Survey: Strong Brand Reputation Critical for B2B Tech Buyers

Marketers are constantly working to deliver memorable experiences to their customers and prospects, but how do the demands of tech buyers differ from the rest?

To tap into what the average tech customer looks for from B2B marketers, Spiceworks recently surveyed 674 tech buyers from organizations across North America and Europe. Then, the buyers were separated according to their generation – Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer.

The majority of Millennials (84 percent), Gen Xers (87 percent) and Baby Boomers (83 percent) said it was critical to trust a tech brand before making a purchase.

When it comes to making a business purchase, 75 percent of respondents claim that it’s imperative that the company marketing to them has a strong brand reputation. Half (49 percent) prefer the business to be a leader in the market.

“Ultimately, the results show each generation of tech buyers has different motivations, interests, and needs that drive their purchase decisions in and outside the workplace,” the authors of the report wrote. “As millennials continue to influence more businesses technology decisions, it’s important for B2B marketers to understand what it takes to reach and influence these technology buyers.”

Marketing Content and the Buyer Journey

Previous research shows that customers consult a wide range of marketing content before making a purchase decision.

According to the “2018 B2B Buying Disconnect” report from TrustRadius, B2B buyers consult 4.9 different information sources on average during the buying journey. Approximately 60 percent of buyers use product demos to make their decisions, while 50 percent claim they rely on user reviews.

Using a free trial (45 percent) and receiving a referral from a friend, colleague, or peer (25 percent) also appears to help customers during the decision-making process, according to statistics from the report.