Those companies already using unified communication tools were ahead of the game once the COVID-19 crisis forced all of us to work from home. They knew the benefits of making it possible for their employees to be able to communicate however they want from wherever they want. Now, those companies that were late to the UCaaS party have been forced to see the benefits.
Employees are now seeing that working from home isn’t just feasible, many are saying that it’s preferable. According to the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, 55% of employees say that their industry can succeed with employees working from home. Another survey says 25% of job applicants in the UK have turned down a job offer because of a lack of flexible working options. All of this is good news for you, because it means that it’s unlikely the work world will return to the old normal even when the non-working world does.
But how do you make the most of this opportunity, especially when UcaaS is such a crowded market? It starts with a marketing strategy built on establishing your authority as a brand. When customers see you as an expert, they trust what you have to say, and your marketing efforts are much more effective. So how do you do that? By doing these three things.
- Identify your buyers.
You can’t create a successful marketing plan without knowing who your buyers are. Your buyers’ needs and wants will shape all of your marketing activities and creating buyer personas will help you decide where to best spend your time so your efforts will pay off.
The problem with so many buyer personas is that they are built off assumptions. You take what you and your sales team think you know about your buyer and build up a persona from that. And while that can be effective, it’s probably only giving you part of the picture. Having conversations with recent wins and losses from your CRM gives you something that’s much more accurate.
What are you asking them? What prompted them to contact you in the first place? What did they want in a partner? What are their barriers to purchase? And that’s just a start.
You’ll also want to ask about their buying process to determine what their buyer’s journey is like. In the end, that’s what these conversations will focus on, their buying processes and not your sales process.
- Identify your message.
If, like we mentioned earlier, the point of marketing is to establish authority for your brand, you need a messaging platform targeted specifically at your buyers to do that. Then you need to implement that message consistently across your digital marketing, emails, content marketing, social media posts, and ads.
The difficult part about messaging in a crowded market like UCaaS is that it’s very hard to stand out. That’s why starting with buyer personas is so important. It allows you to build messaging that’s specific to the people your product and your brand appeals. While UCaaS products are all similar, the companies selling them (and the experience of working with them) are very different. When you know why your customers chose you then you’re able to build messaging that communicates those things that make you different. You can highlight your service, for instance. Or you can focus on your innovation.
- Develop your inbound marketing strategy.
As you begin marketing and start attracting leads, you need an inbound marketing strategy that will not only attract new contacts but also nurture them through the sales funnel.
Attract by using SEO and targeted keywords on your website, in your content, and in social media posts. These will show up in the results when users search for particular terms.
Engage by communicating with leads through emails, workflows, and targeted ads. Offer something of value in your communication so customers want to build a relationship with you.
Delight by using email, chatbots, and content after the purchase to keep customers feeling happy, satisfied, and supported.
Decreasing Friction in the Sales Cycle
With a complex product like UCaaS, no matter how effective your marketing is, you’re not going to significantly shorten your sales cycle. If your sales cycle is normally a year, that’s not going to change.
However, establishing authority and executing a targeted marketing plan will remove much of the friction in the buying process. Targeting marketing gets the customer familiar with your company and what you have to offer by the time they actually talk to you. Authority helps smooth your buyers’ resistance and allows your sales team to have productive conversations with them. Overall, it makes the buying process easier on both the buyers, and on you.
eBook: How Team Collaboration Software Providers Can Build Trust with Their Customers
Your customers that invest in collaboration tools don’t miss a beat as the world evolves. They have tools that streamline communication and collaboration in the office.
So how do you engage with the companies who aren't as prepared for the virtual shift?
We love helping mid-market B2B tech companies like yours grow with purpose. If you are wanting to turn this moment into momentum, let us tell you how we can help.