Tech marketers face different challenges than non-tech marketers. Tech marketers are more focused on lead generation and B2B marketing. They are less satisfied in their jobs due to difficulties getting headcount and acquiring high-quality leads. Non-tech marketers have more general responsibilities around brand awareness and social media. Tech marketers consume more specialized content on topics like content marketing and lead generation, while non-tech marketers prefer broader topics like social media. The report recommends that content for tech marketers should be more precise and industry-focused, going deep on technical topics to better address their priorities and challenges.
2. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Understand the differences, if any, between
marketers that work in the technology sector
versus those that do not.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Methodology
Targeting
Research
Global 10 minute online
survey using LinkedIn sample.
Total EU* Sample: n=757
Fieldwork: Jan. 2016
English speaking professionals
who classify as marketers with
at least one year of experience.
12%
22%
24%
43%
Tech Marketers
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
10+ years
13%
21%
18%
48%
Non-Tech Marketers
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
10+ years
Our sample: Length in Industry
Over 50% are either a Marketing Manager
or Director of Marketing
Our sample: Company Size
Inferred SMB
32% 41%
1-10
11-50
51-200
30% 23%
201-500
501-1000
1001-5000
38% 37%5001-10000
10001 and above
Tech Non
There is a nice spread of
company sizes, although
Non-Tech Marketers skew
more to Small Biz
compared to Tech
Marketers.
*UK, France, Netherlands, Germany
3. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
INITIAL FINDINGS
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
There are more differences than similarities
between tech and non-tech marketers. Here
are some of the highlights at-a-glance.
Tech marketers are dominated by B2B and
the specific issues that come with it like
lead-generation, lead quantity and quality,
and reaching the right audience.
Tech marketers are less satisfied with their jobs
and struggle to get headcount.
Tech marketers are focused on tools and specificity.
All marketers view LinkedIn as more of a resource for
specific content about marketing.
Overall, marketers are not spending their time on the
tasks they think are important.
All Marketers want relevant content, and industry-specific
is the key to relevance.
80% 59%
of tech marketers
surveyed work in B2B
of non-tech marketers
surveyed work in B2B
The Tech Marketer’s world is dominated by B2B
4. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Tech Marketers are less satisfied with their
jobs… but not because of the hours.
34% of tech marketers
surveyed are
dissatisfied
31% of non-tech
marketers surveyed
are dissatisfied
66
34
69%
31%
While nearly 60% of both
groups reported working 40-50
hours week
Lead Generation
Lead Generation
Tech Marketers
Unique to list:
Data/Systems
Management
Unique to list:
Lead Nurturing
Brand Awareness
Non-Tech
Social Media
Social Media
Top 3 types of marketing they’re engaged in:
Content
5. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
There’s a disconnect when asked what they
are engaged in versus what is viewed as most
important.
For both, Customer Loyalty is deemed “most important” but is not in the top 5 of marketing
actually engaged in. While Email is being “engaged in” on both lists — but not deemed as important.
Tech
Marketers
Most
important
types
Top
actually
engaged in
Non-Tech
Marketers
Most
important
types
Top
actually
engaged in
Lead Generation 1 3 Brand Awareness 1 1
Brand Awareness 2 4 Social Media 2 2
Content 3 5 Content 3 4
Social Media 4 1 Customer Loyalty 4 —
Customer Loyalty 5 — Lead Generation 5 —
Email — 2 Email — 3
Events — 5
6. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
What’s the sources of tech marketer’s and
non-tech marketer’s dissatisfaction?
Top Internal
Challenge:
Getting
headcount
and staffing
Most difficult
department:
IT
Least difficult:
Customer Service
& Support
Top Industry
Challenge:
Acquiring
high-quality
leads & as
many leads as
possible*
Top Internal
Challenge:
Implementing
the latest
marketing
technology
* Non-tech marketers only share one challenge with
their tech counterparts: Acquiring high-quality leads.
Most difficult
department:
‘OTHER’
Least difficult:
Biz Dev
Top Industry
Challenge:
Acquiring
high-quality
leads
Tech Marketers Non-Tech Marketers
7. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Non-tech marketer’s technology adoption
aligns with their internal challenges.
