We always say, “You know tech, and we know marketing of tech.” Here is what we mean by this. High-tech businesses, no matter the industry, is a very different animal when it comes to marketing. Tech products and services are rarely found in a brick-and-mortar retail space and are fully digital. Their products consist of code and user interfaces. While many are stand-alone products and services, more often they live as part of other software or within first- or third-party services. You probably see where I am going here. High-tech companies need a full digital marketing approach that transcends B2B and B2C.
High-tech offers are nothing without reputation. While every single business brings something different to the table, they often have a slew of competitors. We also know that the decision-making process is unique and goes far beyond basic research. The buyers want to be assured of the company’s impeccable reputation, their forward-thinking approach, and that the product addresses all the pain points without reading through tedious technical manuals.
How do successful high-tech companies achieve these marketing goals?
According to Sprout Social, creating brand awareness is a focus for 86% of B2B marketers. Successful high-tech businesses understand the power of a stellar online reputation. We would argue that unless you have a good reputation online, you are not considered a brand. And no reputation is a poor reputation. This is at the heart of social media and online brand development and awareness.
Decision-makers in the buying process often look for a forward-thinking reputation. They want to be assured that the product or service is always being optimized, and trends and needs are anticipated. Your B2B marketing strategy should always grow strategically with your products, services, and industry advancements. We can’t take the eyes of the ball when digital transformation is moving at lightning speed.
Gaining insights about industry trends and customer sentiments is invaluable. Your social media marketing team should be prepared to offer these types of insights because they are readily available through social listening. It is a powerful tool in their tool belt. And your competition might already have these insights to inform their marketing strategy.
The second-highest focus, according to our friends at Sprout Social, is educating audiences. 79% of B2B marketers use this approach in their marketing strategy. Thought-leadership may be an extremely overused term; it is still a highly successful marketing strategy. Your buyer might be swayed by your expertise over your competitors and the niche approach you bring to the table.
It is a marketer’s job to help translate highly technical solutions to non-technical decision-makers while keeping the technical integrity of the product or service. Understanding your customers’ buying process and what they need to make a decision is a must. That’s why we work closely with the executive team and sales team to inform our strategy in line with their approach to business development.
This successful approach makes it even more essential that the high-tech company truly understands its audience. The social media team can shed light on who is searching for information, where they are searching for information, and what content they are focusing on. We develop highly detailed buyer personas that are tweaked and updated frequently.
With all that said, building credibility and trust is at the forefront of 75% of B2B marketers. While both brand awareness and education are two of the cornerstones to building trust, take it a step further. Creating a customer-centric strategy is essential. Many B2B businesses put on a corporate front when what they should do is be more human. An authentic and human-centric marketing strategy will show that side of your business.
Credibility is also achieved through strategic business and marketing partnerships. It is up to your marketing and, of course, the sales team to tout those. Decision-makers trust organizations that others trust. Showing that your organization is part of the business world and has ties to other thought leaders online is priceless.
If you want more information on how to achieve these objectives, don’t hesitate to reach out to our CEO, Veronika Monell, at veronika@jumpstart-now.com.
