In tech startups, marketing is often overlooked despite its crucial role in understanding customer needs and building brand reputation.
In the dynamic ecosystem of startups operating in the world of tech, a deep gap often persists between marketing teams and “the others”. This disparity lies not only in operational differences, but also in a strong misunderstanding of the role and value of this department in achieving objectives and achieving a vision.
At many startups, the culture is often infused with the ingenious and visionary minds of the founders, emphasizing, more often than not, technology and innovation. While technical teams are revered for their ability to create transformative products, and sales teams are revered for their ability to drive business growth, marketing is sometimes relegated to the background, seen as incidental in the race for development.
This misperception of marketing is still based on persistent clichés that minimize its real importance and impact. Marketing is a complex discipline that encompasses deep understanding of customer needs, opportunity generation and strong brand building. In B2B for example, 63%* of buyers admit to choosing a supplier based on their reputation. However, the latter is often relegated to the background. And for good reason: in the world of tech, marketing is frequently relegated to an accessory role, with underestimated importance. However, when we know that in BtoB the decision-making process includes up to 8* stakeholders, that purchases are more rational and the buyer/supplier relationship is long-term, we easily understand that marketing plays a role essential.
Also, from the early stages of development, marketing helps provide crucial information on market and user needs. By integrating marketing early in the process, other departments can make more informed decisions, leading to the creation of better-fit products and faster user adoption. In its early days, Doctolib focused from the start on a strong marketing strategy based on lead generation to attract doctors and patients to its platform. Blablacar focused its marketing on the creation of communities to quickly attract a large number of users and become a leader in carpooling in France and internationally. Two key examples with a certain reputation, which demonstrate that marketing creates a virtuous loop where products better meet expectations and help promote the growth of the company in a competitive technological environment.
The strength of marketing is therefore to intervene at all stages of the development process, from initial design to marketing and beyond. Often within tech companies, this vision is mistaken, thinking that the product and the notoriety can rely on other teams, sales in particular. For a while, this may be doable. But until when ? Marketers are essential partners for technical teams, providing valuable insights into the market, consumer trends and customer preferences that can inform and enrich the product development process.
To overcome this persistent misunderstanding, it is imperative for companies and their leaders to fully recognize the intrinsic value of marketing and integrate these experts from the earliest stages of creating a startup or technology product. Because therein lies the key to success. Just as we place great importance on “time to market” for product development, optimal timing in the deployment of marketing strategies is just as crucial. By fostering a culture of openness and virtuous collaboration, companies can unleash their full potential for innovation and growth. Whether the strategy is based on significantly increasing acquisition and conversion rates, generating a positive and scalable ROI, or strengthening brand perception. Everything is doable, the limits are those that the teams themselves set. Investing in an effective marketing strategy can make all the difference, whether the market is saturated or not, whether the product is innovative or not. It is therefore essential for tech companies to carefully evaluate their needs and objectives and not underestimate marketing.
*Etude LinkedIn Marketing SolutionFebruary 2023
2024-03-08 22:14:35
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