According to LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, 94% of B2B marketers believe that trust is the most essential factor for brand success. But how is buyer confidence initiated and, even more importantly, sustained over time?
One-off campaigns or seasonal advertising pushes may feel necessary as budgets tighten and resources dwindle, but those efforts may fall short without consistent visibility in the channels your audience relies on and respects. A year-round presence positions your company as a serious supplier worthy of consideration.
To shed light on how brand visibility impacts the buyer’s journey, Sosland Publishing partnered with Cypress Research to conduct research on buyer attitudes and preferences on behalf of Food Business News and Baking & Snack.
The Ingredient Buyer’s Journey 2025 study by Food Business News surveyed more than 100 professionals responsible for ingredient purchasing decisions, while Baking & Snack’s Baking Equipment Buyer’s Journey 2024 study surveyed more than 100 wholesale bakery professionals involved in equipment procurement.
Findings from these studies point to a clear conclusion: suppliers that maintain a strong, consistent footprint are perceived as more credible, knowledgeable, stable and accessible. In fact, 85% of equipment buyers and 59% of ingredient buyers said they prefer to do business with suppliers that actively promote their presence in the industry.
Use the five tips below to make your mark across the buyer’s journey, strengthen credibility and keep your brand top of mind when prospects need you.
Purchasing decisions are influenced long before a buyer reaches out. Sixty-four percent of manufacturers often select an ingredient supplier from their day-one list, while 68% of manufacturers select an equipment manufacturer from their day-one list, according to Sosland’s studies.
When buyers start researching and building a shortlist, your name should already feel familiar. If your company only appears when you are actively promoting a new product, you risk entering the conversation late.
Trade media, SEO marketing and trade shows can help build a steady presence that keeps you visible during off-peak months. Consistent exposure will help you earn trust earlier and reduce the likelihood of being the questionable option.
Trust grows through familiarity. When buyers repeatedly see your brand in credible places, they are more likely to view your company as an engaging and experienced industry leader.
From native articles to industry events, reinforce your identity and value across formats. Over time, those touchpoints add up and make your company easier to recall when purchasing decisions arise.
Seeing the same supplier message reinforced over time makes a brand’s product easier to justify internally. That consistency reduces perceived risk long before a purchasing decision is made.
Trade publications are one of the most efficient ways to reach targeted audiences in the food industry.
A year-round presence in trade magazines, websites, newsletters and directories helps you stay visible to a qualified audience without the waste that often comes with broad targeting. Plus, your brand is instantly connected with professionals who care about processing improvements and product innovation.
Trade print magazines and websites remain key tactics used by decision-makers across most phases of the ingredient and equipment buying process, particularly during the discovery and supplier expansion phases.
When selecting a trade media organization to partner with, focus on audience quality, editorial trust and their ability to deliver results across multiple points of contact. Meeting these requirements ensures your brand will receive enhanced recognition and engagement over time.
To maintain visibility, you need to rely on more than one channel. The most effective strategy is a balanced mix that creates a seamless experience for buyers.
Consider pairing traditional and digital touchpoints, such as:
When buyers encounter your company in multiple places with steady messaging, recall improves and your credibility strengthens.
B2B buyers also move between these channels quickly, and sometimes in a non-linear fashion. One buyer might first encounter your brand through a demo video on LinkedIn before visiting your website, while another may hear about you from an industry peer and seek you out at a trade show.
Your job is to make that journey easy. Ensure your messaging, visuals and calls to action align across interactions so buyers do not feel like they are starting over every time they find you in a different place.
Sales cycles for ingredient and equipment purchases are getting longer, and these large purchases require stakeholder input and financial and technical review. During that time, buyers need reassurance that a supplier is stable and credible.
When you stay visible year-round, you gain a competitive edge. If your competitors maintain a steady presence and you disappear for months at a time, buyers may assume you are less active or less relevant.
Buyers are not waiting for a single campaign to decide who they trust. They are forming opinions over time, across multiple interactions, often before they ever reach out. A consistent presence ensures your brand is part of that process, not an afterthought when the decision is already underway.
Want to develop a brand strategy that effectively reaches food industry decision-makers? Connect with a Sosland Publishing media expert to explore trade media and digital options that keep you in front of the right audience all year long.