IT marketing is highly niche, but you often need to create content that is geared more toward the average person than an IT professional. Even if you work in the B2B sector, your content has to serve as a gateway between you and potential clients, which means there needs to be more to your marketing strategy than just prices and a list of services. As we move into the new year, here are a few trends that you'll want to use to market your IT business.
Storydoing
Storytelling has been a long-standing pillar of good marketing, but a new buzzword is emerging that emphasizes the importance of crafting memorable digital experiences: storydoing. Rather than simply let your audience know what you do or why it matters, create content that encourages interaction. Storydoing places your brand's story at the center of your entire online narrative, essentially weaving your company as the protagonist in a journey that viewers and potential customers are invited to be a part of.
AI Assistance
Chatbots were the first wave of virtual assistance technology, and artificial intelligence will begin to redefine how users shop and get help online. If your company has the ability and budget, crafting your own AI can help your IT business standout and create a lasting impression on your audience. User experience will always play the biggest part in successful marketing, and AI is giving companies the ability to personalize their customers' experience in a way that is unlike anything ever seen before.
Video Campaigns
Google (News - Alert) introduced a TV section into its existing advertising platform, which will allow you to create engaging video content for streaming services. This can be an incredible way to reach your audience in an unexpected but highly effective way. Consider enterprise SEO, which needs highly specific intent-driven content to really hit home with its audience. If you market to corporations or large-scale companies, think about what problems they have, what solutions they look for and how a memorable video ad could reach them. Video is one of the most personal forms of online storytelling (or storydoing). It allows you to put a voice and face to your brand like no other medium. By focusing on what your audience wants to hear and is actively looking for you, can multiply your revenue and build a greater relationship with your new customers before you even speak for the first time.
Influence Marketing
One of the biggest challenge’s IT businesses face in marketing is a return on investment. You can drop hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on PPC or social media ads to barely see any growth. It's frustrating, expensive and can leave you feeling like getting new business is all about luck. While you might not be able to attract a bigger audience through traditional advertising, influencer marketing can help. Collaborating with IT influencers on social media can increase your site traffic, help you build a better presence online and generate more leads. Here's a list of top IT influencers to give you an idea of what kind of people your business might work with. Monitoring their content strategies can also give you a better idea of what your audience responds to.
