Key Insights from Netline’s 2024 State of B2B Content Consumption & Demand Report

Uncovering the Latest Trends and Insights in B2B Content Engagement.

NetLine, a leading provider of buyer engagement platforms and intent data, has released its 2024 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report. This report is based on insights from 6.2 million fully-permissioned, first-party content registrations, providing real user insights into the needs and intentions of B2B buyers.

**You can also contrast  the report’s key takeaways from last year in our news article: B2B Content Trends: Key Takeaways from a 2023 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report.

How B2B Marketers should apply the Learnings

• Gated Content: 77% growth since 2019 proves users are not averse to sharing their information for high-quality content. Takeaway: gated content provides excellent first-party sourced intent signals.
• Consumption Time: The Consumption Gap widened to 31.2 hours in 2023. Takeaway: allow at least two days for professionals to consume content before following up.
• eBooks for Awareness: eBooks are highly effective for building awareness at the top of the funnel. Takeaway: users are three times more likely to request an eBook than the second most popular format (Guides).
• AI Content Demand: Demand for AI-related content jumped 5.5 times in 2023 and is expected to follow a similar trajectory in 2024.
• Simple Content for the C-Suite: Executives prefer easily digestible content. Takeaway: 53.9% of their content consumption came in the form of eBooks, Cheat Sheets, Book Summaries, and Tips and Tricks Guides.
• Case Studies and Purchase Decisions: Users requesting Case Studies were 78.5% more likely to make a purchase within the next 12 months.

The Consumption Gap

The gap between content request and consumption time increased to 31.2 hours. Factors contributing to this include:

• Increased Review: 59% of B2B buyers have at least four people involved in their buying committee; 25% have at least seven.
• Economic Pressures: Present economic conditions require balancing immediate needs and future gains, impacting content consumption timelines.
• Workload Increases: Professionals are being asked to do more with less, increasing the time needed to review and consume content.

B2B Content Consumption by Job Level & Company Size

• Active Job Levels: Individual Contributors were the most active job level, representing 31.2% of the audience for content registrations, with a 20.7% growth in registrations.
• Large Enterprises: Content registrations from large enterprises (10,000-19,999 employees) grew by 1.4%.

B2B Decision-Maker Content Consumption & Findings

• C-Level Engagement: 18% of the audience for content registrations was represented by C-Level executives, with a significant portion from the IT industry. C-Level content consumption grew by 7.9% YOY.

Intent Findings

• Purchase Readiness: Buyer-level intent data provides insights into future behaviors and purchase readiness. 35% of B2B buyers showed greater purchase intent for the next 12 months, up from 33% in 2022.
• C-Level and Senior Leadership: These groups are most likely to be aggressive in immediate buying decisions.

Content Format Findings

• eBook Dominance: eBooks are the most popular format, followed by Guides and White Papers. Users are more likely to progress from eBooks to Courses, Trend Reports, and Live Webinars.
• High-Value Content: Playbooks, Case Studies, and Trend Reports are strongly associated with purchase decisions. Users requesting Case Studies were 78.5% more likely to make a purchase decision within the next 12 months.

Wrapping Up

• Gated Content Demand: Continues to rise, with a 77% increase since 2019.
• Time to Consume: Prospects need sufficient time to consume content.
• Key Decision Makers: C-Level and sales roles are crucial for immediate buying decisions.
• AI Impact: AI-related content demand is expected to keep growing, making 2024 a historic year for content registrations.

By understanding these insights and applying the learnings from the report, fellow B2B marketers & B2B organizations can enhance their strategies, optimize content delivery, and drive better engagement with their target audiences. If you or your team are struggling with content, content strategy, gated resources, planning, or distribution – reach out to YUNAVA today for a free discovery call!

Related Resources

NetLine, a leading provider of buyer engagement platforms and intent data, has released its 2024 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report. This report is based on insights from 6.2 million fully-permissioned, first-party content registrations, providing real user insights into the needs and intentions of B2B buyers.

**You can also contrast  the report’s key takeaways from last year in our news article: B2B Content Trends: Key Takeaways from a 2023 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report.

Executive Summary for B2B Marketers

• Gated Content Demand: Demand for gated B2B content rose by 14.3% year-over-year (YOY), up 77% since 2019.
• Consumption Time: The time to consume content increased by 2.5 hours, widening the Consumption Gap by 8.8% YOY to 31.2 hours.
• Economic Impact: Economic uncertainty led to a 5.3% increase in buyers likely to make investments within the next 12 months. 35.2% of professionals expected to make a purchase decision within this period.
• Popular Formats: eBooks remain the most popular content format, representing 39.5% of all content registrations, with registrations increasing by 34.5%.
• AI Content: Demand for AI-related content increased 5.5 times YOY.

How B2B Marketers should apply the Learnings

• Gated Content: 77% growth since 2019 proves users are not averse to sharing their information for high-quality content. Takeaway: gated content provides excellent first-party sourced intent signals.
• Consumption Time: The Consumption Gap widened to 31.2 hours in 2023. Takeaway: allow at least two days for professionals to consume content before following up.
• eBooks for Awareness: eBooks are highly effective for building awareness at the top of the funnel. Takeaway: users are three times more likely to request an eBook than the second most popular format (Guides).
• AI Content Demand: Demand for AI-related content jumped 5.5 times in 2023 and is expected to follow a similar trajectory in 2024.
• Simple Content for the C-Suite: Executives prefer easily digestible content. Takeaway: 53.9% of their content consumption came in the form of eBooks, Cheat Sheets, Book Summaries, and Tips and Tricks Guides.
• Case Studies and Purchase Decisions: Users requesting Case Studies were 78.5% more likely to make a purchase within the next 12 months.

B2B Decision-Maker Content Consumption & Findings

• C-Level Engagement: 18% of the audience for content registrations was represented by C-Level executives, with a significant portion from the IT industry. C-Level content consumption grew by 7.9% YOY.

Intent Findings

• Purchase Readiness: Buyer-level intent data provides insights into future behaviors and purchase readiness. 35% of B2B buyers showed greater purchase intent for the next 12 months, up from 33% in 2022.
• C-Level and Senior Leadership: These groups are most likely to be aggressive in immediate buying decisions.

Content Format Findings

• eBook Dominance: eBooks are the most popular format, followed by Guides and White Papers. Users are more likely to progress from eBooks to Courses, Trend Reports, and Live Webinars.
• High-Value Content: Playbooks, Case Studies, and Trend Reports are strongly associated with purchase decisions. Users requesting Case Studies were 78.5% more likely to make a purchase decision within the next 12 months.

Wrapping Up

• Gated Content Demand: Continues to rise, with a 77% increase since 2019.
• Time to Consume: Prospects need sufficient time to consume content.
• Key Decision Makers: C-Level and sales roles are crucial for immediate buying decisions.
• AI Impact: AI-related content demand is expected to keep growing, making 2024 a historic year for content registrations.

By understanding these insights and applying the learnings from the report, fellow B2B marketers & B2B organizations can enhance their strategies, optimize content delivery, and drive better engagement with their target audiences. If you or your team are struggling with content, content strategy, gated resources, planning, or distribution – reach out to YUNAVA today for a free discovery call!

Related Resources