Email is one of the main B2B content platforms — but not the top one, according to a study by Clutch, which found that 71% of B2B readers first encounter content via email newsletters. However, this puts email behind search engines (87%), social media (85%) and company websites (75%). 

Still, there is a large email audience available, and B2B marketers need to maintain a visible presence in the medium, to paraphrase Clutch about all the channels listed. 

There are dollars on the table — while 45% read B2B content to stay abreast of trends, 20% do so when deciding whether to purchase products or services from a company. And 19% read content when researching products.

B2B audiences are most likely to consumer content about technology (45%). This is followed as a topic by small business (24%), workplace/personnel (21%) and marketing (12%).

What form do they read it in? For 33%, the chosen format is blogs and/or articles, and for 25% reviews. In addition, 16% absorb content in product decryptions, 9% in videos/webinars and 7% in case studies.

Overall, 88% consume B2B content online at least once a week.

Clutch identifies four stages in the B2B sales funnel: awareness is at the top followed by interest, desire and action.

In the awareness stage, 42% read blogs and articles about topics of interest. But those in the interest stage seek product descriptions. Reviews are favored by those in the later phases.

Clutch surveyed 380 employees who had read B2B content in the past week.