tended to close more slowly and convert at a lower rate than demo-sourced leads.
The success is about “meeting the customer wherever they are in the journey,” said Staci Harvatin, SureCam’s chief of staff. “Many prospects want to be on their own and aren’t ready to get on the phone with someone and book a demo.”
By providing a low-pressure entry point, SureCam is starting more conversations without sacrificing high-intent opportunities.
“Our ‘Book a Demo’ CTA remains our strongest converter to revenue,” Harvatin said. “We didn’t see any drop in its volume or growth after adding the secondary option, and now we can nurture leads who might otherwise have been lost.”
Automated scheduling that boosts commitment
SureCam also discovered that the next step in the journey could be optimized: scheduling. Adding automated scheduling to the Book a Demo CTA removed friction by allowing prospects to choose a time that worked for them – without creating extra work for sales to chase hand raisers.
“It’s a game changer,” Harvatin explained. “It reduces back-and-forth and signals higher commitment from the prospect. They’re more likely to show up. As a best practice, we’ll still call to confirm and do some prediscovery, but the automation dramatically improved outcomes.”
The results were immediate.
“When we introduced automated scheduling alongside pricing transparency as part of a re-architecture of our demo funnel, we saw a 124 percent year-over-year increase in our lead-to opportunity rate,” she said. “We went to 35.73 percent from 15.97% in the first year. That was just the first step, but we saw significant progress. With further optimizations, we’re now even higher.”
AI chatbots that keep conversations moving
AI chatbots are another powerful self-service tool. They provide instant answers, guide visitors to relevant content, and capture interest without requiring human intervention.
Felins saw engagement climb after improving its chatbot visibility on the company’s site. Now, it drives more than 150 conversations a month. In addition, chatbot data reveals what customers search for most, helping the team prioritize future content.
“Many people don’t want to talk to a person anymore unless there’s a real reason,” said Victoria Sithy, senior marketing communications specialist at Felins. “They want to do their own research and thus may simply prefer to interact with AI to avoid searching through the website.”
Transparent pricing that builds trust
Self-service works best when buyers can evaluate solutions independently. For example, SureCam’s decision to put pricing online boosted the company’s lead-to-revenue rate to 14% from 4% in one year, and it now sits around 21%.
In turn, prospects can qualify themselves, and sales teams spend time with buyers who already understand the value and fit. In fact, providing clear, accessible pricing dramatically improves lead quality and conversion rates.
“We went from 20 percent marketing contribution to total new revenue in one year to 67 percent today,” Harvatin said.
Knowledge bases that do the heavy lifting
A robust knowledge base that includes frequently asked questions and videos gives prospects answers on demand. In addition, it reduces repetitive support questions while generating leads.
Felins found that YouTube videos that explain solutions to common problems brought in more qualified leads than any other social channel. Meanwhile, videos that feature experts addressing buyers’ challenges and solutions performed best, showing the benefit of content that solves problems.
On-demand training and webinars
Training doesn’t need to happen live. Instead, recorded webinars, tutorials and product walk-throughs give buyers the freedom to learn at their convenience. As a result, they gain flexibility, and your internal teams handle fewer repetitive requests, allowing them to focus on complex, high-value issues.
Platforms like BrightTALK and BlueVolt make it easy to centralize and share these resources. Therefore, self-service training improves customer experience and operational efficiency.
B2B e-commerce portals that simplify buying
Modern B2B e-commerce portals are more than online catalogs. For example, they provide personalized pricing, live inventory updates, order tracking and reordering in one place.
Successful companies have already proved this model works. Grainger and Berlin Packaging increased leads, improved conversions and strengthened customer relationships. Meanwhile, customers can manage accounts independently, allowing sales to concentrate on the most strategic priorities.
Self-service in action
Self-service marketing isn’t about removing people from the process. Instead, it gives buyers additional ways to engage on their terms. When you offer clear information, helpful tools and easy entry points, you respect the buyer’s journey while keeping sales focused on the most promising opportunities.
In fact, every content hub, chatbot, training library and e-commerce portal you add enhances the self-service experience. And as SureCam’s example shows, even a small enhancement to the funnel – like automated scheduling – can drive outsized gains when layered with transparency and buyer control.
Ultimately, buyers feel in control, and your team sees high-quality leads and efficient sales.
