IT marketing as a tool for growth for technology companies
IT marketing is one of the most important promotional tools for technology companies. Despite its high relevance and potential, many projects fail due to mistakes made when implementing marketing strategies.
Common mistakes in IT marketing
One of the most common mistakes is setting unrealistic expectations. Often, customers expect marketing to address a wide range of their needs, but this is unrealistic. The key tasks are:
- identifying the problems of the target audience;
- creating an action plan to solve these problems;
- familiarizing the target audience with a solution to the problem.
Marketing is primarily about testing hypotheses. This is particularly true in the B2B segment, where transaction cycles can last months and results are not immediate. Expecting quick results is a sign of low marketing maturity. In such cases, companies often abandon marketing and return to traditional methods, such as cold calling.
Another issue that limits the potential of IT marketing is an ineffective strategy. A lack of a clear action plan with expected results leads to chaotic actions. An effective strategy should include:
- using only those tools whose effectiveness can be measured;
- building actions based on cause-and-effect logic;
- flexibility — the ability to quickly adapt to market changes.
Moreover, the basis of promotional tactics lies in the positioning and vision of a product or service’s unique value. Without this foundation, it is difficult to develop an effective strategy that will increase the company’s competitiveness.
Customers often put additional pressure on marketers due to misconceptions about the timing of results. Therefore, it is crucial to discuss realistic timeframes and the dependence of results on various factors from the outset.
Marketing on a limited budget
The IT market is going through difficult times. Many large companies are cutting their advertising budgets and reviewing their internal processes. As marketing investments decline, some teams try to compensate by expanding the number of promotional channels they use. However, this approach often leads to a dispersion of resources and a decline in results rather than increased efficiency.
In such a situation, it is important to focus efforts on the most effective areas. Analytics can help with this. For instance, A/B testing enables you to identify the most effective tools and tactics and eliminate the ineffective ones. This enables you to allocate your budget rationally and focus on channels with the highest return.
Maintaining the team’s creativity is essential for a successful marketing strategy. Excessive control, rigid frameworks, and constant pressure can stifle initiative and reduce the quality of ideas. To maintain productivity and motivation, specialists must receive a certain degree of independence. This creates a flexible, engaged, and results-oriented team.
