Content consumption continued to increase before the COVID-19 pandemic began. More than ever, brands need to provide more tailored and engaging content experiences that fit buyers’ busy lives and short attention spans.

Find out the three B2B trends impacting content best practices and how you can move your buyer toward a purchase decision, even amid longer buying cycles.

Trend 1: Millennials are the modern B2B buyers.

Best Practice 1: Enable millennial buyers to make decisions on their own.

Of the total number of millennials in the US workforce who participated in a recent Demand Gen survey, 44% of the respondents indicated they are primary decision-makers at their company. Now, the lines have blurred between what’s personal and business as these power buyers expect a consumer-like experience. According to Customer Think, 74% have dropped a vendor in favor of another with a more B2C-like customer experience (CX). To make an impression and win business, brands need to provide meaningful content that moves buyers closer to a purchase decision on their own without engaging sales.

Trend 2: Buyers prefer short-form, digital experiences — especially video.

Best Practice 2: Create jargon-free, digestible content tailored to target audiences.

For content to be meaningful, tailor it to the needs and preferences of today’s B2B buyers. According to Business2Community, 91% of B2B buyers prefer video over standard static content in terms of format. And whether your buyer is an engineer, CEO, or product manager, they’re a human first. It’s time to act — and sound — like it in your messaging. Humanly relevant, insight-driven content enhances your brand and drives action. Jargon heads straight into the junk drawer.

Trend 3: The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to accelerate B2B connected commerce.

Best Practice 3: Use digital solutions to provide an enhanced online experience for customers and prospects.

Due to personal preferences and safety protocols, most B2B buyers have avoided in-person meetings, preferring remote human interactions or digital self-services, which is likely to continue even as the world gradually reopens. Digital solutions such as webinars and virtual sales tools now deliver an enhanced experience for your audience without requiring any in-person engagement. An e-commerce site or payment portal can augment your digital transformation even further.

Break through the B2B noise and spark moments that matter.

Merkle B2B is the first end-to-end, fully integrated B2B solution that creates ridiculously useful, humanly relevant, personalized content experiences in an evolving digital ecosystem.

We mine data-driven insights and augment your brand strategy to inspire action and meaningfully convey how you can uniquely solve your customers’ biggest challenges, empowering them to thrive.

Whether you need video or innovative content formats, overall content strategy, digital sales tools, or want someone with whom to partner for content co-creation with your in-house team, you can tap into our content expertise for deeper, lasting relationships with your customers — both old and new.

Ready to break through the B2B noise and spark moments that matter? Email letsgo@merkleinc.com or visit Merkle B2B online.