Does content marketing influence B2B decision makers?
Does content marketing influence B2B decision makers?
With millions of B2B researchers and buyers using online channels to make informed purchases, the B2B marketplace has and will continue to experience a digital revolution. Traditional B2B purchasing methodology suggests that purchasing decisions happen through relationships, but Google’s research survey found that 71% of B2B researchers start their research by searching the internet. By the time customers decide to contact your salesperson, they have already made 57% of the buying decision.
That said, the goal is to have an online presence that will take the potential buyers through a learning journey about your brand, products, and services. Here’s where content marketing comes in, it can be used to show off your subject matter expertise and provide valuable information to steer decision makers your way. Understanding the changing face of B2B marketing is essential in order to create content for customers who are learning on their own. Google surveyed B2B decision makers and was able to separate myth from reality in their findings, here are five stats from their survey results and ways to address them:
- 46% of B2B researchers are millennials
- Your best bet is to have online marketing focused on teaching this demographic about your products and services.
- 81% of non-final decision makers influence purchase decisions
- Don’t overlook the person doing the research. 24% of them actually have the final say. See how Caterpillar targeted younger online researchers here.
- 71% of researchers start their Google search by looking for the products or services you offer
- Content marketing is key to being found online. Keywords! Keywords!
- 42% of researchers use mobile throughout their path to purchase
- It’s not only because they are on-the-go, they use mobile at work too. This makes mobile friendly sites and content a must.
- Nearly half of B2B researchers watch over 30 minutes of B2B related videos
- Video marketing is one of our faves, it can be a lot easier to digest. This stat shows us that they really are watching videos, here are more reasons why video is important.
Content marketing can wear many hats, besides serving as a teacher on the researcher’s learning journey, it also serves as SEO. Search engine algorithms are engineered to give researchers value, therefore they present content-rich sites. Tools such as Google Webmasters can help you diagnose your site’s SEO friendliness. Backlinks make up a big part of search engine rankings. That’s why creating quality content that leads to high engagement and sharing of links back to your site is key. With 46% of B2B researchers being tech-savvy millennials, sharing your content via social media is more important than ever.
Moral of the story is that content is king. So go ahead, show those B2B decision makers what you’re made of through quality content they’ll find during their online research. If you need some help, call us.
