It’s not easy marketing to businesses and it’s even harder when your core audience is marketers…..
Discerning, pragmatic, rational, analytical – these are just some words to describe today’s data-driven marketer. Oh, and powerful, as Gartner projects CMOs will spend more on information technology by 2017 than CIOs.
As CMO at Skai, I get to see both sides of the coin. I’m the marketer and our audience at the same time. As such, I can offer a pretty good litmus test on which messages will resonate. My rule of thumb is that if it works for me, it’s likely to work for other CMOs.
So what works for me?
At the end of the day, you have to make an emotional connection. People buy from people, not technology and trusted relationships are even more important in B2B decision-making. We’ve even compared it to getting married.
Here are 4 keys to success for marketing to marketers:
1. Avoid jargon.
The best way to turn off a marketer is to talk about how your offering leverages synergies through holistic integration to provide omni-channel solutions. You can’t B.S. a B.S.er. So say it plain. You can still say it proud. Just keep it simple, stupid.
2. Demonstrate value.
One of the biggest mistakes I see from B2B marketers is touting all sorts of product features but failing to communicate the benefits. Don’t rely on a spec sheet or demo to convey value. Show the real problems you solve and bring proof points to back it up.
3. Deliver a great brand experience.
A wise man once said, “You have to think of your brand as a kind of myth…It has to have emotional content and all the themes of a great story: mystery, magic, adventure, intrigue, conflicts, contradiction, paradox.” Make sure the brand experience you deliver is not only consistent across touchpoints but builds to a crescendo that ultimately seals the deal and then continues to surprise and delight, keeping customers coming back for more.
4. Offer truly unbelievable products and promotions.
Without a good product, good marketing is doomed to fail. In today’s world of social media and review sites, there’s total transparency and no place to hide. Word of mouth spreads faster than ever – for better or worse. Focus first on your product and then what promotions you can offer that will win the hearts and minds of your customers.
From a Skai perspective, we don’t fool around when it comes to practicing what we preach and, around this time of year, we always dial it up a notch in terms of new products and promotions.
In years’ past, we’ve announced Cloudvertizing, Ken Shoe, Algo-rhythm, and K-Shoes. Today, we have another literally unbelievable offering. Any marketer that names their kid Skai gets a free Infinity Suite license for life.
That’s right folks, it’s a sponsored baby program. If this doesn’t tug at your heart-strings, nothing will!
Twins even get free babysitting from our CEO, who has twins of his own, mind you…
For more information, read the press release (pay special attention to the T&Cs) and be sure to check out our album of beta branded babies.