Content marketing in the IT
How to find clients without moving from the office
Working for a few good years in a software environment, I can say that it’s a very specific branch of industry in terms of content creation. There’s an extreme demand for IT staff. Wages soar and thanks to a variety of tracking and PM tools, remote work has become a standard. Software houses are aware that good content can bring them clients from all over the world, and thus the biggest players invest lots of time and resources (or hire PR agencies) to draw attention.
As George Friedman pointed out during the EFNI 2017 Conference final gala, the greatest advantage of Poland is a super-cheap, well-educated and technology-minded workforce. If he was to employ a developer, he would definitely get a Pole — and this is the attitude often shared in the US. Not to mention the average software dev salary in the US as compared to Poland ($69,083 vs. $23,633, according to payscale.com).
Polish IT specialists are highly valued abroad. Their only problem is how to show this off to companies in the States and Western Europe. Content marketing is the cheapest way to be found by potential clients, who google for, e.g., software house Poland or mobile development teams. Cliché or not, what comes to my mind here is content is king.
The tools and media
To get found, you need to invest in both your own and external media. The ones you own will draw traffic to your site, increase time spent and boost your SEO. External media will give you the chance to speak to a large audience and build up a reputation. Let’s see what we have here:
Own blog
On your own blog, you can cover a variety of topics: present your team and office, share company news and knowledge — how to write code, what tools to use, how to configure servers and many more. Posts will draw traffic to your site and improve its Google Rank. While social media is unpredictable (changing algorithms, premium options you have no control over, etc.), this is the way to build your own base of knowledge — working for you as long as your business exists.
Business portals
Share your knowledge on Medium, portfolio on Dribble and Behance, code samples on GitHub. Create a profile on international online workplaces, such as Upwork. It will give you the chance to speak to a large audience and among others — your future clients. Moreover, good work is recognised by the community, improving your rank even more.
Social media
Stay active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram (hashtags!). Maybe these aren’t portals that companies would look for a software house, but when choosing between two — it may be the deciding factor. Regular updates about the team and company can definitely build trust and credibility.
Other
Share your knowledge and the effects of your work for others to use for free. Publish ebooks, mockups, stock photos, presentations and open source code. Sometimes, clients come across your company by accident. A common scenario is where they look for information on, for example, server configuration, find your ebook or Slideshare presentation, see you know what’s what and hire you to do it properly.
Real users
I’ve only shared the essentials with you — where to appear and what tools to use, but each company needs to find its characteristic style. My tip here is to create useful content with real people always in mind — no matter what media you choose. Share things that are helpful, and, sooner or later, they will pay off.
