The IT market is constantly changing. So are the strategies for generating leads for technology companies and software houses. It’s quite a challenge to stand out in a market full of creative developers. So what should software houses do in order not to get lost in the crowd and find their niche market? The obvious answer is to choose a strategy that will perfectly meet the needs of a potential customer and convert it into a hot lead on the spot.
How to do it?
Ironically, the good news is that it is not only your problem. Many large and experienced IT teams around the world have faced similar marketing challenges and found ways to develop their sales channels.
An effective business message is about your target audience, not you.
To engage decision makers in communication, you need to show them that you understand their environment and the challenges they face in their business activities. You must present yourself as a valuable partner who is aware of the situation in the industry and is able to guarantee the desired ROI.
What should be considered when planning a lead generation campaign for a software house?
1. Self-presentation
Think about the software features that your customer may want.
It is probably a combination of:
○ reliability,
○ effectiveness,
○ security,
○ easy maintenance,
○ possibility to easily identify potential software errors,
○ possibility of customization and further development.
Think about how you want to be perceived by your customers and partners.
I would like to be seen as:
○ modern,
○ open,
○ professional,
○ reliable,
○ customer-oriented.
While my team should be versatile, specialized, working fast, and offer a competitive price.
2. The profile of an ideal customer
Who is he? Think about your ideal customer’s age, his position, what he does, what kind of business he works in, the size of a city he comes from. Think about what his daily problems are and how your product may solve them. What are the alternative solutions to these problems? Why is your solution better? If you don’t know where to start, here is a great text about how to analyse your ideal customer’s profile.
3. When trying to determine a target group for your product it is worth taking into account factors such as:
○ size of your company – how big projects you are able to complete,
○ market where you operate – country, region, city,
○ competition strategy – what works out for others, what can distinguish you.
In this way, you will find those companies for which you may become a professional partner. As your business grows, you will have additional resources that will allow you to aim for more.
4. Communication channels
○ email – recent data collected by MarketingSherpa show that 72% of customers prefer email communication over any other. The effectiveness of various forms of mailing campaigns has been proven. Recently, when it comes to lead generation, the cold email method is considered to be one of the most effective tools. This strategy gives you the opportunity to create advanced lead generation campaigns to attract people who fit your ideal client profile but have not yet established contact with you. The advantage of cold emails is that they allow you to personalize your messages and to speak to specific people working in a specific environment with specific challenges.
○ website/blog – optimization of the website to increase the conversion rate of visiting users requires a bit of creativity and patience. What can you do?
– add the call-to-action button on all pages, this will allow users to follow the links to the pages responsible for converting them
– adjust the type of call-to-action to the content on your website
– focus on the benefits of your software, not its features
– test various graphic call-to-action content, check which form works best for your target group
– treat your website as an open project, improve it often, and analyze applied marketing solutions.
○ social media – social media allows you to reach the desired industry, use hashtags to contact specific user groups on Twitter. For example, if your software is designed to support data analysis, use hashtags such as #data, #bigdata, #datamining. Be active in social media, post information about your latest projects, videos, new blog posts. As a specialist, you may also answer questions of other programmers, for example using #answer hashtag on Twitter or taking part in group discussions on Facebook.
○ Influencers – Here you will find a great description of how software houses cooperate with Influencers.
5. Communication form
○ Video content – few people have time to read your offer in written form. However, almost everyone will find two or three minutes to watch an interesting, engaging video. If this message has the potential to become a solution to your recipient’s problems, you have a great chance for success. Your technology is probably very complex and impressive yet if you only try to share all your knowledge on the topic an average viewer will probably get bored before you finish talking. Your task is to create an attention-grabbing story about your product. Show the recipient a case study of another customer, tell him about your product in an accessible, interactive way. Create an engaging story about your company, grab the attention, then delve into the details. The sales campaign starts later. A funny video will work too. Just because you’re operating in a serious sector doesn’t mean you always have to be serious. On the contrary. A funny, humorous video showing the work of your self-distanced team is very welcome. It will certainly be something people will remember and thus turn to you rather than to the competitors.
○ Useful content – build up your image as a professional – sharing knowledge is regarded as a very positive thing. Tutorials, training seminars on the latest trends in the IT industry, and presentations of your software applications enriche your audience’s knowledge and make them believe that you know what you are doing.
○ Testimonials – positive customer feedback – the format does not matter: video content will work just as well as short quotes with a picture of your happy customer. One thing is crucial, though. The more recognizable your customer is in the industry, the better. Remember that the recipient of this kind of message should have no doubts about who your satisfied customer is, what company he works for, what position he holds, and what service your company has provided him with.
6. Communication content
The most important thing is to be understood.
This may be shocking, but not everyone is familiar with technical software issues and understands specialised terminology.
Make sure that all the people understand what you are selling. While programmers are interested in how a technology works, others will be more interested in what problems they can solve with your product. Instead of explaining to a salesman what incredible solutions your team used when designing the software (even if that’s true), tell him how the application of your product will translate into sales results. Instead of a technical essay, create a clear infographics that will easily show the target group what you are doing. Or, better still, tell your customers that you know what they are doing and that your product or service can make their work more effective.
Of course, your customers may also turn out to be specialists in the field who will want to know more technical details about the product. Don’t neglect them, create a specialized content, and place it in a separate place on your website or blog. You can also redirect to these contents via links included in the main content.
It is a good idea to create technical descriptions at different levels. Those who do not know the subject but are interested in deepening their knowledge will appreciate the fact that they can learn something from you.
Keep in mind that, for a software house, communication is its business card. The content and form of the message must be consistent with your vision and mission. Show what is special about your company, refer to both your know how (just make it understandable!) and the working atmosphere of your team. This information is important for your clients when choosing an IT partner, as cooperation involves maintaining constant, often frequent communication.
7. Lead generation – ways that work equally well in software houses
You already have a client profile analysed: you know what features are important to him, what he expects from your potential cooperation, and what environment he works in.
You also know what communication channels you can use to be noticed by your target group. But where do you get the contact details of people who are your potential customers?
○ contact details of your subscribers – share special content in the form of ebooks, newsletters, or webinars. Valuable knowledge available only after registration is a great way to distinguish those who are your loyal readers. By the way, this way you acquire potential customers who are already interested in your business, be it for one reason or another.
○ contact details of people who attend conferences and events – yes, start attending them yourself first. Preferably those where you have a chance to meet people who match the ideal client profile of your company.
○ contact details of persons participating in your webinars.
○ the contact databases generated especially for you and which match your client’s profile.
As InStream Group we have extensive experience in cooperation with companies from the IT sector. We create tailor-made campaigns based on the cold email method. If you need help – please contact us.