38%
35%
27%29%
36% 36%
Innovators/Early adopters Early majority Late majority/Laggards
Tech Non-Tech
Non-tech skews Late Majority/Laggards — confirming what we see in the Internal Challenges for Non-Tech.
8. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
CONTENT CONSUMPTION
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Where are marketers going for information
and content to help them do their jobs?
28%
16%
10%
20%
39%
39%
34%
17%
39%
26%
72%
18%
22%
22%
25%
27%
28%
32%
34%
35%
41%
71%
Consumers panels sites
MarketingProfs
Marketo
Other, please specify
National statistics sites
Your Facebook network
Marketing statistics sites
HubSpot
Platform/publisher Insight hubs
Syndicated data sites
LinkedIn
Tech Marketers
Non-Tech Marketers
When it comes to content, we saw that both tech and non-tech
marketers visit LinkedIn for marketing resources. Tech
marketers are also more likely to visit syndicated data sites for
marketing resources versus their non-tech colleagues, who are
more likely to consult their Facebook networks.colleagues,
who are more likely to consult their Facebook networks.
52% 63%
Topics searched for most often
Of Tech Marketers
surveyed search for
“Content Marketing”
Of Non-Tech Marketers
surveyed search for
“Social Media”
9. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
CONTENT CONSUMPTION
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Other top five searched topics after “content”
for tech marketers and “social media” for
non-tech marketers.
Content Marketing
Brand marketing
Lead Generation
Marketing ROI
Tech Marketers
Average # of Info = 7
Non-Tech Marketers
Average # of Info = 6
Job Opportunities
My specific industry
Marketing Tech
Marketing Automation
Email marketingThought leadership pieces
Tech marketers search most
often for information on content
marketing, lead generation,
marketing ROI, marketing
technology, marketing
automation and thought-
leadership pieces. Non-tech
marketers search for information
on social media, content
marketing, brand marketing, job
opportunities, their
specific industry and
email marketing.
10. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
SPECIALISTS AND GENRALISTS
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Where responsibilities are concerned, tech
marketers exhibit vastly different, highly
specialised priorities vs. their counterparts
in other industries.
Our results saw that tech marketers are heavily
preoccupied with generating leads. On the contrary, non-
tech marketers listed more generalist business objectives
as key priorities, such as brand Awareness and social
media .
Specialist Generalist
Lead Generation
Lead Nurturing
Account Based Marketing
Telemarketing
Channel Enablement
Brand Awareness
Social Media
Content
Email
Events
Non-Tech MarketersTech Marketers
Top five areas of responsibility
11. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
SPECIALISTS AND GENRALISTS
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Precise Broad
Non-Tech MarketersTech Marketers
Product Marketing
CRM
B2B
Lead Generation
Product Management
Marketing Management
Market Research
Business Strategy
Advertising
Event Management
Top five skill differences listed on their profiles
Deep Wide
Non-Tech MarketersTech Marketers
cloud computing
sap
sales
saas
law firms
European union
self-esteem
internal comms
lean manufacturing
temporary staffing
Top five content topics consumed on LinkedIn
It was clear from the skills tech marketers listed on their LinkedIn profile that tech
marketers have an edge when it comes to tactics and precision
Respondents listed skills like: Product marketing, CRM, B2B, Lead Generation and Product management.Non-tech
marketers, again, are more general: Marketing management, market research, business strategy, advertising and
event management.
12. The
TECH MARKETER
Difference in Europe
BE PRECISE
Focus content on tech industry issues
not broad marketing themes. Industry
issue first, marketing issue second.
Demonstrate the effectiveness of
LinkedIn as a source of high-quality
leads for the technology industry.
Help them do more with less so they
can spend time on the tasks that are
neglecting: Brand, Customer Loyalty
and ABM.
GO DEEP
In-depth content covering key industry
topics: IoT, security, SaaS, CRM, data
management, and cloud.
Detailed guide to lead-generation
on LinkedIn for tech companies and
more target audience insights.
How to: Tech Customer Loyalty on
LinkedIn; Building your Tech Brand
on LinkedIn and Account Based
Marketing for tech.