The team at Demand Gen Report just released their 2018 Content Preferences Survey Report (free download, registration required), yielding fresh insights – and a few surprises – on the types of content today’s B2B buyers prefer, and why. The report is a useful resource for B2B marketers planning content development and those debating which offers to use at different stages of the selling cycle.
Here are my key takeaways:
Infographics may be undervalued.
76% of respondents named infographics as the most valuable content format in early stage research. Tip: leverage the power of infographics by including links to gated content for those seeking more detailed information on the same topic.
Time to start practicing that radio voice.
Podcasts were cited by 64% of respondents as a valuable content format in the early stage of the buying cycle, second only to infographics. Is this because podcasts are easily one of the more “mobile-friendly” types of content?
Webinars are best used for lead nurturing vs. lead generation.
48% of respondents said Webinars were the most valuable form of content to them at the mid-stage of the buying journey (the highest percentage of any format listed.)
Your registration form is still too long.
66% of buyers agreed that companies should make it easier to access content, from fewer form fields to single-click options (ex: social sign-on.)
Your blog is no longer a PR vehicle; it should be a demand generation engine.
Blogs tied with white papers as one of the most frequently referenced forms of content during early research. Tip: include links to gated content at the end of each blog post, and feature social share buttons prominently.
The white paper is not dead.
More buyers (74%) reported using white papers for research in the last 12 months compared to ebooks (67%), even though the latter is generally considered the more “modern” and mobile-friendly format.
Survey reports make for highly effective offers.
64% of respondents said they give more credence to “peer-driven” or user-driven content such as surveys. Tip: survey reports can also be repurposed into infographics, blog posts, podcasts and Webinars.
Time to reconsider the “information kit”.
More than half of those surveyed strongly agreed that packaging relevant content together would help expedite the research phase. Example: package industry-specific content (a white paper, case study, and customer testimonial) into a “fact kit.”
To download a free copy of the 2018 Content Preferences Survey Report, click here.
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash