Now in its eighth year, the annual LinkedIn B2B technology market report takes a new, holistic approach. This year, we surveyed both technology decision-makers and technology marketers. We took a deep dive into what buyers want, what marketers are delivering and what is and isn’t working.
Our insights should give technology marketers food for thought – and action! We highlight their opportunities for building a more engaging brand, and point the way for them to take advantage of the ongoing growth trends in the tech world.
As business’ dependence on technology continues to increase exponentially, today’s tech buyers find themselves at the centre of the corporate stage. No longer simply a support function, IT now underpins the entire business, across applications as well as all systems and processes.
of buyers see technology as a source of growth rather than merely as an operating cost
say they are more focused on finding new ways to improve their work than on keeping costs low
The evolution of tech marketing
Is technology marketing evolving to meet buyers’ changing needs? Recent shifts in spending priorities and operating strategies, in particular, reflect marketers’ moves to engage more effectively with buyers.
of marketers said they’ve substantially increased spend on social media over the last 12 months
of marketers have increased reliance on outsourced services and manpower
5 trends showing how B2B tech marketers can bring a better brand to buyers
Times are changing. Welcome to the opportunity for building brilliant B2B technology brands.
Understanding the evolving challenges that buyers face has always mattered. But today, achieving impact means not just speaking to those challenges. It also means speaking to them creatively.
of buyers feel that B2B advertising is too vague to be relevant to their business
of buyers feel that ads are not always appropriately targeting them
Trend 2: Cheer on branding in its long-term race
A common misconception persists that branding cannot be easily measured, relegating its position in the pecking order for budget allocation. While marketers rank branding high for long-term success, their budgets say otherwise.
of marketers say corporate branding has significant impact on long-term success
marketers say that budget holders are skeptical of brand marketing driving growth causing challenges with securing budget
Trend 3: Know that a good employer signals a great brand
Buyers are looking beyond just features, pricing, and services when selecting vendors. They also consider whether a vendor’s values align with their own.
of buyers say that working with technology brands that have a very positive perception as an employer is important to them
of marketers say that being perceived as a great place to work would have positive impact on a buyer
Trend 4: Go digital – be where your customers are
Ensuring marketing messages get heard means being where decision makers go for information. Which sources do buyers use the most? And which ones do they find most useful?
Social media and search engine are the most used sources of information to support purchase decisions
Vendor websites are ranked as the second most useful source of information by buyers
Trend 5: Influence the external influencers
One key destination that buyers head to is outside advisors. Marketers need to get their propositions in front of those who can help advocate on their behalf.
