Technology marketers are increasingly focused on one-sided content tactics even though IT buyers remain heavily dependent on community-driven information to make purchasing decisions, according to a recent report from Spiceworks.
The report was based on data from a survey of 136 tech marketers and 450 IT buyers from a range of company sizes and countries.
Most marketers surveyed say they are trying to connect with potential customers using tactics such as social media (95% use) and case studies (87%). However, though buyers do engage with those channels, they say they are more reliant on peer recommendations (97%) and IT forums (92%).
Below, additional key findings from the report.
Peer Recommendations and Ratings
- 82% of the IT buyers surveyed seek out information from peers during the initial research/awareness phase of the purchase process, and 79% do so when considering particular vendors.
- 80% of buyers look for ratings/reviews online from peers during the research/awareness phase, and 79% do so when considering particular vendors.
Content Types
- IT buyers say they do use some content marketing assets to research new products as well as to determine which vendors to consider.
- After vendor websites, which are accessed by 97% of buyers, the most popular content types with IT pros are webinars (79% of respondents use) and videos (76%).
About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of 136 tech marketers and 450 IT buyers from various company sizes and countries (71% based in North America; 24%, EMEA; 5%, APAC).
