Practical content and guides are a popular resource for B2B millenials looking to buy
The ‘Making Your Content Connect with the Next Generation’ report – conducted by SDL – researched the way the generation group engage with brands throughout the buying process.
It consequently found 41% of millennials searched for online tutorials and a third (33%) looked for technical Q&A manuals, before they chose to buy a product online. Some 29% of respondents also researched the size, activeness and popularity of products via user communities.
The report suggested content was an important part of the purchasing journey with 72% stating product information influences their view of a product and 71% are more likely to recommend a brand if there is a good amount of helpful information on hand.
Arjen van den Akker, director of product marketing at SDL puts the trend down to digitalisation: “Millennials grew up on digital, and are accustomed to having instant access to any information they want.”
Interactive content was valued by 66% of respondents while 67% expected content to be personalised to their own preferences and search behaviour and 65% value content that takes into account this personal context.
“They don’t expect to flip through a paper manual or even download a PDF,” says Van den Akker. “This means brands need to offer easy to access, high quality technical content in multiple languages, optimised for search and delivered across multiple formats. Brands must support this new way of engaging with customers by evolving and improving the way they create, manage and deliver content.”
The report surveyed 2654 B2B professionals in the UK, US, Germany, Japan, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
