Insights Into the Buyer Journey

• This article shows how the average engineer finds, uses, and engages "with content that helps them better do their job." The full survey can be received by filling in the form on the page. The survey is focused on "content usage during each phase of the buying/specifying process, engaging with suppliers, successful advertisement tactics, actions taken after viewing an advertisement, and concerns with data privacy."
• According to the survey engineer prefer to read technical articles (75%) when receiving an eNewsletter. Afterward, they enjoy case studies and application stories (63%), and product information and datasheets (60%).
• On websites, engineers prefer to download PDF (84%). Afterward, they prefer reading HTML, full-length text and images (63%) and watching videos (49%).
• On social media they watch how-to-videos and read technical articles (both 37%) followed by product demo videos (33%).
•  Sixty-five percent of engineers find it important that a supplier "provides valuable consultation, education, content, or tools."
• Engineers thought the most successful advertising techniques were white papers (28%), sponsored research (24%), and print ads (20%).
• According to this study, 64% of engineers want their buying process to begin online before they speak to an vendor. Only 14% wants to speak to the vendor at the beginning of their journey.
• This article corroborates that engineers only want to engage with vendors in the middle of their buyer journey. Most engineers (56%) say they want to narrow down their options first before engaging with a vendor.
• Engineers strongly influence the buying process though they may not be the final decision maker.
•  Younger engineers are usually tasked with doing the initial research and they do their research online. They carry the message of the vendor's website to the senior stakeholders who often do not visit the company website.
• The preferred manner of consuming content for the final decision maker (thus the person who decides to purchase a product) is short written articles.

Summary of Findings

• During the initial hour of research, we focused on finding information on the buyer journey of the engineer seeking to purchase the Prism Fume Extraction System.
• During a quick search in the initial hour no specific information was found on the buyers journey for this specific product possibly because it is too niche. Also, no specific information was found on the buyer journey of the manufacturing engineer or the welding engineer.
• Information was, however, available on the buyer journey of the engineer in general. Especially on how they consume content and how they use content to inform their buying decision. Also information was available on the hierarchy within a company, thus who does research, who takes decisions, how they consume content and when they prefer being approached by a vendor.