Big Tech, Big Data, Big Ideas.
Marketing strategies for technology companies are much different than your run of the mill consumer products/services. One major difference is the technology sales cycle and how much attention it demands. Buyers must be educated, trained and versed in your technology before they’re willing to commit to the big buy. Luckily, you can ease the cycle with some key digital age marketing techniques.
Technology is designed and created to make processes easier. Seems desirable enough, right?
Unfortunately, the fact that technology makes processes easier is just not enough to get consumers to buy. Many consumers are “technologically-challenged.” (I may or may not be speaking for myself… hey – we can’t be all tech gurus, okay!?) Doing things the old-fashioned way might be even more desirable than your technology to these types of consumers.
So the question is: How do you capture these types of consumers?
The answer: Communication.
Communication is the golden egg of selling your technology. This is how you will empathize and educate your ideal consumers on why and how to use your technology. Essentially, guiding them down the long tech sales funnel, while holding their hand and ensuring them that everything is going to be okay.
Communicate the problem you’re solving, the solution you’ve discovered and how to apply that solution. Most importantly, communicate in layman’s terms. Using industry jargon is a sure-fire way to turn potential customers away.
Luckily for you and your business, communicating in The Digital Age is a breeze. With these three digital marketing techniques, you’ll be able to efficiently communicate to consumers just how great your technology is. And as a result, increase your sales.
Table of Contents:
- Blogging
- Email Marketing
- Social Media- LinkedIn
Blogging About Tech
We have this conversation with clients all.the.time. “Why do we need a blog?”
Here’s a few reasons why a company blog is useful:
- Improves search engine optimization
- Provides an opportunity to engage with consumers
- Over time, blogging helpful and relevant material, will position you as a “thought leader” in your industry.
- New content on your site gives people a reason to keep going back to your site.
- It helps guide consumers through the sales funnel, while building trust along the way.
Most importantly, it’s a channel of communication!
Utilize your company blog to shed light on the specific problem that your technology solves. Connect with your target audience by empathizing with them. In other words, you’ve walked in their shoes and you know how aggravating it is. You’ve thus opened the door to suggest a solution. Your solution.
However, keep in mind that your company blog is not a sales page. It’s a platform (not to be confused with a PaaS) to use to connect with ideal customers who are probably searching for answers to the problem that your technology solves.
Email Marketing Using Newsletters
Email marketing has stood the test of time and has proven to be one of the best marketing strategies out there.
A very interesting statistic by BRANDfog: Customers who receive email newsletters spend 82% more when they buy from the company.
Why do you think this is? My theory lies in (you guessed it!) communication. When I get a newsletter from a company that I am interested in (even if I have yet to buy from them) I get this feeling like I’m in-the-know with them. It kind of makes me feel like I’m part of a club! (Trust me, I’m not the only one!)
With an email newsletter, you can include loads of information without intimi[data]ing readers. (See what I did there? “Data” because too much data can make people not want to read.) You can share industry news, a link to your blog post, company announcements, etc. All within a cleanly-designed newsletter.
And with the use of a commonly known SaaS, email blasts couldn’t be easier! (Thanks Mailchimp!)
Social media, specifically LinkedIn
LinkedIn offers the opportunity to network with your target audience. (At the end of the day, isn’t that what sales is all about?)
91% of executives have said that LinkedIn is the top place to find quality content, superior to Twitter and Facebook. LinkedIn is saturated with industry professionals looking to converse and communicate with other professionals. By using sponsored updates and follower campaigns, you can connect with more people who are outside of your current network. You can also join and actively engage within groups that potential buyers may also be in.
Have your cake and eat it too by publishing your blog content to LinkedIn. It’s truly the ideal platform to use to establish yourself as a thought leader, simply by sharing your thoughts with the right people. (Which are easy to find on LinkedIn.)
At the expense of beating a dead horse: Genuinely communicating with your ideal consumers will increase your sales. Marketing is an umbrella concept with communication being a key component of it. Therefore, communication is important for any industry, but tech especially.
As I said before, there are many consumers who may benefit from your technology, but they are just intimidated by it. It’s your job to make them aware of their problem and show them specifically how you can solve it. Technology sales may be a longer cycle than most, but it’s well worth the work.
If you need any guidance in effectively marketing your SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS, ADventure Marketing is here to help!