Learning What B2B Buyers Want Through Content Consumption Data

For the second year in a row, content consumption increased in a big way. In total, since the beginning of 2020, NetLine has seen reported growth of 33% – a remarkable rise in overall demand. While we’ve detailed this in great length in our annual 2022 Content Consumption Report, we know there are still considerable hurdles for Marketers to navigate. 

As B2B organizations continue to face new challenges created by the pandemic, they’re also hyper-aware of the need to rapidly adapt in order to grow. To do this effectively, you need to understand not only who your buyers are but what they want.

Digging Into What B2B Buyers Want 

Marketers are spinning a lot of plates. 

The more consumption rises, the more your content needs to be simplified without losing substance. 

Your library needs to contain content for multiple audiences at every stage of the funnel, while simultaneously keeping the type of content prospects consume (and the rate at which they consume it) top of mind.

And that’s not even to mention how you should begin to fold in buyer-level intent data on top of all this. What’s a modern Marketer to do?

In an upcoming webinar with Iron Horse, we’ll detail exactly what to look for in your data and how to leverage it properly.

Join us on April 28th at 11am PT for a coffee break discussion between Amber Keller, Associate Content Director at IronHorse, and David Fortino, Chief Strategy Officer at NetLine. Together, they’ll be digging into our first-party data findings inside the 2022 Report, including:

• Who to target with your content
• Which content formats generate the most interest
• How to understand intent from content consumption
• How to address the need for “more” without overwhelming your audience

Register for Understanding What Buyers Want: Digging into B2B Content Consumption Data.

Here’s a sample of what to expect on the 28th.

Addressing the Need for More

One of the key findings in our sixth annual consumption report states that as content demand volume increases, so too does the total time to consume. This uptick in demand is directly connected with the needs of the Buyer Committee and how much information it requires to be satisfied. Research from FocusVision further supports our findings, stating that professionals seek out as many as 13 pieces of content before arriving at a purchase decision. Clearly, the need for more has never been greater.

Why is this significant? Well, not only because it has a direct impact on the number of assets needed in any content library, but because of the amount of time each asset will require. 

For example, eBooks are the most popular content format across our platform. Not only did they represent more than ⅖ of all registrations, eBooks were 4.8x more likely to be requested compared to White Papers. Knowing this, one might say they should focus all their content production efforts on eBooks. While this would be a wrong move for a multitude of reasons, here’s the one that matters most: eBook requests aren’t the best indicator of purchase intent.

eBook requests certainly can indicate a level of interest in a given product, they pale in comparison to White Papers. While eBooks can take just about any form and vary in length, they’re often more casual and communicate visually. White Papers, however, are traditionally weightier, lengthier, and require a true commitment from the consumer to dive into what’s being presented to them. Considering these factors, it should be a lot clearer why a White Paper registration should raise the purchase intent flags.

 

But this is just the tip of the iceberg! David will be going into much greater detail in this webinar and will aim to get you ready to understand buyer behavior like never before. 

Register for Understanding What Buyers Want: Digging into B2B Content Consumption Data.

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