Tech Decision Makers Expect Better Content (and Less Spam)

Demand for excellent marketing content that resonates with readers is at an all-time-high right now, but getting that equation right isn’t easy for companies. Tech buyers have especially high expectations of the content that they download, and are generally disappointed once they’ve made it through the paywall and hit the “download now” button.

According to the new Informa Tech Trust in Marketing Index, 41% of C-level and executive-level B2B tech buyers are perfectly willing to exchange their gated insights at least once a month (on average).

Unfortunately, 71% of those senior business technology decision makers are disappointed with what they find on the other side of those paywalls. That’s a pretty high percentage of current and potential customers whose expectations aren’t being met with the content that’s out there.?

Spam is another major turnoff for executives who might otherwise patronize a business, but quickly hit “unsubscribe” or block the unsolicited email messages. In fact, Informa Tech says 41% of respondents who are incorrectly targeted or spammed won’t buy from the offending brand. And, 24% said they weren't sure whether they’d do business with that brand in the future.

On a positive note, there’s still a big opportunity to right the ship and start producing more relevant content that engages potential tech buyers. Informa Tech says 88% of respondents expect their technology budgets to increase over the next 12 months.

"It's really interesting to see how valuable content is to senior decision makers but how easily wrongly-timed, wrongly-targeted or badly-executed content can undermine trust,” said Informa Tech’s Emma Moorman, in a press release. “With tech buying budgets expected to go up next year, it is crucial to understand the factors that will build or break trust in 2024 to create a fertile ground for sales."

If you need help getting your content more aligned with your audience’s expectations, let me know. I’ve been producing B2B content for a wide range of organizations for more than 25 years and would be happy to help you “buck the trend” by developing blogs, white papers, reports and case studies that your audience actually wants to read. ?