82% of B2B buyers say your content now matters more π
82% of B2B buyers say thought leadership is becoming more valuable. And 89% say good content makes a company feel like a long-term partner π
Social Media Today wrote up the 2026 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report from Edelman and LinkedIn this week. It surveyed more than 1,100 management-level professionals.
A few things stood out. Buyers say original research, insight and experience are a bigger differentiator now. A brand that shares nothing may get dropped from the list before anyone talks to it. Buyers use AI tools more to find suppliers, but most still check what AI says against the brand's own content. And they are more likely to share good content in private channels π
One honest note. LinkedIn sells ads and Edelman sells content strategy, so they have a reason to like these numbers. I would read it as a signal, not as proof.
Still, the AI point is the one I would not ignore. Someone asks an assistant who to hire, gets three names, then opens your website to check. If there is nothing there that shows how you think, you lose to the one that has it.
The private sharing part matters too. When a buyer sends your article to a colleague in a message, you will never see it in your analytics. You just wonder why the lead came in warm π€·
What I would do
- Pick one real thing customers ask you about, and write it down plainly once a week.
- Use your own numbers or examples. Original beats polished.
- Put your best pieces on your own site, not only on social.
- Ask new customers which piece they saw first. Keep a simple list.
- Check what an AI assistant says about you, then make sure your site backs it up.
Buyers can't pick you if they have never seen you think π‘
