Every year, the tech industry grows increasingly competitive. It’s harder than ever for tech marketers to turn their effective strategies and creative campaigns into customers. Marketing for technology companies is further complicated by a need to do more with less. One recent LinkedIn report found that 26% of tech leaders are working with shrinking budgets. 8% say that their budgets have “substantially decreased.”
C-suite executives across industries agree on the value of brand-building, but technology leaders are the least likely of all to invest in these efforts. In that environment, every dollar spent on marketing must work harder, achieve more, and deliver on objectives with precision. It’s a challenging goal, but one that can be accomplished. With the right table-stakes tactics, marketing pros can overcome financial constraints to build brand awareness and generate leads for their companies.
At a poker game, “table stakes” set a baseline for competition by establishing the minimum amount of money a player needs to participate. Translating this idea into the business world, table stakes represent the essential strategies and resources a company must invest in to claim a seat at the industry’s competitive table. Table-stakes tactics turn a B2B SaaS into a credible, viable player in a tight market, transforming a limited marketing budget into a powerful growth tool. Let’s take a closer look at three table-stakes tactics – SaaS PPC, SEO, and Content Marketing. We’ll explore what they are, why they’re crucial, and how you can leverage them for success.
Marketing for Technology Companies: 3 Table Stakes Tactics You Should Know
PPC
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a foundational digital marketing strategy for technology companies where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. PPC establishes a presence and clears a direct path that presents your solutions to a targeted audience actively searching for them through precision targeting and message customization that can address their unique pain points. PPC is especially effective on LinkedIn. The platform has been identified as the leading social media platform for technology marketers, with a remarkable 92% usage rate.
To execute a successful PPC strategy, consider these actionable tips:
- Educate Your Audience: Focus keywords on primary non-brand terms that are relevant to the audience’s pain points. This will increase visibility, provide valuable insights, and demonstrate thought leadership that positions your brand as the best solution to the problem.
- Drive to Demos: Guide potential customers toward product demonstrations by leveraging intent keywords focusing on pain relief. These keywords should present the immediate solutions that your audience is seeking.
- Test and Refine Ad Copy: Continuously A/B test your ad copy to identify what resonates best with your target audience. Test different calls to action (CTAs), value propositions, and benefits to uncover insights to optimize performance.
- Re-Engage with Remarketing: Capture the attention of users who have interacted with your brand but haven’t converted with remarketing strategies that rekindle their interest and encourage conversion once more. Make your messaging especially compelling by basing it on their previous interactions.
- Optimize for Quality Score: Pay attention to your ads’ Quality Score in platforms like Google Ads. A higher score can lead to lower costs and better ad positions. Ensure your ads, keywords, and landing pages are highly relevant to your target audience.
Whether you’re handling PPC internally or you’ve sought support from outside experts, be sure to track metrics including click-through rates (CTR) and cost per click (CPC). Compare your data to SaaS marketing benchmarks, then use what you learn to optimize campaigns and pivot when necessary.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a necessary component of marketing for technology companies and is particularly critical for B2B SaaS companies looking to establish and expand their online presence. SEO focuses on improving your website’s visibility in the organic search results through a combination of keyword research, content creation, and technical website optimization. By aligning your content with the queries your target audience is searching for, B2B SEO attracts a top of the funnel audience that may not be ready to purchase but is gathering information and evaluating solutions.
An effective SaaS SEO strategy prioritizes high-quality, relevant content that establishes your company as a thought leader in your niche. This can include creating detailed blog posts, whitepapers, and case studies that help your audience understand complex tech concepts and showcase your solutions. Additionally, technical SEO aspects such as site speed, mobile optimization, and secure connections ensure favorability in the eyes of search engines like Google.
Conduct comprehensive keyword research to target terms with high intent, optimizing website architecture and implementing an effective link-building strategy to enhance your domain’s authority. Monitor performance by gathering and analyzing data to align with ever-changing search engine algorithms, then adjust strategies accordingly. Focusing on metrics such as bounce rate, average session duration, and conversion rate will not only improve your rankings but also ensure that the traffic to your site is more likely to convert.
Content Marketing for Technology Companies
Content marketing is a strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. It supports SEO by enhancing organic search visibility through keyword-rich content, and complements PPC by providing quality landing pages that improve ad relevance and user engagement. Through insightful articles, in-depth research reports, and case studies, you demonstrate thought leadership, sharing expertise and vision and that can influence decision-making.
Thanks to popular platforms like TikTok and YouTube, video was 2023’s most created form of content. It’s a dynamic and engaging way to showcase your products, explain complex technologies, and share thought leadership insights in just a few seconds. Video platforms like YouTube and social media channels provide a stage for webinars, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes looks at your technology, making technical information accessible and relatable. Integrate video into your content marketing strategy to tap into the growing preference for video content among tech professionals, who appreciate the ability to consume information in varied formats.
Expert digital marketers can help identify key topics for thought leadership, optimize content for SEO, and craft a video content strategy that aligns with your overall marketing goals. They understand the importance of measuring the impact of your content, using metrics such as engagement rates, lead generation, and website traffic to refine and enhance your strategy.
Hiring a B2B SaaS Marketing Agency is a Cost-Effective Solution
Adding experts like PPC, SEO, and content marketing specialists to your staff is expensive, and generalists don’t always have the skills to creatively strategize and effectively implement these tactics. Fortunately, there’s an alternative. A specialized B2B technology marketing agency will already have all of these pros on board and prepared to go to work for your company. Even better, a typical annual engagement will cost less than the salary and benefits required to hire just one in-house marketer.
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