The CMO Council's Strategic Brief highlights the importance of online information sourcing in the pre-sales buying process. The majority of business buyers (88%) believe that online content has played a major to moderate role in vendor selection. However, the source of that content is critical, with third-party research, analyst reports, and trusted editorial coverage being the top trusted sources. The content engagement cycle is an intricate journey involving multiple personas of content consumers seeking, sourcing, sharing, using, and acquiring content. Companies should spend at least 25% of their marketing budgets on content origination and delivery, with an estimated $16.6 billion annually invested in digital content publishing to acquire business leads, influence customer specification and consideration, and educate and engage prospects.
