blog

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.

Of course, specific perceptions vary.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

[Via MarketingSherpa]

Click here to receive enter:marketing blog updates by e-mail >>

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation’s workforce became a lot more productive in the third quarter. People have learned to the live the cliché “do more with less,” as productivity surged 8.1 percent. Yet, unemployment remains at 10 percent, and companies are looking for more ways to bolster results without having to hire.

The economic situation remains tricky. There are signs of a recovery, but businesses are remaining cautious, especially when it comes to assuming the ongoing expenses associated with new employees.

The notion of using technology to increase employee productivity isn’t new. Over the past several decades, we’ve seen the impact of prudently purchased and deployed systems on the efficiency of a workforce and a company’s ability to manage its costs. Today, the situation is more of a priority than ever.

There are three factors converging to make businesses refocus on IT investing: unemployment, productivity per employee and increased competition. When you put all three together, you can see how IT spending is increasing – and should continue to do so – even when executives are approaching economic conditions cautiously.

Read the rest of this entry »

IT buyers are under pressure to show that their investments are performing. So, if they can keep TCO down and spread their budgets across more projects (with ROI potential), the result is an expanded ROI impact, with low investments yielding substantial returns. This means spending less – and compromising – can pay off in the long term … or at least it would appear that way. Google is making it easier for them to do this — or it’s at least creating the appearance of easier TCO and ROI.

Read the rest of this entry »

The financial news has been great for serving up one dismal story after another. Consumers aren’t spending – which affects everyone – and unemployment’s at its highest point in more than a quarter of a century. If you follow this stuff too closely, you might miss the trend that matters most: IT spending is going up.

After two years of clamping down on technology budgets, businesses are investing in both software and infrastructure. Much of this is for “must-have” projects still, a side-effect of delaying upgrades and migrations because of market conditions. Look closely, though, and you’ll find a hidden opportunity for future account growth.

Read the rest of this entry »