LinkedIn has published its latest ‘Brand to Buyer’ technology marketing report, which looks at how tech brands are researching new purchases, and the factors that have the biggest influence within their process.

The report incorporates responses from over 2,000 tech decision-makers, and 2,100 marketers, and provides some valuable insights into evolving mindsets and trends within the sector, which could help to inform your strategic planning.

You can download LinkedIn’s full, 32-page ‘Brand to Buyer’ report here, but in this post, we’ll take a look at some of the key points.

First off, LinkedIn notes that tech budgets are increasing.

That makes sense, given the rate of change in tech, with new advances like AI and the metaverse prompting many businesses to consider how they can build for the future.

But it’s also worth noting, from a marketing perspective, that there’s significant opportunity to reach these businesses with relevant solutions, aligned with these concerns. Most businesses are investing now, for the future, and that could lead to a range of new possibilities.

The report also looks at how tech marketers are looking to connect with buyers, and the most popular means of communication of their messages.

As you can see, SEO and social media marketing remain key focus elements, while white papers and trade shows are in decline.

Also worth noting – the use of marketing automation tools is on the rise.

“Technology marketers are supporting their increasingly digital activities by upping their use of marketing automation tools, which now account for a growing proportion of marketing budgets. When asked to identify the marketing activities that account for the largest proportion of their budgets, 28% ranked automation tools second out of twenty activities, behind only social media advertising.”

The research also looks at how to best communicate with tech buyers, and the key elements that can improve messaging.

“Technology buyers told us in no uncertain terms that content needs to be useful, clear, and easy to understand – and this is where B2B marketers are mostly getting it right. But our research also shows the importance of content being relevant and credible – and here there is some room for improvement.”

There are also insights into where tech buyers are seeking information – with social media coming out on top.

These are some interesting insights, which could help to inform your outreach strategy, and ensure that you’re aligning with how decision-makers are coming to their buying outcomes.

If you’re in the sector, it’s definitely worth a read – you can download LinkedIn’s full ‘Brand to Buyer’ report here.