Prospective buyers of B2B products and services find content to be most useful during the decision-making process, when it speaks to their needs/pain points, provides specifications, and is educational rather than promotional, according to recent research from Content Marketing Institute and SmartBrief.
The report was based on data from a survey of 1,200 business leaders in 18 verticals who are involved in purchasing decisions for their organizations.
Some 62% of respondents say they find content to be useful during the evaluation process when it speaks to their specific needs/pain points.
More than half—57%—find content useful when it provides specifications about products/services, and 43% say they value content when content is more educational than promotional.
Respondents say peer recommendations and original research are the sources that have the most influence on their purchasing decisions.
Other formats that rank as influential include in-person events, product demonstrations, and product information from vendors.
Some 40% of respondents say they do not care about the source of product/service information as long as it is credible; 31% prefer unbiased sources; and 24% prefer for the information to come from the vendor.
About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of 1,200 business leaders in 18 verticals who are involved in purchasing decisions for their organizations.
Ayaz Nanji is an independent digital strategist and a co-founder of ICW Content, a marketing agency specializing in content creation for brands and businesses. He is also a research writer for MarketingProfs. He has worked for Google/YouTube, the Travel Channel, AOL, and the New York Times.
LinkedIn: Ayaz Nanji
Twitter: @ayaznanji
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