Two hundred technology marketers participated in a telephone survey, conducted by Kingpin to discover the key trends and drivers in the IT sector.
Most of the results were predictable, but there was one finding that did surprise me. When it comes to using digital technology, I think most people, like me, assume that IT marketers are prolific users. But it appears this isn’t the case.
Traditional channels, such as email (used by 86 per cent), third-party events (used by 84 per cent) and PR (used by 67 per cent), dominated activity. Whereas new digital techniques, such as social media and search marketing (SEO and PPC) lagged behind at 56 per cent each.
In correlation to this, the numbers of IT marketers using marketing automation technology was disappointing. It seems the hype around this technology has died down – only a third of respondents currently employ it – lower than expected. And when it came to technologies respondents were considering implementing, marketing automation was bottom of the pile.
Maybe the lack of uptake is linked to their lack of specific technology budget. Even though technology is being given more importance in marketing, 82 per cent of respondents revealed they didn’t have an exclusive budget for technology. Download the other key findings here.
Are you using marketing automation? Why have you/haven’t you implemented it?
Are traditional or digital channels more effective for your marketing activities?
