Metric Monday: How B2B Buyers Divide Vendor and Third-Party Content in Their Buying Journey

saraboostani

Hi all,

We’re currently writing a few new pieces based on data we collected shortly after wrapping up our 2024 Buyer Experience Research. In this follow-up round, we heard from over 600 B2B buyers in North America and included new questions about the timing of key activities during their buying journey.

One question asked buyers to estimate the percentage of content they relied on from vendors versus third-party resources. Buyers said about half (52.3%) of the content they relied on came from vendors.

Interestingly, this percentage was consistent across industries, funding types (public companies, private companies, etc.), the type of solution being purchased, the department of the buyer, the department of the end-user, and the role the buyer played in the purchase—whether they were a champion, the ultimate decision-maker, or part of procurement, etc.

This is a good benchmark for understanding how much buyers rely on your content. It also speaks to our "Empowered Buyer Syndrome" and "B2B Blank Slate Fallacy" in that buyers are equipped with plenty of tools to help them acquire a well-rounded view of the market before engaging with sellers. Combine this with the fact that over 70% hire analysts or consultants, 3 out of 4 vendors are already shortlisted on Day 1 of the buying journey, and 84% have prior experience with their chosen vendor, it’s clear: buyers aren't arriving at your doors uninformed. Buyers know the market well, leveraging their own experiences, input from trusted advisors, and a mix of content from vendors and third-party resources.

@Kerry

Kerry

Great find in the data, @saraboostani. There's a tons of fascinating stuff in those reports, plus our report about activities buyers use during their journey.