The New Rules of B2B Content Conversion
It’s never been harder to figure out what content actually works.
Organic traffic is falling. Fewer buyers are turning to Google. More are turning to LLMs, closed communities, Slack channels, and peer referrals to get the answers they trust. The traditional content playbook isn’t broken, but it is outdated. What used to drive leads and move buyers through the funnel no longer performs the way it did even 12 months ago.
Despite all the change, marketers are still on the hook to:
Why Trust Drives B2B Decisions
Trust sits at the center of every B2B buying decision,
especially when multiple stakeholders, big budgets, and long-term commitments are involved. Without trust, buyers won’t move forward. And when content feels biased, vague, or self-serving, buyers don’t just ignore it—they actively discount the brand behind it.
According to LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Influence Report, 94% of marketers agree that trust is the most important element in building a successful brand. And Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer confirms the stakes: for more than 50% of buyers, trust now carries equal weight to cost and quality in
making a purchase decision.
Spoiler Alert: Key Takeaway
Proof Builds Trust
When we asked buyers what elements in a piece of content were most important in establishing trust, they consistently favored external proof and perspective:
- Original research (70%)
- Expert opinions (64%)
- Peer insights or opinions (62%)
- Customer testimonials (55%)
- Case studies (54%)
What generated trust less than half the time for buyers, though, were things like third-party endorsements (42%) and authorship or byline (22%).
Data Drives Credibility
Not surprisingly, elements like avoiding overly promotional language, naming an author or executive, or publishing on a neutral third-party platform had relatively little impact on trust.
What buyers said made them trust content the most, centered around how data is used.
Trust is earned when:
- The author clearly discloses data sources and methodology.
- The data is presented through clear visual storytelling (e.g., charts, infographics).
- The content includes original research.
Brand-Owned Content Is Earning Buyer Trust MORE than Third-Party Content When It’s Done Right
There’s long been a belief in B2B marketing that attaching a third-party name, especially a well-known analyst or consultancy, automatically makes content more credible. But for the second year in a row, our data challenges that assumption. When asked who they consider more credible when consuming B2B content such as research, insights, or trend pieces:
And that confidence in brand created content is growing. Compared to last year
Buyers Are Rewarding Brands That Lead With Transparency and Proof
That shift is echoed elsewhere in the data: 42% of buyers say they “highly trust” content from vendor websites. While still behind peer reviews (65%) and independent analysts (58%), that’s a strong signal that brands can earn real credibility—and close the gap—by publishing content that’s helpful, transparent, and grounded in proof.
When we asked buyers why they trust brand-created content more, their answers point to the same theme:
They value content that shows its work through clear sourcing, original data, and honest presentation, not just where it’s published.
How AI Affects Content Trust
AI is already part of the evaluation process for many B2B buyers. In our research, 58% said they’re currently using or experimenting with AI tools like ChatGPT to summarize or compare vendor content. When asked how their trust would be affected if content was created using AI to compile information from multiple sources (rather than conducting original analysis), responses were mixed:
There’s also no strong consensus on how AI affects trust in vendor content overall:
The Power of Original Insights
However, there is some variation in how much buyers trust AI-assisted content, depending on the type of content being created. Interestingly, the formats that require the most human input, such as customer interviews, SME interviews, or other forms of deep expertise, tend to earn the highest trust when AI is involved in the process.
Our hypothesis is that these pieces are harder for AI to dilute. The original inputs are strong enough—grounded in real insights, not just general knowledge—that the final output avoids sounding generic or surface-level. In contrast, content that leans primarily on third-party research or broad topic familiarity is more likely to miss the quality mark when AI takes the lead.
If a vendor disclosed that Al was used to help create a specific type of content, how would that impact your trust in the content?
The Human or AI Content Creation Debate Isn’t As Important to Buyers As Incorporating External Insights or Proof
In short, most buyers aren’t deterred by the use of AI, but trust depends on how it’s used and what kind of content it touches. This aligns with last year’s findings: 58% of B2B buyers said AI-generated content had no impact on their trust in a brand, while only 29% said it reduced their trust.
