3 Smart Tips For Technology Based Brands
Smart, Powerful, Online Presence Is Paramount For Technology Firms
Smart Branding With Intelligent Online Strategy
Almost all technology based service companies look great on paper. Most technology firms traditionally have been known to “get it right” with branding themselves offline. Rather intuitively most do an adequate job positioning their tech brand and services via traditional marketing and advertising channels. However, somewhat surprisingly more often than not it’s their online or digital strategy that’s ironically in dire need of attention.
For technology based service companies it’s very much so “mission critical” to insure a consistent delivery of smart, powerful, and effective online presence. For these tech firms online presence exerts profound influence on brand perception and reputation. Understandably so, very little grace is given to tech based service firms that operate with anything less than stellar online presence. Potential clients of these firms will quickly and rather intuitively make very quick and oftentimes unforgiving judgment calls based solely on the firm’s online operations.
Web presence is no longer an “about us” venue. To be memorable and perceived as valuable, technology based service firms must begin to move away from the old paradigm.
Technology based service companies that can successfully engage their online audience are the ones most likely to be successful in building both great brands and memorable reputations. Long gone are the days of simply using online presence to sell or push products and services at audiences.
Web presence is no longer an “about us” venue. To be memorable and perceived as valuable technology based service firms must begin to move away from the old paradigm. It’s a paradigm based on the assumption that online presence should simply be a digital version of a company’s brochure. Just like the dinosaur this paradigm too will soon prove it’s not fit for survival in the constantly evolving venue of the digital age.
Smart Web Presence – The New Paradigm That Works
So just how do technology based service firms achieve smart web presence?
- Have an awesome website that looks, feels, and works flawlessly–
Most tech service based websites are mediocre at best. Everything about them silently shouts, “Hey I’m just like the other guys but I expect you to want to know all about ME!” Seriously don’t make that critical mistake. It’s not all about you. Sure that information should be available but don’t make it the theme of your home, landing pages, or entire website for that matter.
As mentioned above never forget that you’re in the technology field. By virtue of this fact alone the expectation that audiences have about your website are very high indeed. For example if your website can’t be viewed on an iPhone or tablet just as easily as it is on a traditional desktop what does this really say about your grasp on new technology? Also you may have the best in-house IT team in your industry but don’t assume they know web. Don’t hesitate to seek out a professional website developer and/or designer.
- Utilize team members and partners to create unique engaging content –
Your content should be geared towards teaching and educating not necessarily selling. Articles, blogs, case studies, webinars, videos, and/or ebooks all work great. Audiences consume content in many different forms. If you don’t take the initiative to educate your audience someone else will. It’s very likely you’ve got some industry experts on your team. If these expert team members have the time and inclination to help create content you’ll definitely want to be open to this. It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate how valued the team member is and at the same time helps your firm to cultivate status as a visible expert.
Don’t just publish company news either although that’s fine in moderation. Put a client or community cause in the spotlight. After all it’s engagement we are essentially after with the bulk of our content.
- Social Media – Done Right–
Don’t blast your social media accounts like Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter with all sales hype. Contrary to popular belief that’s definitely not the way to build your technology based brand. If anything it will produce the opposite effect and you’re likely to alienate yourself of an audience that otherwise might potentially be interested in some of the content you share.
I still can’t believe how many “so called” social media experts and marketers are still using social media in this way. Once again it’s all about engagement with social media and you must find clever and creative ways to engage with your audience. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk about your company, it’s services, or products but you’ll need to find a creative context to do it in if you want to be successful with social media.
Just as importantly share the content of others… especially if it relates to your industry in some way. Doing so helps establish networking relationships in which others will be much more likely to share your content as well.
– Mark D. Hulett is an accomplished website developer and website designer at Georgia Web Development. His experience and working knowledge of websites spans more than a decade.
