LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Customer Research
The TECH MARKETER
difference
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Understand the differences, if any, between marketers that work in the technology sector versus those that do not.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Methodology
Targeting
Research
Global 10 minute online survey using LinkedIn sample.
Total Global Sample: n=2,232 Fieldwork: Jan. 2016
English speaking professionals who classify as marketers with at least one year of experience.
12%
20%
23%
45%
Tech Marketers
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
10+ years
14%
21%
21%
44%
Non-Tech Marketers
1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years 10+ years
Our sample: Time in Industry
50% are either a Marketing Manager or Director of Marketing
Our sample: Company Size
Inferred SMB
32% 39% 1-10 11-50
51-200
30% 26% 201-500 501-1000
1001-5000
38% 35% 5001-10000 10001 and above
Tech Non Although there is a nice spread of company sizes, it is not surprising that Tech Marketers skew slightly more toward Enterprise compared to Non-Tech Marketers.
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
INITIAL FINDINGS The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
There are more differences than similarities between tech and non-tech marketers. Here are some of the highlights at-a-glance.
ü Tech marketers are dominated by B2B and the specific issues that come with it like lead-generation, lead quantity and quality, and reaching the right audience.
ü Tech marketers are less satisfied with their jobs and struggle to get headcount.
ü Tech marketers are focused on tools and specificity.
ü Tech marketers view LinkedIn as more of a resource for specific content about marketing than non-tech marketers.
Overall, marketers are not spending their time on the tasks they think are important.
All Marketers want relevant content, and industry-specific is the key to relevance.
Non-tech marketers share the “lead gen” challenge and could learn from what tech marketers are doing.
79% 51%
of tech marketers surveyed work in B2B
of non-tech marketers surveyed work in B2B
The Tech Marketer’s world is dominated by B2B
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Tech Marketers are less satisfied with their jobs… but not because of the hours.
36% of tech marketers surveyed
are dissatisfied
29% of non-tech marketers surveyed are dissatisfied
64%
36%
71%
29%
While 2/3 of both groups reported working 40-50 hours week
Lead Generation
Content
Tech Marketers
Unique to list: Mass Advertising
Unique to list: Lead Nurturing
Brand Awareness
Non-Tech
Social Media
Customer Loyalty
Top 3 types of marketing they’re engaged in:
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
There’s a disconnect when asked what they are engaged in versus what is viewed as most important.
For both, Customer Loyalty is deemed ”most important” but is not in the top 5 of marketing actually engaged in. While Email is #3 for “engaged in” on both lists — but not deemed as important.
Tech Marketers
Most important
types
Top actually
engaged in
Non-Tech Marketers
Most important
types
Top actually
engaged in
Brand Awareness 1 2 Brand Awareness 1 1
Lead Generation 2 5 Social Media 2 2
Content 3 4 Customer Loyalty 3 —
Social Media 4 1 Content 4 5
Customer Loyalty 5 — Lead Generation 5 —
Email — 3 Events — 4
Email — 3
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
What’s the sources of tech marketer’s and non-tech marketer’s dissatisfaction?
Top Internal Challenge:
Getting
headcount and staffing
Most difficult department:
Product
Development
Least difficult: Customer Service &
Support
Top Industry Challenge:
Acquiring
high-quality leads*
Top Internal Challenge:
Implementing
the latest marketing
technology
* Non-tech marketers only share one challenge with their tech counterparts: Acquiring high-quality leads. Yet, When we pull out non-tech B2B respondents the #1 Challenge is “Managing the long Sales Cycle”.
Most difficult department:
Product
Development
Least difficult: Inside sales/Tele Support
Top Industry Challenge:
Acquiring
high-quality leads
Tech Marketers Non-Tech Marketers
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Non-tech marketer’s technology adoption aligns with their internal challenges.
14%
24%
33%
22%
7% 10%
26% 29% 28%
7%
Innovators Early adopters Early majority Late majority Laggards
Tech Non-Tech
Tech skews more toward Innovators/Early Adopters where non-tech skews Late Majority/Laggards, confirming what we see in the Internal Challenges for Non-Tech.
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
CONTENT CONSUMPTION The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Where are marketers going for information and content to help them do their jobs?
25%
28%
22%
15%
22%
28%
46%
35%
23%
64%
22%
23%
25%
28%
34%
35%
37%
39%
42%
73%
Consumers panels sites
National statistics sites
MarketingProfs
Marketo
HubSpot
Marketing statistics sites
Your Facebook network
Platform/publisher Insight hubs
Syndicated data sites
Tech Marketers
Non-Tech Marketers
When it comes to content, we saw tech marketers more likely to visit LinkedIn and syndicated data sites for marketing resources versus their non-tech colleagues, who are more likely to consult their Facebook networks.
58% 63%
Topics searched for most often
Of Tech Marketers surveyed search for
“Content Marketing”
Of Non-Tech Marketers surveyed search for
“Social Media”
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
CONTENT CONSUMPTION The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Other top five searched topics after “content” for tech marketers and “social media” for non-tech marketers.
Brand Marketing
My Specific Industry
Marketing ROI
Marketing Technology
Tech Marketers Average # of Info = 8
Non-Tech Marketers Average # of Info = 7
Email Marketing
Job Opportunities
Lead Generation
Measuring Performance
Marketing ROI Marketing Automation
Tech marketers search most often for information on
content marketing, marketing ROI, marketing technology,
lead generation, measuring marketing performance, and
marketing automation. Non-
tech marketers search for information on social media,
brand marketing, email
marketing, and marketing ROI.
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
SPECIALISTS AND GENRALISTS The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Where responsibilities are concerned, tech marketers exhibit vastly different, highly specialized priorities vs. their counterparts in other industries.
Our results saw that tech marketers are heavily
preoccupied with generating leads. On the contrary,
non-tech marketers listed more generalist business
objectives as key priorities, such as brand awareness. Specialist Generalist
Lead Generation
Lead Nurturing
Account Based Marketing
Channel Enablement
Field Enablement
Brand Awareness
Public Relations
Customer Loyalty
Direct Mail
Mass Advertising
Non-Tech Marketers Tech Marketers
Top five areas of responsibility
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
SPECIALISTS AND GENRALISTS The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Precise Broad
Non-Tech Marketers Tech Marketers
CRM
Product Marketing
Business Development
Leadership
Lead Generation
Advertising
Market Research
Strategic Planning
Sales
Event Management
Top five skill differences listed on their profiles
Deep Wide
Non-Tech Marketers Tech Marketers
Cloud Computing SAP
Business Intelligence CRM
Direct Marketing SaaS
Facebook Fan Pages
Internal Comms European Union
Lean Manufacturing Loyalty Programs
Retail e-Commerce
Design Thinking
Top seven content topics consumed on LinkedIn
It was clear from the skills tech marketers listed on their LinkedIn profile that tech marketers have an edge when it comes to tactics and precision Respondents listed skills like: CRM, product marketing, business development, leadership, and lead generation. Non-tech marketers, again, are more general: advertising, market research, strategic planning, sales, and event management.
The TECH MARKETER difference
THINK LIKE A SPECIALIST
ü In-depth knowledge of tools, tactics and technology can help drive effectiveness.
ü Content is at the cornerstone of the tech marketers strategy.
ü Focus content on industry issues and topics — not broad themes.
ü Specific in-depth content will help your audience solve their unique problems.
ü Detailed information about your products and services can help drive relevance.
ü Technology can help improve targeting, relevance and measurement of performance.