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Tech firms get ‘Mickey Mouse’ data as they fail to build trust and credibility

Free Vector Mickey Mouse 004538Too many technology companies are getting their content marketing strategies wrong by failing to effectively engage with potential clients and being “obsessed” with generating leads.

Matt Barnett, business director at Carat Enterprise, a specialist division of Carat which handles technology and finance clients, said firms are too quick to put up “gated” content which readers can only access by providing personal information.

His comments came as new research from LinkedIn revealed that 56 per cent of users asked to fill out forms supply fake information, with Mickey Mouse one of the most commonly used identities.

The study, which questioned 104 people involved with making IT purchase decisions – branded the ‘IT Committee’ by LinkedIn – claimed that being too anxious to generate leads will damage a technology firm’s efforts to engage with potential future clients.

More than four in 10 said they would be less likely to consider a vendor if the first piece of content is gated, rising to 79 per cent if all content requires them to supply personal details.

Matt Barnett

Matt Barnett

Barnett told Mumbrella: “A lot of tech companies are getting it wrong and are gating content that is not of the same value as the details people are providing. The exchange is not there.

“They are getting content that, while not of low value, is short snackable things like top tips and infographics that we should not be gating. We should only be gating content that is premium.”

LinkedIn Australia and New Zealand marketing solutions director Matt Tindale said people will be more willing to supply details once a technology firm has built trust and credibility through the distribution of ungated content.

“It’s very important to get lead generation but you need add value beforehand,” he said. “Give them ungated content, one, two, three times before you ask for information. You need to court them over the long term before the hard sell.

“It’s vital to build trust, to build a relationship. Over time if you have provided great insight on the technology industry, people will say ‘this is now a company that I trust’ and they will be more likely to provide lead generation details.”

Matthew Tindale

Matthew Tindale

He said there needs to be a balance between creating a longer term relationship and driving shorter term leads.

“If you get it out of balance you are not going to do an effective marketing job. If you are obsessed with lead generation you will not be on that tender shortlist  and if you are too far the other way you will not generating the leads,” Tindake said.

He told Mumbrella that companies who educate the IT Committee through a combination of quality independent and branded content receive better quality leads, adding that on average people read five to six pieces of content before they will talk to a sales person.

Tindale and Barnett also stressed how the decision to select an IT provider was no longer solely the domain of the chief information office but a wider cross section of management from sales, marketing and finance.

It was therefore important to provide content to more people within an organisation that simple the CIO.

Steve Jones

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