Our recent Twitter chat undertook the near impossible task of unravelling the complex world of technology marketing. With artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), Agile marketing and unwanted buzzwords on the agenda, there was no shortage of topics up for discussion. Here’s a brief round-up of the key takeaways.
Our next Twitter chat takes place on Thursday 9 February (4-5pm GMT) – follow @MarketingB2B using #InTech to join.
The expected topics were all present and correct here, with AI, VR, and IoT leading the line.
However, some marketers were cautious about how big an impact VR was going to have, with one tweeter claiming the world of B2B isn’t quite ready to go virtual. While this may prove to be true, another user lauded VR’s practicality and effectiveness as a training tool.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was also briefly mentioned, with some marketers citing a lack of preparedness as a potential pitfall for many brands when the new regulations come into force.
The term ‘Agile’ cropped up more than a few times, although its exact meaning still seemed to confound more than one participant. (Our Agile Guide clears up any confusion.)
The age-old ‘learning from B2C’ mantra also reared its head, with top-performing B2B brands borrowing B2C multichannel tactics, and adopting its personalised approach to contextual messaging.
One tweeter bravely pointed out that high-growth tech brands aren’t really doing anything differently; they just have a great product that sells itself and creates a great brand.
While there was certainly some confusion over the definition of Agile, its benefits were less divisive. The most cited were:
- Increased transparency
- The breaking down of silos
- Reduced waste
- Increased employee engagement
- Increased creativity
While one user observed that Agile is not simply ‘test and learn’, another proposed adding Agile to the banned buzzwords list, which caused a great deal of consternation among the Agile advocates in attendance.
The general consensus was that the main drawback of Agile is in its very nature: you can only move as fast as your slowest team member, and, because it requires a real change in marketing mindset, it can take time to adapt, especially in more traditionalist companies.
Another real worry was losing sight of the end goal due to obsession with tactics and adopting change, which are, as one tweeter pointed out, vital to effective brand building.
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway here came from one participant admitting that many tech vendors aren’t as advanced in their use of martech/adtech as other B2B brands. “Tech companies sell data solutions, but have poor data and rubbish ABM themselves,” they lamented.
‘Don’t be boring!’ was a popular view – although often easier said than done in the B2B space.
Probably best presented in list form, here’s what B2B marketers want eradicated from the tech sector in 2017:
- Lack of originality
- Clichéd creative
- Overplay of product features/relegation of benefits
- 50-page whitepapers
- The talk surrounding sales/marketing conflict
- The view that ‘certain’ social channels can’t work in B2B
- Marketing buzzwords…
Our next InTech Twitter chat takes place on Thursday 9 February (4-5pm GMT) – follow @MarketingB2B and use #InTech to join the debate.
