Most marketers focus on leads who are ready to buy. But what if 95% of your audience isn’t? According to LinkedIn’s B2B Institute, this rule is backed by research conducted with Les Binet and Peter Field, who found that only 5% of B2B buyers are in-market at any given time, while 95% are “out-of-market” and may not buy for months or even years. This insight forms the basis of their argument for balancing brand building with sales activation.
That leaves 95% who are not yet ready to purchase, but who will be in the future. If you’re not engaging them now, you risk being forgotten when they are ready.
What Is the 95-5% Rule?
The 95-5 rule reframes how we think about marketing reach. Instead of focusing solely on the low-hanging fruit (the 5% who are currently shopping), the best-performing brands invest in long-term brand building to remain top of mind with the 95%.
“If you’re only focusing on the people ready to buy right now, you’re missing out on the vast majority of your audience.”
Source: The Marketer’s Playbook for the Messy Middle – Koozai
The Opportunity in the 95%
Marketing to the 95% means:
- Building trust before the sales cycle starts
- Becoming a known brand in your sector
- Creating educational and engaging content that resonates with future buyers
This is particularly powerful in B2B sectors with long buying cycles, where decision-making is distributed across multiple stakeholders. You’re planting seeds that will grow into pipeline in 6, 12, or even 24 months.
B2B brand campaigns that prioritise awareness are proven to drive long-term growth. In fact, research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute supports the idea that brands need to build “mental availability” – being top-of-mind when buyers are ready to purchase.
Strategies That Work
1. Consistency Over Time
Publishing regularly – blogs, LinkedIn posts, newsletters – builds familiarity and trust. Brands that show up consistently are more likely to be remembered when a buying decision eventually arises.
Salesforce does a great job at this, publishing daily LinkedIn content with expert insights and industry trends, making it a constant presence in B2B buyer feeds.
2. Thought Leadership
Original ideas and solutions to common industry problems establish credibility without the hard sell. Share opinion pieces, analysis, or forward-looking commentary.
For example, HubSpot’s blog is a hub of practical, educational content that doesn’t directly push product but solves common challenges.
3. Customer-Centric Content
Focus on content that meets user needs. That might be how-to guides, ROI calculators, onboarding checklists, or case studies relevant to specific roles. Check out Canva for Teams for a masterclass in this. They use video tutorials, onboarding walkthroughs, and case studies to speak directly to design managers and marketing teams.
4. Channel Diversification
Reach the 95% where they spend time – podcasts, YouTube, newsletters, forums, Slack groups, and WhatsApp chats (a.k.a. dark social). Content should be portable and easy to share.
For example Gartner releases downloadable infographics and summary briefs optimised for internal sharing in procurement and IT teams.
How to Balance with the 5%
Marketing to in-market buyers (the 5%) is still essential, but should be done in tandem with long-term brand work. Here’s how:
- Use segmentation to deliver personalised content. Identify behaviourally active users and tailor campaigns.
- Offer product pages with transparent pricing and live chat support for buyers ready to convert.
- Ensure UX and CRO are optimised, so friction doesn’t block decision-making.
Marketing is no longer just about short-term ROI. It’s about building mental availability and trust so that when your ideal buyer is ready to act, your brand is already familiar, credible, and top of mind.
The 95-5 rule is a powerful reminder that the real growth lies in patience, consistency, and brand building. Start investing in the 95% now, and tomorrow’s pipeline will take care of itself.
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