When it comes to the content that influences buying decisions, B2B buyers are looking for the facts. An overwhelming majority (86%) of the respondents to Demand Gen Report’s 2015 B2B Buyer’s Survey reported that vendor-focused content such as case studies and product data sheets are triggers that influence their purchase decisions.
Thought leadership content was also an important part of the mix, as 75% of respondents cited white papers and infographics among the top pieces of content that they review during the buying process.
When asked to rank the first three resources that informed them about a solution they were considering, respondents cited industry experts/analysts (21%); peers/colleagues (20%); and web search (17%).
Also clearly important to 87% of buyers was a better mix of content to help buyers through the stages of research and decision-making. Content that built a business case or showed clear ROI for the purchase was cited as somewhat or very important by 83% of buyers surveyed.
Multiple pieces of content play a significant role in the decision-making process. More than half of all respondents (52%) indicated they view two to four pieces of content from the winning vendor. More than a quarter (28%) view five to seven pieces, while 10% view 8 pieces or more.
Marketing’s influence in buying decisions continues to grow. More than a third (35%) said marketing’s influence in purchases has increased somewhat, while another 14% indicated it has increased substantially.
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