Research indicates that 93% of B2B purchases begin the journey with an online search. This demonstrates that before seeing the seller, the customer has already researched the company and is looking for “social proof”. Additionally, 92% of B2B buyers already start the purchasing process with at least one supplier in mind. Investing in lead generation and digital marketing does not always guarantee closing deals, especially in the B2B market.
MALI, a press relations company operating in the digital authority and reputation sector, says that low conversion in the final phase of the sales funnel is linked to a lack of credibility. According to the company’s positioning, the problem is not the quantity of leads, but the quality of the brand’s digital authority. This factor generates a “hidden cost”, which is the potential loss of revenue when the customer chooses a more credible competitor in the press and on digital.
Editorial content has more credibility than paid advertising. Trust in professional journalism is high among Brazilians, surpassing social networks, which have high access but low trust, according to data from the Communications Ministry. The Edelman Trust Barometer (Global Report) consistently shows that trust in the “media” (press) is high and that this source is more trustworthy than the company itself or its social networks.
Digital credibility at the time of search is a determining factor for final conversion. Maira Escovar, director of MALI, says B2B customers seek third-party validation to feel confident in their decision.
The Edelman Trust Barometer (Special Report 2025 – Brand Trust) highlights that brands need reputation, relevance and credibility, and that what appears on generative artificial intelligence platforms, used in purchase research, is powered by earned media (spontaneous media).
MALI, whose leaders have more than 20 years of experience in this sector, adopts a targeted validation strategy, focused on media quality. The objective is to guarantee mentions on the portals that the B2B client actually uses for validation (Exame, Valor Econômico, Estadão, UOL, Folha de S. Paulo, among others). The 360° image protection strategy monitors and protects the brand score at every point of the customer’s search: portals, TV, radio, podcasts, social networks and, above all, on Google.
Liane Leonel, director of the company, says that investing in digital authority should be seen as a saving, as it helps recover sales that would otherwise be lost. Agencies like MALI adopt measurement methodologies aligned with best practices, promoting channel synergy through an integrated vision between different fronts, such as that offered by the PESO (paid, earned, shared and owned) model.
MALI offers an analysis through the Digital Authority Calculator and its teams analyze the estimated hidden cost of brands that have not yet invested in digital authority. “For executives looking to stop deal losses in the final sales phase, this new approach to measuring digital authority is crucial to converting leads into results,” concludes Liane.
About The Author
