Word-of-Mouth the Most Influential for B2B Execs

Over at eMarketer, they’ve compiled some recent reports that suggest executives in business to business industries rely heavily on referrals and word of mouth, when making buying decisions.

“One-to-one communications make the difference in the B2B industry,” says eMarketer Senior Analyst Lisa Phillips. “Word-of-mouth can be generated from trade events such as shows and conferences. The Internet helps to sustain marketing momentum.”

Internet channels also look like they’re playing a strong part in influence business buying decisions. Who’s influenced by what they see on the web?

• Online magazines influence 36.5%
• Search engine natural listing 24.1%
• Technology blogs 19.6%
• Media/analyst blogs 10%
• Paid search ads 6.8%
• Vendor blogs 4.6%
• Unsolicited email 4%
• RSS feeds 3.6%
• Podcasts 2.7%

Seems to demonstrate that you can’t buy influence, it has to be earned from a third-party.