B2B companies often use thought leadership to build a reputation and strategically position in the minds of targeted customers. But beyond its significant ability to drive awareness and shift perception, B2B marketers and salespeople have sometimes struggled to determine how thought leadership efforts translate to sales impact.

In the 2019 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study, surveyed over 1,200 businesspeople in the United States to better understand the shifts in perception of thought leadership and its impact throughout the customer purchasing journey.

Headline Results of the 2019 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study:

• There was an 8-point increase in the amount of weekly reading thought leadership by decision makers over last year (50% vs. 58%).
• 55% of decision-makers in the US use thought leadership as an important way to evaluate organizations they’re considering working with.
• 47% of C-suite executives shared their contact information after reading thought leadership.
• 89% of decision-makers said thought-leadership content increases their awareness of sellers, and 45% say it has led them to invite an organization to bid on a project.

A Figure Shows the Decision Maker Actions Attributed to Thought Leadership Versus Seller and Producer Perceptions

The Content of “2019 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study”:

• About the Study
• More Impact Than Marketers Realize
• Opportunity and Risk
• The Thought Leadership Flywheel
• Contact Information

Number of Pages:

• 27 Pages

Pricing:

• Free

Methodology:

Data is based on a survey of 1,201 U.S. business decision-makers, content creators, salespeople and purchase influencers across a wide range of industries and company sizes.