Word-of-Mouth Marketing in IT: Where’s the Problem, and How Content Marketing Solves It?

More and more IT companies are tapping into content marketing to move away from word of mouth and gain more control over the growth and security of their businesses. Let’s find out what drives this massive shift in tech marketing strategies.

It’s Limited, Uncontrollable and Unscalable

What if you are developing a new strategic domain (say, machine learning) or entering a new strategic market (healthcare) in order to hit a faster growth rate? Or what if you have 5 .NET developers sitting on the bench and waiting for a new project? You can’t jump above your head while encouraging customers to recommend you more to their personal networks. It can only happen naturally.

Neither can you control what your customers say. Even well-meaning customers who like your business might present you in the wrong way, which will turn prospects away.

With content marketing in place, you can gain that flexibility and channel your efforts according to your current needs. You can change your professional focus (from .NET to PHP or from e-commerce to e-learning) or scale to accommodate a bigger demand (align your content volumes with lead targets).

It Rarely Works on Its Own

You can’t assume a prospect will buy your services just because someone they know referred to you. In fact, according to research, about 80% of referrals will visit your website to seek proof of your expertise and reliability. Some 43% will rule you out if they don’t understand how you can help them, and 23% will rule you out because of poor content quality.

Here is where content marketing comes in handy. With the help of high-quality content on your website, your new prospects can get a better understanding of your knowledge, experience and processes. It’s a whole new twist on your word-of-mouth marketing, anyway.

You Can’t Build a Long-Lasting Relationship

Unlike word-of-mouth marketing, consistent publishing of useful content across your website, emails and social media allows nurturing your audiences — attracting people who are interested in your content but not prepared to work with you immediately. Rest assured you’ll be top of mind when they are ready for a project. Moreover, content marketing is an effective way to upsell or cross-sell to your current customers.

What’s your take on the effectiveness of word of mouth? Does it still pay off for your business? Let us know in the comments.