What are the key characteristics of highly effective B2B thought leadership content?

To find out, Edelman and LinkedIn conducted a survey in December 2023 among 3,484 management-level professionals globally.

Some 48% of respondents say the overall quality of B2B thought leadership content they consume is good. Only 15% of respondents say the overall quality of B2B thought leadership content they consume is very good or excellent.

Ensuring pieces are created by experts and delivering experiences in interesting ways are now table stakes: 62% of respondents say average or above average thought leadership content tends to be produced by prominent/well-respected experts, and 66% say it tends to have unique formats or styles.

B2B buyers say the highest-quality thought leadership content often has some combination of three key characteristics: It references strong research and data (55% of respondents cite that as a quality of exceptional content); it helps the audience better understand the challenges and opportunities facing their businesses (44%); and it offers concrete guidance and case studies (43%).

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in December 2023 among 3,484 management-level professionals globally.