Study: Technical Audiences Prefer Product-Oriented B2B Marketing Content

TREW Marketing recently released the results of a marketing survey in conjunction with CFE Media, determining that technical audiences find white papers and product information to be the most valuable pieces of content when researching the latest engineering technologies, industry trends, and products/services.

Respondents also claimed that search engines, supplier websites and trade publications were valued resources for content. YouTube and other social media networks were towards the bottom of the list.

“Our first survey findings confirmed what experience had shown us for years — technical audiences have very distinct preferences and expectations when it comes to content marketing,” said Rebecca Geier, CEO and co-founder of TREW Marketing. “With the first survey’s focus on search engines, the value of content, and preferences for content types and formats, we conducted this next survey to dive deeper into specific content channels and engagement behaviors, such as e-newsletters, blogs, and online lead forms.”

The “Marketing to Engineers” study was aimed at determining how professionals can effectively market to technical audiences as a whole. More than 1,000 engineering professionals were surveyed about their content preferences and online behaviors to gauge how technical prospects react to various marketing strategies. This survey follows up on the first “Marketing to Engineers” survey, completed in May 2014.

A Look at B2B Web Usability

Earlier this year, KoMarketing Associates released the “B2B Web Usability Report,” which examined how vendor and supplier websites impacted B2B buyers. Research revealed that B2B buyers expect transparency and a straight-forward purchase process.

About 43 percent of respondents said that pricing information was a “must have” on vendor websites. Nearly 38 percent said they expect to see technical information on a vendor site, while the same amount said they want to see case studies, white papers and blog posts.

“As the data shows, B2B buyers have specific needs when researching vendors and suppliers,” wrote the authors of the study. “In order to facilitate the buying process, vendors should develop websites that make it easy for buyers to move forward with a vendor.”