Customer Engagement:

The Role of Content in the IT Purchase Process

Conducted acrosstheIDGEnterprisebrands:CIO, Computerworld,CSO,InfoWorld,ITworld&NetworkWorld

Customer Engagement

Purpose and Methodology

Survey Sample
Field Work Total Respondents Margin of Error Audience Base April 9, 2012 May 18, 2012 1,025 +/- 3.1% CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, ITworld, and Network World sites and email

Survey Method
Collection Number of Questions Online Questionnaire 29 (incl. demographics)

Survey Goal
To gain a better understanding of the role content consumption plays in the purchase process for major technology products and services.

Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

RESULTS

CONCLUSION

DEMOGRAPHICS

Informational Needs Shift During Purchase Process

Q. For each stage of the purchase process for major enterprise IT/security products and services, which of the following types of information or content do you rely on most? AND Q. Please estimate the total number of informational assets you typically download to aid you in the purchase process for major enterprise IT/security purchases.
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Lead Nurturing Key to Sales Process

1 piece of content 3%

2-4 pieces of content

34%

5-9 pieces of content

20%

10 or more pieces of content

6%

No set number - I will contact a sales person when I am ready

37%

Q. When researching a specific major enterprise IT/security solution, how many pieces of content related to that solution do you typically need to consume before you are ready to be contacted by a sales representative?
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Trusted Information Hard to Come By

Extremely challenging/Very challenging 38%

Somewhat challenging

43%

Not very challenging/Not at all challenging

19%

Q. Generally speaking, how challenging do you feel it is to locate enough high quality trusted information on major enterprise IT/security products and services to make an informed purchase decision you are comfortable with? AND Q. Please tell us a little about what makes it extremely or very challenging to find enough high-quality, trusted information on major enterprise IT products and services.
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Sufficient Time Required Before Sales Contact

That day

7%

1-3 days later

28%

4-6 days later

20%

1-2 weeks later

21%

More than 2 weeks later

8%

Not sure

16%

Q. How soon after consuming the proper amount of content related to a specific enterprise IT/security solution would you typically like to be contacted by a sales representative?
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

RESULTS

CONCLUSION

DEMOGRAPHICS

IT Decision-Makers Actively Share Content

Emails received directly Technology content sites (e.g., CNET.com, (Brand).com) Online links for articles in printed publications White papers viewed/downloaded Links found via search engines Conference or events attended Email newsletters Third-party research including research firms (e.g., Gartner, IDC) Case studies Technology vendor sites Webcasts/Webinars Web video/Video clips/Podcasts Blogs/Wikis Discussions on social networking sites/communities 60% 57% 86% 84% 83% 83% 81% 81% 81% 80% 79% 76% 76% 73%

Q. How are you most likely to share the information/assets you view when researching major enterprise IT/security purchases? (Chart includes respondents who indicated that they would share content.)
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

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LinkedIn Most Widely Used Social Site for Business

Q. How are you using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+? (Base: Respondents using specified social sites.) AND Q. How are you using social media?*
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012 *Source: Navigating the Marketing Maze, IDG Research, 2011

METHODOLOGY

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Social Sites Encourage Vendor Interaction

Stay on top of industry trends See product reviews/rankings Obtain information/perspective that will help me make decisions Obtain information/perspective that will help me influence a decision Keep informed about vendors' offerings Participate in events sponsored by a vendor or potential vendor Interact with other users in a community setting Obtain product specifications Engage in dialogue with experts or industry peers Use tools such as calculators, worksheets, etc. Obtain pricing Track status of shipments/deliveries Submit opinions about products/services Resolve customer service issues Obtain discounts on purchases Refer or promote a vendor or partner to others Purchase products/services Submit ideas for new products/services Monitor/manage invoicing and payments Other None of the above 44% 38% 35% 34% 33% 32% 31% 29% 28% 24% 21% 20% 20% 19% 18% 18% 14% 13% 12% 1% 27%

Q. How are you using social and/or business networking sites/services to engage with technology vendors?
Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Conclusion
A variety of content is strategically used throughout the IT purchase process. A significant amount of vendor and non-vendor assets are downloaded and used to aid in decision-making. Despite a strong need for quality content, trusted information is hard to come by due to perceived vendor bias. Partnering with a trustworthy source to produce content can help offset this perception. Lead nurturing is key to the sales process, but leads are only receptive to a certain level of related content over a set time period. The majority of IT decision-makers would prefer not to be contacted immediately after consuming their desired amount of content. Information is actively shared with peers, primarily by email, phone, in-person or via LinkedIn. Emails are shared most often. Social networks encourage vendor interaction.

Source: IDG Enterprise Customer Engagement, May 2012

METHODOLOGY

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Learn More
To view the full results, please contact Bob Melk, SVP, Group Publisher & CMO of IDG Enterprise at bmelk@idgenterprise.com.

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