First, a thanks to Michael Stelzner who posted about the Tech Target 2008 Media Consumption Benchmark Report in regards to white papers - go read his blog post for the skinny on that.
The report is 47 pages long, so there's plenty of meaty insights.
I've talked a lot about the idea of mapping content to buying stages, setting expectations with your content delivery and that you can build engagement by connecting your topic-related content to probe depth of buyer interest. I've also railed against the one-off marketing touch and company focused content.
If you wanted proof that prospects find these methods effective, now you've got it.
The majority of buyers said their cycle's duration was 6 months, or longer. The problem is that most marketers stop and start their marketing campaigns in less than 6 month increments. When they stop and start, they forfeit the continuity, consistency and engagement they've built up to that point and start over with a new campaign.
93% of buyers are looking for information year round, not seasonally.
85.6% said that viewing valuable information from a vendor has caused them to view more information from the same vendor. This means information that helps them solve problems. Lest you think that product-focused content is not costing you engagement, consider that 47.5% of buyers said webcasts were disappointing because they were not problem-solving focused or too product oriented. Forty-three percent said the same thing about virtual trade shows.
What you may not realize is that 60% of buyers who attend webcasts say they are in the consideration stage of their buying cycle. Virtual trade shows come in as important across the board with a pretty even split between awareness, consideration and purchase. Definitely something to think about the next time you want to spend a bunch of time talking about your product, instead of the problem and how you help solve it.
71% of buyers said that viewing a certain media type has caused them to view information on the same topic in another media type. This means creating a flow from your webinars to your white papers to your thought leadership articles can pull mindshare if you've got a focused content strategy.
71% say the best way to follow-up with them once they've downloaded content is via online collateral. Their next favored follow-up method was via email. Additionally, 47% said they preferred online communications over print, or a combination of print and online.
Interesting to note is that buyers participate in blogs to get 3rd party expertise (36%) and to hear opinions from peers (34%).
There's a wealth of information in this report. Between Michael and I, we've only scratched the surface. It is worthwhile to note that the buyers represented are tech buyers - in case the report name didn't clue you in.
The takeaway is that problem-solution focused online content is important to your buyers. And, they do engage with content when it's valuable. Make sure you have a plan for how a buyer will find you and find all your related content by topic.
Oh, didn't I mention that? The top 3 ROI generators are white papers, trade shows and search engine marketing.
