According to Forrester’s new forecast, B2B marketers must prepare for a shift toward full buyer lifecycle marketing and improved AI-driven discoverability by 2026. The traditional focus on top-of-funnel lead gen won’t be enough. Instead, marketers will need to support buyers across every stage, from early research through post-sale engagement.
Key takeaways from the report include:
- Full-lifecycle marketing will drive better business results by aligning content, messaging, and metrics across all stages of the buyer journey.
- AI discoverability will become essential, as buyers increasingly rely on AI assistants to research vendors and solutions. Marketers should focus on structuring content to be easily found and surfaced by AI tools.
- Cross-functional collaboration between marketing, sales and customer success will be critical to creating a unified experience across the lifecycle.
- Organizational readiness will be a challenge. Many marketing teams still operate in siloed, funnel-centric models that hinder long-term growth.
Forrester recommends B2B organizations begin now by mapping the full buyer journey, investing in content optimization for AI, and aligning teams around lifecycle goals, not just lead acquisition.
For more insights and strategic guidance, see the full article at Chief Marketer: “Forrester to B2B Marketers: Invest in Full Buyer Lifecycle, Improve AI Discoverability in 2026”