While telco innovations are making connection quicker and easier worldwide, we see the challenges you face ensuring B2B marketing truly connects.
The telco industry is one of the fastest evolving today. Increased demand, rapid innovation, and emerging startups have all led to a competitive market. The crowded market has created a lot of noise for buyers. There’s increased competition clamoring for the business of prospects and several challenges have emerged for marketing teams.
The key to standing out and reaching buyers is likely there in your own story.
Escape the echo chamber
Similar to the Gold Rush, there is a race to stake claims in the telco industry—and it’s creating an echo chamber in the marketing space. Buyers are inundated with messages about 5G, edge, and speeds and feeds. Some of these concepts not all buyers fully comprehend. This creates two problems—companies sounding the same and not making sense.
It’s easy to get caught up in a hype cycle. It’s a high-speed industry and it demands high-speed marketing to try and own the latest innovations. It creates pressure to not be left out or seem like your brand is falling behind. But as companies get lost in the hype, owning and telling your own unique brand story can be all the more valuable.
When the dust settles and the trends pass, there will be a lot of companies trying to hop on a new bandwagon. But you’ve already hitched your brand to a stronger story—your own.
When you look at what the competition is saying, do you see your same messaging? It may be the right time to take stock of what sets your company apart. Is it your service story? Your unique approach to innovation? We’ve helped telco brands look within to improve the story they put out.
Avoid the perils of groupthink
Getting new messaging out the door can be a challenge in and of itself. Groupthink can burden even the most innovative companies.
There are messaging comfort zones that brands fall into. But it is important to see when tried and true becomes tired and redundant. Especially when it’s standard language across the industry—that can be a sure sign. When you are hearing echoes, it’s time to reevaluate. So how do you get stakeholders on board?
A new, bold campaign can start with a refreshing spin or new take. Preserving it through rounds of review takes the right mindset and approach. Otherwise, campaigns end up in the same rut they were supposed to be pulling a company out of.
Working with an external marketing partner is one way to break free from groupthink. The fresh perspective helps, but we also know how to streamline the collaborative process. Developing new messaging and ensuring buy-in from concept to campaign is just part of what we do.
Click here to get the guide that explores purchasers’ needs, hurdles, and the type of content that helps them convert.
Break down language barriers
Beyond differentiation, there is another messaging challenge many telco companies encounter. They are fluent experts in complex telecommunications products, services, and innovations. But oftentimes, not everyone on the buying committee is.
We get it. You have incredible technology that is accelerating the pace of work worldwide (and we all know how important fiber is outside of our diets). We also geek out on the possibilities of edge computing. But when relaying those ideas or products to customers, it can be easy to use too much jargon. One vital part of telling your story is translating it to reach your audience.
If you want to expand your market share to a new vertical, it’s about making sure the benefits of your offering are told as clear, direct benefits to the buyer. For example, we know unified communications can streamline collaboration and reduce errors. But when conveying that to a healthcare organization, it makes sense to connect those benefits to relaying test results and improving the patient experience. That is an example where clear communication can literally save lives.
Another way we help brands ensure what they say and what buyers hear are aligned is by developing personas. This helps your brand understand who they are talking to and how to better reach them. It can reveal buyers’ emotional states when reviewing materials or what marketing mediums reach them best. Right now, 49% of IT decision-makers are increasing their online reading time and 48% are watching more videos online.
Navigate the arduous buyers’ journey
Having options is a good thing. Until it isn’t. That’s where a lot of buyers are right now. Just as the hyper-competitive market is a challenge for telco companies, it is creating an overabundance of choices in what is already a long buyers’ journey. And the number of people involved in these decisions has grown to about 7 on average.
77% of buyers agree that purchasing has become complex and difficult.
With the right marketing strategy, each touchpoint can get buyers closer to purchase. After your introduction, a variety of tactics can help buyers and their review boards reach a consensus on who to work with. As nice as it is to convert quickly, it is vital to ensure prospects progress to clients confidently. There is a cadence, tone, and strategic way to nurture the relationship as you educate buyers.
Help buyers reach their purchase decision with the right information at the right time.
Ready to upgrade your message?
We can help you break free from hype cycles and stand out for your distinct story. We help brands like yours find their voice and gain greater market share across more verticals. If you are ready to refresh your marketing strategy, work with a partner that knows telco and makes sense of the complexity of B2B demand generation. Contact us today for a free 20-minute consultation.
