B2B tech yelpification describes the way in which companies present buyers with peer reviews of B2B tech products to allow them greater insight into the product’s functionality. The funnel is dead, says May Petry, VP of Digital Marketing at HP, and social buying reigns instead. During the research process, potential leads are increasingly turning to their peers to ask for opinions and personal experiences to answer their important questions. The main difference between Yelp and these yelpified technology sites is that review sites validate users through means such as LinkedIn and personal interviews, eliminating the fear of fake advertising or competitors trying to attack rivals’ reputations. By filling the need for trustworthy insight from peers, the yelpification of enterprise technology helps buyers make more informed decisions.

Yelpification helps turn customers into advocates. Demand Gen Report’s 2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey shows that 72% of surveyed professionals look to peer networks for information when making B2B purchasing decisions. So, it’s clear that influencers’ opinions have real weight in a buyer’s mind. Yelpified sites can provide a direct method for these professionals to be active in their support of your brand, without the implied bias of when their opinions are presented through your company. Additionally, these sites can be invaluable in identifying which customers would be excited to share their experiences with your brand and can help you to launch a successful customer advocacy program.

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