Why search engine marketing should be considered when marketing your technology solutions.
I have always subscribed to the theory of integrated marketing when it comes to marketing a technology product or service. The technology buying process is a long and complex dynamic that includes many influencers in the decision making process. Having stated that, I do believe that search engine marketing can play an important role specifically to the early stages of a technology buyers discovery activities.
Although there are a variety of social media marketing options, I wanted to focus on search engine marketing and the potential impact it may have on establishing your technology solution as a valid option during the tech buyers crucial fact gathering stage.
Five Simple Benefits of Search Engine Marketing:
1. Be Found
If you’re going to remain a competitive in your industry, your target audiences need to know that you exsist at the very onset. The discovery phase of a buyer usually starts with a search as they attempt to identify vendors and establish an understanding of the marketplace for the solutions they seek. This is the beginning of the purchase process so it’s critical that you show up in the results.
2. Control Your Cost
There are very few marketing vehicles that allow such flexibility towards costs control. In most cases there are no minimum fees or contracts required to start your campaign efforts. You set the parameters by setting a maximum cost per click as well as a daily budget.
3. Real Time Measurement
Unlike many more traditional marketing vehicles, you can measure your search engine marketing efforts in real time. You can justify your spending levels, track leads and even synch sales activity back to the search effort. If you are using several key words, you can measure the performance of each key word and make adjustments in real time. If you have a low performing keyword, you can eliminate it from the campain and dedicate the dollars to a higher performer.
4. Qualify Your Prospects
With the proper supporting copy you can pre-qualify your target. All search engine marketing is based on cost per click, those that click tend be looking for a relevant solution. You can use the copy within your text to differentiate your message and clearly set expectations. Search engine marketing will also allow you to set more specific search criteria to further qualify your prospects using geography, industry and related content. All ensuring your spend is focused on your target.
5. Drive Incremental Traffic To Your Website
This is the most common benefit associated with search engine marketing. You probably already have your corporate website up and running so why not drive more traffic to it. Search engine marketing can drive qualified traffic to your site. Your website should be designed to further the qualifying process by offering more content like white papers, specs, and pricing to further drive the discovery phase to the next stage.
