How to be one in a million: Spark’s research reveals what content B2B tech buyers really want

Kewal By Kewal

B2B tech buyers are bombarded with content from more sources and in more formats than ever before. If you’re a B2B marketer, you know how difficult it is to ensure your organisation’s content cuts through the noise. And it’s only going to get noisier. Estimates predict more than one million software companies will exist around the globe by 2027, so we can be sure that content will remain one of the fiercest battlegrounds in B2B tech marketing.

But that’s the bad news. The good news is that we know where that battle will be won and lost. Spark’s latest research goes right to the people that matter most in this conversation – B2B tech buyers – to find out what they really think about content. Here’s some of what they told us.

  • Irrelevant and self-serving content is eroding trust: More than two thirds (69%) of buyers are targeted with generic content that’s not relevant to their industry. And not only do they switch off from companies that send them irrelevant content, but they don’t trust communications that are seen as self-serving.
  • Media coverage remains highly influential: While some may think traditional media is on the way out, our research shows content covered by the media is still one of the best ways to reach buyers. 59% of buyers said brand recognition and media coverage impacts who they put on an RFP list.
  • Emerging content channels enter the mix: Alongside valuable media coverage, buyers said podcasts and social media were important channels for educational purposes, and that video was the most useful. This shows that the best content strategies have the perfect blend of media and digital assets.

It’s easy for marketers to lose sign of what makes compelling communications when there’s so much clamour for buyers’ attention. Knowing where to direct your marketing spend is a challenge. And in B2B tech marketing, it’s especially difficult when you’re trying to explain complex and niche topics across multiple vertical markets in interesting ways. How do you know what content buyers are really looking for?

Check out the full research report for the answers to that question, and for many more insights into how to build a winning content strategy.

Download 'The Difference Between Winning and Losing in the B2B Content Battle' now.