Facebook is quickly becoming the go-to social channel for B2B marketers when it comes to finding information about vendors.

The insight comes from a new report conducted by New York-based communications agency Hotwire PR and technology market research provider Vanson Bourne, which gauged the habits, preferred channels and ways in which marketing decision-makers are now consulting varying forms of media when making a purchasing decision.

While it may be widely assumed that LinkedIn is the preferred source for B2B marketers when seeking vendor information, the "Changing Face of Influence" report found that one in four (24 percent) of respondents now say Facebook is their top destination when it comes to researching information on a purchasing decision, beating LinkedIn (17 percent) and Twitter (6 percent). On average, marketing decision-makers said they now use Facebook 18 days a month for this purpose, compared to 13 days for LinkedIn.

However, LinkedIn and Twitter remain the top channels for actual digital B2B marketing, revealing a divide that appears to exist between how Facebook is used by marketers themselves and how they envision its use by others. While it’s clear that more in the B2B marketing community are embracing Facebook for finding information about vendors and will continue to do so in the future, nearly a third — 30 percent — of respondents said they don’t plan to use Facebook in their own B2B marketing.

The report also found that despite declarations to the contrary, traditional media appears to be going strong in the B2B marketing realm. An overwhelming majority — 87 percent — said traditional media and social media remain equally important as reference points and sources of information in the purchasing process. The report found, however, that respondents were more likely to engage with newer outlets that have a digital-only presence, with Business Insider and the Huffington Post being the two most widely-read publications among marketers, and the former being the most consulted publication throughout the buying process.

While 89 percent admitted it’s now easier than ever to find relevant information when they’re researching a potential purchase, many said they still lack information when it comes to making a purchasing decision. Nearly half of respondents said they now proactively seek out case studies when researching vendors, but more than a third – 37 percent — said they find it difficult to find relevant information when they’re at the final stage of the buying process, and 50 percent said they’d like to see more impartial and independent commentary issued by vendors to assist them with the purchasing process.

The "Changing Face of Influence" report surveyed 1,000 marketing and IT decision-making pros between March and April who reside in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, France, Australia and New Zealand.

The full report can be found here.