How B2B Buyers Are Engaging With Your Content - Data

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

B2B buyers’ engagement is shaped by team-based buying, heavy reliance on web search, and the need to consume multiple content assets across the sales cycle. Statistics summarize how buyers research vendors, the content formats most frequently consumed (white papers, product brochures/data sheets, case studies, and detailed guides), and how testimonials influence awareness and evaluation stages. The material further compares the growing impact of peer recommendations, gaps in marketer-provided channels, and how buyers use social media and mobile.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

The B2B Buyer Journey

Buying teams and research start points

Content Needs Across the Sales Cycle

Multiple content pieces required

Most Influential B2B Content

White papers, brochures/data sheets, case studies

Social Media in B2B Purchase Decisions

LinkedIn and peer recommendations

B2B Buyers and Mobile Usage

Mobile consumption and website optimization

How B2B Buyers Are Engaging With Your Content [Data] Let’s face it … Your content marketing efforts don’t mean anything unless your ideal customers engage with your content and take action. To help you get the most out of your content investments, I’ve compiled some recent statistics on how B2B buyers are using content throughout the sales cycle. Drumroll, please! The B2B Buyer Journey B2B buying is a team sport. According to TechTarget, the majority of B2B buying teams have between two and seven members. A signiFicant number of these teams have 10 or more members. Google matters. When business buyers are ready to research a purchase, the First thing they do is conduct a web search. According to the Demand Gen Report 2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey, 46% of business buyers start their research with a web search. Meanwhile 18% of buyers start by visiting a vendor’s website and 17% seek a peer recommendation. B2B buyers require multiple pieces of content. Eccolo Media found that 48% of B2B buyers consume two to Five pieces of content before making a purchase decision. Meanwhile, TechTarget found that 65% of IT buyers require at least four pieces of content to make a vendor shortlist. The vendor with the best content wins. In Demand Gen Report’s 2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey, 61% of respondents said they selected vendors who delivered a mix of content that was appropriate for each stage of their buying process. The Most In@luential B2B Content White papers still rule. The three types of content that B2B technology buyers are most likely to consume are: 1. White papers 2. Product brochures/data sheets 3. Case studies/success stories tied with detailed technology guides/ implementation scenarios Source: Eccolo Media 2014 B2B Technology Content Survey TechTarget’s Findings were similar. The following chart shows the types of content that IT buyers prefer during different stages ofthe sales cycle: Source: 2014 TechTarget Media Consumption Research Brief. B2B buyers rely on case studies. A hawkeye study found that case studies and testimonials are important throughout the B2B buying process. Seventy-‐one percent of B2B buyers in the awareness stage and 77% in the evaluation stage cited that testimonials and case studies are the most inFluential types of content. Peer recommendations are becoming more important. The Demand Gen Report 2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey found that more business buyers (53%) are relying on peer recommendations when they make a purchase. This number has increased from 19% in 2012. Marketers aren’t giving technology buyers the right content. According to Spiceworks, there’s a huge gap between the information that technology buyers want and what information marketers are providing. For example, 92% of IT pros use targeted forums and communities to research products, although only 61% of technology marketers invest in these channels. Meanwhile, 95% of technology marketers invest in social media, while only 23% of IT buyers use it to engage with brands. Source: Spiceworks, How to Win Friends and InHluence IT Professionals How B2B Buyers Use Social Media When Making a Purchase Yes, your buyers use social media to research you. According to IDG, 86% of IT buyers use social networks and content in their purchase decisions. They are most likely to use social media in the general education stage of their buying process. LinkedIn is the top B2B social network. Demand Gen Report found that LinkedIn is the No. 1 network for senior executives who want to connect via social media, whereas blogs are the top social medium for non-‐executives. Recommendations from peers rule on social. According to hawkeye, the most inFluential type of social content is relevant posts from peers and colleagues, followed by information about new products and solutions. Source: hawkeye, “3 keys to B2B success” How B2B Buyers Are Using Mobile B2B buyers consum

FAQs

Why doesn’t B2B content marketing matter without buyer engagement and action?

Engagement and follow-through determine whether content investments produce results. The document frames buyer interaction across the sales cycle as the core of effective marketing outcomes.

What content types are most influential for B2B technology buyers?

White papers, product brochures/data sheets, and case studies/success stories (along with detailed technology guides and implementation scenarios) are identified as the most likely to be consumed.

How do social media and mobile affect B2B purchase research?

Buyers use social networks—especially LinkedIn—for research, and mobile devices for consuming vendor content, comparing information, and reading trend/strategy feature articles. Mobile-optimized websites are described as necessary.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia