Everything we’re seeing and hearing in the channel partner and IT manufacturer space is that everyone’s going “social.” Computer software and hardware companies, we published last week, are increasingly turning to this form of marketing. Fifty-five percent of them, according to a MarketingSherpa survey, are increasing their social media marketing budgets, with only 5 percent cutting back.
But, what are they hoping to accomplish?
That’s been the unanswered question for IT manufacturers and resellers. Everyone knows that social is the place to be, but few are sure of the reasons why. We’ve always maintained that social media marketing must be integrated into a company’s larger marketing plan and that clear objectives should be defined.
To get a sense of what’s happening in the IT market, sometimes you have to look elsewhere. So, when the latest private equity fund-raising results were published (by Dow Jones LP Source, via VentureBeat), I checked on the venture capital data. Why? Venture capital trends hold some clues as to where the IT industry is headed.
Budget season is upon us. With last year finally etched in stone, IT marketing departments are looking for the best ways to put their cash to work in 2010. Though companies are beginning to invest more in technology, marketing budgets at IT manufacturers and resellers alike are still being managed cautiously. So, riskier approaches are likely to struggle for a share of this year’s allocation.
With this in mind, attitudes toward social media marketing are shifting, suggesting that this activity is no longer viewed as high risk and of nebulous value. The latest survey by MarketingSherpa shows that nearly three quarters of respondents have a positive view of social media marketing at budget time, which means we’ll likely see more businesses committing to it this year – and those that have moved in this direction already are probably poised to dive deeper.
Look for more IT companies to invest in social media marketing in 2010. According to a new study by MarketingSherpa, which tracks the space, 55 percent of computer hardware and software companies will be increasing their social media marketing budgets. Only 5 percent are planning reductions.
What does this mean for channel partners?
1. You need to get social – fast: your IT manufacturing partners are clearly headed in this direction. For you to take advantage of some of their brand value, you’ll need to be engaged in social media and in sync with your suppliers.
2. MDF takes on a new meaning: think about new ways in which marketing dollars can be invested. If you’re making a case to a manufacturer, it helps if you’re aligned with its priorities.
3. It’s time to get a plan together: just setting up a Twitter account and a blog won’t get you far. Social media marketing is only effective when the pieces are part of a greater whole … which is designed to maximize impact.
If you think all it takes to keep a client happy is a straightforward implementation that tracks directly back to your proposal, you could be in for a surprise. The latest Enterprise IT Services Survey from Forrester Research shows that clients in North America and Europe are looking for more of … well … everything. In addition to not realizing all the advantages they’d hoped for, many would like to see more innovation from their IT services vendors.
Through Faceted Search, dynamic facets are generated automatically based on your query results. Eight facets, which arise in real time, are available to help you target your search – and extract marketing results you can use.
If you are using LinkedIn to market to IT buyers either by inviting members to groups or for personal outreach, Faceted Search enables you to identify the contacts most relevant to your efforts and in less time.
See the video below for more information on targeted search, and contact us for more information on how to market using LinkedIn.
IT manufacturers and resellers have been looking into social media marketing, unsure of whether there’s an ROI case in it but understanding that eventually they’ll need to make the plunge. Well, an announcement by Dell yesterday shows that you should explore social media marketing … for all the right reasons.
Let’s be realistic: $6.5 million is a drop in the bucket for Dell. At the same time, social media is but one part of its overall marketing strategy. So, it looks as though the return Dell has generated is at least close to proportional.
So, we should all rush over to Twitter and get started, right?
Forrester Research offers a pretty grim assessment of the future of social media marketing on its blog: Though social networks are the “future of online life,” James Kobielus writes, we could reach a point where “social network analysis – automatic, real-time, effective – will become too popular.” Everyone will wind up scouring social networks for business opportunities and crunching the same commodity analytics from platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. The competitive edge, effectively disappears.
Well, the reality is a bit more complicated than the eventual degradation of social media’s value. As these platforms continue to gain adoption, especially as marketing platforms, look for the following to emerge. Look for three IT market drivers that will come from the ubiquity of social media marketing.
There are plenty of social media tools out there, and each has features that make it unique. The sheer volume of alternatives, though, means you need to cut the field down to the few with the greatest potential. For IT manufacturers and VARs, LinkedIn should be at the top of the social media list. This environment has more than 50 million reasons to use it for marketing your company, but in the interest of time, let’s look at the top five.
Tell a prospect that he needs virtualization, and he’ll ask why. Ask him how he plans to cut costs and increase IT operational efficiency, however, and he’ll invite your ideas. IT manufacturers and resellers spend far too much time pitching systems, and not nearly enough time understanding their clients’ businesses. The latter is what leads to near-term sales and long-term relationships … not to mention referenceable projects and referrals.
Don’t think about selling technology – that’s what your competitors do. Instead, become a true “solution provider.” Take a consultative approach through the sales process. Work with your clients to understand the business problems they face, and you’ll have the opportunity to develop and implement technology solutions that solve problems inside and outside the datacenter. The key is to get as specific as possible and show how the pain can be alleviated in a manner that improves the business operation while reducing costs or increasing revenue.
IT manufacturers and resellers have been looking into social media marketing, unsure of whether there’s an 
Forrester Research
Tell a prospect that he needs 
