The content formats that drive the most B2B leads in 2025

By Aleena Kulsoom, Campaign Operations Manager at Accelera

Ever feel like your content strategy is a bit like fishing with a blindfold on; you're casting a line, but you're not quite sure what’s biting? Well, you're not alone…

Most marketers have a sea of e-books, webinars, and whitepapers floating around… but are they actually reeling in leads, or just drifting out there?

If you're leading lead gen at a big firm, odds are your team’s sitting on a goldmine of content. But let’s be real: just having content doesn’t mean it’s doing the job. In B2B, especially enterprise tech, content syndication still delivers, if it’s built to reach and resonate with a wider audience. The trick is in the format. The right piece can spark real pipeline. The wrong one? Just another name sitting idle in your CRM.

At Accelera, we run global media buying and syndication campaigns for tech brands targeting everything from CISOs to marketing operations teams. And over our many years of experience, we’ve learned something quite simple yet often overlooked: not all content formats are equal. And when it comes to lead gen, content’s influence depends heavily on how it's packaged and delivered.

With that in mind, you might be wondering, 

“Okay, so if my goal is to bring in leads in 2025, what type of content should I shift my focus to?”

Let’s break it down into easy steps.

Overview of common content types

Some content pulls leads. Some just pulls teeth. The difference often comes down to format, and knowing where each asset fits in the funnel makes all the difference, especially when you’re running a content syndication campaign or working to boost your online presence.

• e-books: still a top performer at the top of the funnel (TOFU). They’re broad, accessible, and easy to gate. e-books are great for grabbing attention early and generating new leads through first-party data.

• Analyst Reports: mid-funnel gold. Reports from names like Gartner or Forrester carry tons of weight with decision-makers looking to compare options and justify spend.

• Whitepapers: ideal for MOFU or BOFU. Dense and technical, for buyers who want the fine print before calling sales.

• Webinars & on-demand videos: flexible and high-engagement content. Use for TOFU awareness or MOFU education. An especially effective form of content when your brand needs a human face.

• Case studies: bottom-funnel essential. Proof, not promises. These show your products or solutions solved someone else’s problem.

• Infographics: top-of-funnel ammo. Fast, visual, and built for shareability. Great for APAC markets or social media-heavy campaigns.

• Datasheets/Product sheets: strictly BOFU for serious buyers who want the specs before they sign.

If you pick the wrong format, you could lose your leads. Pick the right one, however, and you’re halfway to the pipeline.

Performance insights: what the data shows

The way that content performs can depend heavily on region, industry, and the individuals. We get a clearer story by looking at the numbers. 

Let’s start with the big picture.

According to a 2023 Demand Gen Report piece, 71% of B2B buyers said they consumed multiple content assets to help with the decision-making process before engaging with a sales rep. 

A 2025 survey showed that e-books and webinars topped the list for early engagement, while analyst reports and case studies played a bigger role in the final decision.

By region:

• North America and EMEA still show a strong preference for webinars and on-demand events, especially enterprise buyers.

• According to ON24’s 2025 APAC Digital Engagement Benchmarks Report, on-demand webinars are also strong in APAC and multilingual markets. However, e-books and analysis reports have more impact than in the rest of the global market

By industry:

• Cybersecurity and financial services audiences often rely on in-depth reports and threat intelligence briefings, which are widely shared and cited by industry professionals

• In manufacturing and telecom, case studies and product sheets are shared and downloaded more than most other formats, which suggests a preference for clear, ROI-focused content instead of abstract whitepapers

By role:

• C-Suite: Senior executives lean more into high-trust formats like analyst reports and success-focused case studies. 44% of respondents in Mark Huber’s study, all identifying, as C‑suite, and 54% of all B2B buyers, start their research with analyst insights.

• Technical buyers: according to Forrester, IT and engineering professionals often use detailed documentation like whitepapers and datasheets. 

• Marketing and operations teams: these industries often prefer mid-funnel content like webinars, e-books, and how-to guides.

Marketer recommendations & trends

Marketing has changed gears over the past decade, quicker than ever. 

According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2024 B2B Benchmarks source, some of the the top-performing types of content formats are short-form videos, webinars, and research reports. 

