If you want to be taken seriously by modern buyers, you need a cohesive digital marketing and sales strategy. Here are three tips to market and sell managed services digitally. The old saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” doesn’t apply to the digital market. If companies want to be competitive in the digital marketplace, they must present a cohesive, clean, and informative online presence.
“Today’s tech buyers are conducting their research online first as part their specific decision-making process,” stated Angus Robertson (partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders) and cochair of CompTIA’s Business Applications Advisory Council. “In other words, a modern buyer will only consider your digital presence if you are online.”
How can a company achieve this? A cohesive, impactful digital marketing and sales approach.
A digital marketing and sales plan uses a coordinated strategy that combines digital media, channels and tactics to engage, convert and attract leads. A digital marketing plan involves linking and syncing your website, content, email campaigns, SEO, pay-per click, account-based marketing (ABM), as well as your sales team outreach.
It is much more complicated than just posting blogs and sending emails to target your audience. Robertson shared three tips during a session at ChannelCon 2022 to highlight your company as a complete managed service package to attract potential customers.
1. Identify Your Target Audience
It is not a good idea to waste your time, energy, and resources looking for customers blindly. Instead, identify the tech buyers that you want to reach digitally, and focus on attracting them.
Robertson suggests creating buyer personas to help you find the right customers. A thorough persona identifies their goals, the obstacles they face in achieving them, and what key performance indicators (KPIs), are they using to achieve those goals.
Robertson stated, “A buyer persona allows you to tailor your marketing efforts towards your target audience.” “The more targeted your marketing efforts are, the higher your response rates. Once you have your persona, it’s time to make your marketing actions.
Robertson suggests looking at LinkedIn to find the titles, work histories, and accomplishments of people that match your persona. You can also look at their connections and see what type of content they post. Your persona will be more complete, so you can find more ways to help them. Look at your existing customers.
Robertson stated, “There is nothing more effective than a prospect talking to one of your customers and hearing how great you’re as a vendor or solution provider.” When you look at your target market, consider the people who have common problems and make sure they communicate with one another. This is the best type of lead you can get.
2. Your Online Presence can be supercharged
You must use all of your tools to be competitive in the digital marketplace. This includes your website and social media presence. An online presence that is successful evolves with the needs and trends of the audience. Your website and social media pages can be useful resource hubs for customers and lead generators by incorporating a simplified user experience and a high response rate.
Robertson stated, “Your website is your 24/7 digital storefront. It’s your source for truth in how your messaging and value the world.” Your forms and traffic capture are the key to a useful and impactful website. A social media presence that is effective includes creating and curating engaging content that keeps customers connected.
Robertson stated, “A good website is visually appealing and clear concise value, with easy navigation that drives to call-to-action.” Make sure to include concise and easily readable text. Automated scheduling is also a good idea. This will ensure that your brand, message, and overall impression are consistent across all platforms. Be unique and memorable. Generic doesn’t work. Keep in line with your company’s ethos, especially with social media.
Robertson stated, “In terms of putting together your messaging, get your employees onboard first.” “First, get sales to buy in, then Marketing, then customers, then influencers in the sphere, then prospects. Now all these people are reaching their channels using your message.
3. Use Content Marketing Strategies
If your prospects have questions, creating and sharing online materials via email, video and print is helpful. Robertson calls this “right-to left selli” and traditional selling relies on it.
