The challenges faced by technology sector marketers have made content a highly sought after commodity within the industry. Based on the results of the Content Marketing Institute’s “B2B Technology Content Marketing” study, tech sector marketers have a 95 percent content marketing adoption rate—the highest among all groups of marketers.
Not only are tech sector marketers already nearly unanimous in their use of content, but content is also poised to take a larger portion of their marketing department budgets this year as well—29 percent, an increase of 5 percent from 2015, according to the study.
So why are marketing departments in the technology sector turning overwhelmingly to content?
Businesses in the tech sector face unique marketing challenges. Messaging must be sufficiently technical to educate the chief information officer while also being easily digestible by a broader audience.
Additionally, tech sector product life cycles can vary drastically. Certain products will remain on the market for years, while others may face obsolescence within weeks. Yet, the various forms of content—from social media message to case study—are diverse enough to meet the rigors of a quick-fire marketing initiative, while also allowing for a slow-and-steady approach that can maintain relevance and brand awareness over time.
However, content is not a simple panacea for tech sector marketers. Creating content that is highly technical requires extensive background research and many marketers simply don’t have the time or resources to become experts themselves.
The timing constraints of a short product life cycle only compound the challenge of becoming fully versed in a complex product. Conversely, maintaining a long-term marketing initiative presents a challenge too. Such campaigns require an immense creative output to continually generate compelling content.
Even with the challenges presented when crafting a content strategy, tech sector marketers are finding success. Respondents to the Content Marketing Institute study all reported improved marketing campaign effectiveness with the content tactics they deployed, with the exception of research reports. Such was the result even though only 7 percent of those surveyed believed their marketing department was sophisticated, suggesting there is room for even more growth.
But how can tech sector marketing departments mature given the challenges that accompany the high-maintenance strategy? One method that has proven effective is to outsource to a third-party content vendor that specializes in technology. In fact, 62 percent of companies are already outsourcing their content marketing.
Utilizing the services of a dedicated content vendor, marketers can continue to address other campaigns while technically proficient writers handle your content strategy to satisfy the needs of experts and laymen alike, no matter the size or scope of the project.
