Reviews Are In: Sneak Peek Into How B2B Brands Are Tackling The Growing Influence Of Peers

Published: July 26, 2017

1aReviewsB2B buyers are more reliant on peer reviews and ratings to validate and find new solutions. According the 2017 B2B Buyers Survey Report, 94% of B2B buyers reported that reviews from industry peers were important in making a purchasing decision. Input from other users gives prospective buyers transparent insights into aspects such as ease of use, ROI and deployment time. It should come as little surprise that 42% percent of buyers listed peers and colleagues as their top source of information.

One factor that explains the appeal of peer insights for B2B buyers is its widespread availability. From social media to review sites, buyers today have access to more feedback than ever. Customers are hungry for validated reviews — as a business, you must decide whether to be part of it or let it grow organically.

Demand Gen Report hosted a great webinar addressing this topic this week as part of the Buyer Insights & Intelligence Series. In the session titled Insights For Insights: Understanding Buyer Expectations With Peer Reviews, Mark Myers, co-founder of G2 Crowd, provided suggestions on how B2B brands can better understand and address buyer expectations. Specifically, Myers offered these tips to optimize peer reviews:

  • Embrace the transparency of reviews — it helps build trust;
  • Connect with current and past customers and interact in an open forum;
  • Respond directly and openly to reviews;
  • Use the unique content from the customers voices to drive branding and marketing ideas; and
  • Thank customers for giving reviews — show customers you are grateful for their time.

“Customers are the chief storytellers of your story, your product,” Myers said during the webinar. “They are the market makers. As users and customers share, they grow your popularity and your own story exponentially. Controlling the message doesn’t work…So do you spend your effort trying to hide the bad stuff or do you spend it empowering your story tellers?”

Get the latest B2B Marketing News & Trends delivered directly to your inbox!

Check out the complete webinar and get more insights on how top B2B brands are addressing the growing influence of review.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
B2B Marketing Exchange
B2B Marketing Exchange East
Campaign Optimization Series
Buyer Insights & Intelligence Series
Strategy & Planning Series