4 Ways to Rethink Marketing Strategies for High Tech Companies

4 Ways to Rethink Marketing Strategies for High Tech Companies

Marketing is continuing to undergo a major digital transformation. When people have a problem they turn to Google to find their answers. When they want to see what software will help them, they look to G2Crowd, Capterra or other online review sites. When they want to connect with peers or exchange ideas, there’s LinkedIn, Medium, and a whole host of community sites around almost any topic.

But with so much ‘digital noise’ it’s very difficult for marketers to build brand awareness. As a result, it’s changed how people buy and how companies market their products. But for many high tech companies, their marketing strategies haven’t evolved to really align with their customers’ journey. Pushing your message at people through digital and offline channels is no longer enough. To stay relevant, you must focus on something other than your product.

Focus on Helping the Customer
In any relationship, there is give and take. But too often the dialog is still very one-sided with marketing content and messaging focused on features and benefits, rather than our customer’s challenges and needs. Content and messaging that will hit the target with your customers answers questions, sparks new thinking or provides insights into how their working world works. The next time you create an ebook, craft an email or post something on social, ask yourself: “Will this help my customer?” If the answer is no, then reconsider how to make it valuable for them.

Personalize Communication to CustomersA one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in any industry, but it’s especially ineffective in the high tech space which is inundated with information. Look for ways to help your customers share your message and content among their peers. Content is much more likely to be shared when it provides value. To provide value, start listening to customers and the questions they ask. Then, develop and repurpose content that answers their questions to create a more personalized approach.

Look at Sales as an Untapped Marketing Channel
Once you’ve created content your customer’s value, how do you distribute it effectively and compliantly? Consider your sales team as a whole new channel for your content and messaging. They are often the front-line of communication with your prospects. By equipping them with content and an easy-to-use sales enablement app, you’ve created a very effective way to send highly personalized communications using your content. This not only enables your sales team to close more deals, but provides you the marketer a direct link to prove the ROI of your content investments.

Put Data into Actionable Insights
Data is everywhere in marketing, but unless you or your sales team can act on it, it’s just numbers in a spreadsheet or dashboard. To draw insights from customer interactions, data must be actionable. A website visit or form submission is only useful if you then turn it into a customer touch that help furthers the dialog with the customer. Ideally, this data is available and actionable by both sales and marketing, so no opportunity to connect with a customer is lost because the information is siloed in a database.

Looking for more ideas on ways to connect with your customers? Check out our Marketer’s guide to Sales Enablement.