The demand for e-books is also on the rise. In fact, Netline’s 2024 Content Consumption Report reported a 34.5% increase in B2B e-book content registration year-over-year; a clear sign that the right digital asset can still bring strong results.

But here’s the twist: attention spans are shrinking. A 2025 Think with Google article shows that audiences now expect high-value content in more concise formats, such as short videos, infographics, and bite-sized summaries. Depending on the industry, longer content runs the risk of being ignored. 

Another challenge is saturation. Everyone has a “definitive guide.” Beyond what content says, it now needs to stand out in the sea of sameness. 

That’s why customisation, personalisation, and localisation are trending. Good marketers are now tailoring their assets to specific verticals, regions, and buyer roles to to make sure each piece feels like a good match for the audience. Plus, here’s the cherry one top: it would keep the bounce rates low.

The big takeaway here is that content success in 2025 hinges less on content volume and more on content alignment. This means creating content that’s clear, relevant, and digestible and making sure your sales team has the right mix of primary and additional content to engage buyers at every stage.

Expert perspective: inside Accelera’s Media Buying approach

According to Priscilla Han, the Senior Media Manager APAC at Accelera, content performance in APAC often bucks the global trend. 

“e-books and analyst reports consistently deliver the best ROI in this region, especially heavy-hitters like Gartner’s Magic Quadrant,” she notes. These formats carry serious credibility, and when translated into the local language, they resonate on a deeper level.

A great way to boost results? Nail your content syndication process so every piece of content lands exactly where it should. Sure, some content may not convert immediately, but don’t toss it aside. “Even content that doesn’t drive leads right away can spark interest and open doors later,” Priscilla warns. “The long game is everything, especially with longer sales cycles.”

Her top tip for increasing impact is localisation. In countries like China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, English-only content often falls flat. “It’s not just about language but rather cultural tone and format familiarity,” Priscilla explains. Translating and adapting assets for regional nuance is often the difference between a bounced click and a qualified lead.

Best practices for selecting the right Asset

With the right asset, you can fill a slot in your content calendar and drive qualified leads. But the best way to do that? Start by mapping content to the funnel stage.

Top-of-funnel typically want education (e-books, infographics). These formats are great for building brand awareness and giving your content’s reach a healthy boost. Mid-funnel leads on the hand, need comparison tools (analyst reports, webinars). Lastly, we have bottom-funnel buyers, who often look for proof (case studies, datasheets), that prove you can deliver.

Target audience matters just as much. As we discussed earlier, technical buyers prefer content with more depth, such as whitepapers and specs, while business decision-makers often look for content with high ROI like case studies, analyst validation, and high-level reports.

Needless to say, don't forget your own performance data either. Dig into QBRs and past campaign results to see what actually works for your regions and verticals, and always be ready for change. Remember, just because something worked last quarter doesn’t mean it will now. 

Some of the biggest pitfalls we at Accelera see are overused formats, generic topics, and assets that look like they were built ten years ago. Whether you’re building a gated guide or a series of shareable social media platform assets, investing in original content with thoughtful execution always pays off.

And, of course, localisation. If you're targeting APAC, for example, a translated eBook or tailored video will almost always outperform a generic whitepaper in English.

Bottom line: tailor your content to the audience, funnel stage, and region. And remember, one-size-fits-all fits… no one.

Final thoughts

There’s no silver bullet in B2B content, but there are patterns. 

Even with the general data above, it’s just as important to consider your audience, region, and goals. What works in Singapore might flop in Berlin, and vice versa. And what converts today could stall next quarter. The smart marketers? They stay agile; constantly testing new content, refreshing offers, and adapting their content syndication strategies to match market shifts. Because just recycling old PDFs and hoping for the best? That’s not a plan, it’s a prayer.

Our insights here at Accelera come from real-world media buying campaigns, often using content creation expertise and blended asset mixes. You can not expect one format to always do the heavy lifting. So if you want your campaign to hit at the right time, make sure your sales teams have the right mix of assets that align with what prospects actually care about, whether that’s a quick summary on a landing page, or a deeper dive via a localised eBook.

If you care about lead quality and ROI (and who doesn’t?), let’s talk. Whether you’re exploring product content syndication solutions or looking to get more value out of every syndicated piece, we’ll help you pick the right asset mix and build campaigns tailored to your goals, region, and audience.