TechTarget recently completed their 2024 Media Consumption Study to understand where B2B tech buyers are spending their time research technology solutions.
The study revealed the following:
- 53% of tech buyers spend a significant amount of time with independent publisher sites such as ComputerWorld, TechRepublic and TechTarget
- 48% of tech buyers seek out analyst sites such as Forrester and Gartner in the research phase
- 40% of buyers use Google, tech vendor websites, webinar or hosting platforms such as BrightTalk or YouTube
The study also revealed that B2B tech buyers’ research habits can vary slightly by region.
For example:
- In North America, B2B tech buyers spend more time and prioritise using search engines such as Google. As a result, SEO will be important to increase the visibility of your content making it easier to be found
- In Asia Pacific, independent analyst sources such as Forrester and Gartner are the number 1 place where tech buyers spend their time doing research
Preferred Content Types
According to the study, B2B tech buyers prefer 4 types of content
- Independent expert technical advice, expert vendor reviews and analyst reports
- Case studies showing real-world use cases, previous client success and ROI
- Webinars are still highly used by 40% of B2B tech buyers
- White papers are highly used across all stages of the purchase decision process
Action Tips for Your B2B Technology Firm
Here are some tips on how your firm can leverage these research findings
- Identify where and with whom your target buyers regard as trusted sources for “AIR”— i.e. Advice, Insights and Recommendations when they are doing their research.
- PRO TIP: A great starting point are the industry and professional associations for your target industries
- To identify the preferred specific sources that your target B2B buyers use as well as the kinds of advice and insights they seek, make sure your firm is both “Listening to Buyers” and “Listening to the Market.” For details on how to listen to understand your buyers, check out my video, How to Listen to Business Customers.
- When creating content to provide the insights that your target buyers seek, remember that your content strategy must have two components:
- Content Creation: Create the types of content your target tech buyers seek. Therefore, consider using a variety of the 4 content types mentioned
- Content Distribution: Be sure to publish and distribute your content across multiple relevant EXTERNAL channels based on the trusted sources your target buyers use
Need help putting together a plan to attract and acquire the target tech buyers you seek? Get your copy of The Ultimate Buyer “AIR” Driven Go to Market Playbook designed specifically for Small and Medium B2B Technology Firms.