What matters more is substance. In last year’s survey, an overwhelming 93% of buyers said brands that invest in original research earn more of their trust. This is a clear signal that how content is created matters less than whether it delivers original insights, evidence, or expertise.
B2B Conversion Moments
What Content Drives Engagement, Sharing, and Sales?
Conversion in B2B doesn’t just mean a closed deal. The most effective content supports conversion across every stage of the journey—building confidence, creating internal momentum, and ultimately sealing the decision.
Our research identified three key conversion moments, each with distinct content triggers:
01 Building Confidence and Engagement
Before buyers ever speak to sales, they rely on content that gives them enough clarity and confidence to take the next step, whether that’s shortlisting a vendor, looping in their team, or preparing for deeper evaluation.
When asked what types of content most influenced their purchase decisions, buyers’ top three choices were:
Thinking about the most recent B2B solution you purchased, which types of content played a significant role in your decision to move forward?
These formats serve as proof points buyers can share to persuade others on their team. They’re especially valuable for buyers navigating long sales cycles or complex committees. Sales meetings, thought leadership articles, and how-to or educational content were at the bottom of the list when it comes to sharing content.
Thinking about the most recent B2B solution you purchased, which types of content played a significant role in your decision to move forward?
03 Sealing the Deal
At the bottom of the funnel, buyers become more selective and content must do more than inform. It must remove doubt, validate ROI, and build consensus.
When asked which content formats had the most influence on their final decision, buyers ranked these types of content as the top three:
Converting the C-Suite
Original Research Plays Outsized Role
While high-performing content matters at every level, it’s especially impactful with senior decision-makers.
What Content Works When
Aligning Content to Buyer Decision Moments
As B2B buyers move through the purchase process, their priorities shift and so do their content needs. From framing the problem to justifying a decision internally, the right content at the right moment can be the difference between
staying on the shortlist or getting cut from it.
The Most Critical Moment: The Middle of the Journey
Buyers say their biggest need for content comes during the middle stage, when they’re comparing solutions, evaluating tradeoffs, and building a shortlist. Top-of-funnel content is also important, helping buyers identify pain points and frame
their approach. But by far, it’s the middle where content can be of the most value and help champions bring stakeholders along.
When asked which types of content are most useful in justifying a purchase internally, buyers named:
- Customer case studies
- Product demos or documentation
- Independent research or analyst reports
- Survey-based research or benchmark reports
- Pricing, ROI calculators, or business case templates
These formats offer proof, clarity, and comparison points, helping buyers align stakeholders and secure internal buy-in before final decisions are made.
Which of the following types of content are most useful in helping you justify a purchase to internal stakeholders?
Content Conversion Channels
Where Buyers Are Actually Finding Vendor Content
Even the best content won’t convert if no one sees it. And increasingly, B2B buyers aren’t just Googling, they’re discovering content in more fragmented, fast-moving ways.
We asked buyers where they’re most often encountering vendor content today. Here’s where they’re paying attention:
AI Tools Are Becoming Content Conversion Gateways
Traditional search isn’t the only way buyers are navigating content. More than half of B2B buyers (50%) say they now regularly use AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini to research B2B solutions. That number jumps to 67% among the C-suite. Another 38% say they use these tools occasionally.
How to Create Content That Converts
Buyers are navigating decisions in a more independent, AI-influenced, and committee-driven environment than ever before. They’re skeptical of anything that feels biased. They skip past vendor hype. And they don’t want generic guidance.
So what does it take to create content that converts today?
Here’s what the data tells us:
Meet Your B2B Buyers
To truly understand the preferences and behaviors of buyers, it’s essential to know who they are. Here is a snapshot of the diverse group of 250 U.S.-based professionals who participated in the survey in July 2025. These buyers influence, authorize, or oversee the purchase of software and services at their organization. The survey was conducted at 95% confidence, +/- 5% margin of error.
