In an ever-increasing digital world, it is important for IT companies to stay relevant. They must evolve to continue to meet the changing landscape, meet customer demand and be an expert at taking advantage of new opportunities. That’s why you need have your head in the IT game.
It can be tempting to rely only on a tech head or admin guru to handle marketing. Sure they send an email, design a flyer or post on Facebook, but the real value in Marketing is the ability to use technology, strategy, and experience to engage potential customers. Cohesively making all your channels work towards a common goal. Clients.
Marketing Challenges for IT Companies
There are four fundamental challenges IT companies have in growing sales and marketing their business:
- Understanding the needs of multiple buyers
- Marketing and sales alignment
- Creating engaging story-telling
- Connecting with buyers emotionally
Understanding Buyers’ Needs
A one-size fits all approach to marketing simply doesn’t work. Different customers have different needs. They are researching and looking for these solutions in different places. You have to be able to customise the message to meet buyer needs at each step of the buying journey. Customers look for significantly different information at the beginning of a search versus the end.
Aligning Sales And Marketing
If your marketing doesn’t reflect your sales goals (and vice versa), this disconnect alone can be enough to turn away potential customers. Beautifully crafted creative marketing won’t work if it doesn’t create leads and conversions.
Engaging Customers
Facts are important. However, they won’t mean anything if people aren’t paying attention. You’ve got to tell a compelling story to get them to listen. It also must be the right story at the right time.
Connecting Emotionally
Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman shared that 95 percent of purchasing decisions are made subconsciously. You have probably heard the saying that people buy based on emotions and then justify it with logic. It’s true. Neuroscientific studies demonstrated the connection between emotions and decision-making. They found patients with damage the area of the brain that generates emotion were incapable of making even simple decisions.
Why Do I Need a B2B Marketing Agency?
If it sounds complex, and maybe even a little risky, that’s why most successful IT companies have turned to a B2B marketing agency for help. It does not matter how smart you are; you have to be smart in a specific way. It’s the same reason why you wouldn’t ask an Economics Professor to perform open-heart surgery or ask a heart surgeon to wire your home for electricity. It takes experts in the right areas to be effective.
You need someone that understands the intricacies and nuances of different marketing channels, strategies, and tactics. They should be experts at inbound marketing to capture and convert leads. They should excel at outbound marketing to target and nurture leads, including Account Based Marketing, to engage high-value leads.
- As much as 70% of the buying process has already occurred before a prospect ever reaches out to you. Prospective customers are doing their research online before ever contacting you. Inbound marketing uses engaging content, SEO, social media, and mobile to help prospects find you when they are looking.
- It can take between seven and sixteen touches with a prospect before they become a viable client. Outbound marketing provides consistent, strategic exposure with opportunities and helps with your brand awareness.
- Account Based Marketing focuses on strategic accounts with a targeted and customised strategy.
You can spend a lot of time and frustration, trying to figure this out on your own. It could take years of researching, testing, and trying different strategies. You can also waste great sums of money doing it.
The right B2B marketing agency can save you time, save you money, and help grow your business.
