Tech Marketers’ Top Two Difficulties (and Solutions)
If you work in marketing for technology, you’re probably already well aware of the unique difficulties your industry presents. Certainly, every marketer faces severe problems, but the ever-evolving nature of the technology sector adds a new layer of complexity to the marketing mix. After all, the technological sector is expanding and transforming at such a breakneck pace that nobody can possibly keep up with it. No one, that is, with the obvious exception of the IT marketer, who is tasked not only with keeping up but also with being one step ahead of the competition in the market.
Recently, LinkedIn released an article that discussed some of the most significant issues that are faced by IT marketers in the modern era. Here are two of those problems, along with knowledge that you can put into action right away to start working toward conquering them.
The first obstacle is determining who will make the final decision.
Every marketer is aware of how critical it is to locate and comprehend the individual who ultimately makes the decisions. Without this information, you won’t be able to come up with a marketing plan that will work to win them over.
The fact that there is more than one individual involved in making purchasing decisions is one of the challenges of marketing technological products. Instead, it has become a group with members from IT, marketing, sales, operations, finance, and other departments.
Due to the complexity of the situation, it is even more essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the requirements, obstacles, and factors that drive each individual member of the group and to make a direct appeal to them.
A recent study conducted on LinkedIn with groups that hold decision-making authority over IT and technology purchases found that nurturing prospects with helpful information is an essential component of the sales process. [Citation needed] [Citation needed] Why? Because members of these groups are often not ready to speak to a sales agent until they have read at least five pieces of “useful, unbranded, non-sales-oriented material” before making contact with a sales professional.
In addition, the article stresses the significance of developing material for every job on the cross-functional buying committee… at each and every stage of the purchasing process. The essay argues that the tech decision maker is a group rather than a person, and thus it is the obligation of marketers to reach out to each member of the group and engage in conversation with them. It is impossible to predict who will initiate the initial contact, who will take the reins of the purchasing committee, or who will wield the most sway over the other members.
Because of this, it is very necessary to have a plan for how to approach, interact with, and ultimately persuade each individual member of the group at each and every one of the stages of the purchasing process. Through always-on education, tech marketers have the potential to influence every member of the buying committee and begin to win them over through always-on education. This may sound like a lot of effort, and it is, but they also have the opportunity to do so. What do we mean by “always-on”? It’s material that delivers useful, instructive information at each and every stage of the purchasing process, as well as whenever the consumer may desire it. It’s definitely worth the effort, especially when you take into account the fact that, according to the Content Marketing Institute, 63 percent of IT buyers are more willing to consider companies that have an always-on strategy.
The second obstacle is the production of content that is interesting.
The Content Marketing Institute reports that 93 percent of technology marketers participate in content marketing. On the other hand, they note that “producing material that engages users” has been one of the most difficult tasks during the past five years. What does this tell us about the situation? Tech marketers recognise the potential benefits of content marketing; however, time and budget constraints prevent them from producing content that is as effective as it has the potential to be.
The question now is: how can you compete in a market that is now so saturated with technology? The advice given in the post on LinkedIn is to compile a trustworthy toolkit. When you stop and give it some thought, there are more content marketing tools and resources accessible now than there have ever been in the past. Many of these tools and resources are offered at no cost or at prices that are extremely affordable. Marketers today have more alternatives accessible to them than they ever had before to design, create, write, construct, and develop their own products without the assistance of any third party. Just consider what it has done for business owners and managers!
If you work in technology marketing, you know the strain that comes with trying to keep one step ahead of the innovation industry’s insanely rapid speed. It is our responsibility to not only make contact with but also solicit the participation of some of the industry’s brightest and most forward-thinking thinkers. We are fortunate to have access to a variety of tools and services that can assist in making this goal a reality.
Author: Lindsay Tjepkema is the founder and president of Blueprint Marketing. She is also the author of this post. In addition to publishing material for marketing, Lindsay works in partnership with marketing agencies and companies to extend their available bandwidth, both in terms of time and of skill. She has more than a decade of expertise in marketing and puts that knowledge to use in content production, inbound strategy, and the implementation of digital marketing.