How can you create a technical marketing message that resonates with a technical audience?

It all comes down to understanding what your technical audience is struggling with. Here's how I always approach it in the work I do with my customers Ask “What wakes them up at night?” And that question is chosen deliberately. Here’s the thing: You need a thought-provoking question to get beyond the fog. There are many angles to take: What would get them fired if they mess up? What promises is your buyer struggling to keep? What expectations from the business are they failing to meet? Essentially, you’re looking for the things that matter most to this person. Capture as much as you can. From there, we’ll zoom into the essence. Start with relevant context is half the job done.

Know the personas you're targeting. It's not enough to group your audience by technical and non-technical. Often times, needs or pains vary by technical department or project being worked on. It also depends on if they are the one feeling the pain or the manager of the workers feeling the pain. Both personas are important but your messaging will differ for each.

Dive into industry-specific forums, online communities, and social media groups where your target audience actively participates. These platforms are rich sources of unfiltered insights about your audience's technical challenges and solutions they seek.

Technology selling is often mixed up with base product selling. While the ethos remains the same - to sell - the marketing message and language is definitely very unique. Intent of the marketer is to push for a 'try' out tech trials or pull with 'consider' how tech will be a huge differentiator to buyer's organisation. Unlike general product marketing - tech product marketing requires deep domain knowledge as the final audience is an organisation's IT. The landscape is different.

One thing I've found helpful is making it realistic. Technical marketing is all about proving the concepts by creating real-life examples. A classic example would be penetration of EV chargers in the market. EV chargers were made available in mid 2000s. It took more than 12 years to make it 'fit for purpose'. One step that contributed significantly to its adaptation is, educating the users on what difference it brings to them to be using an EV. Understanding the right pain points of the users and aligning the product or application to their priorities is simply the way of technical marketing.

Highlight the adaptability and future-proof aspects of your product in your value proposition. In the fast-evolving tech industry, customers are looking for solutions that not only solve current problems but are also capable of adapting to future changes.

Often your customers and target audience can say it better than you can. Understand what problems your product solves and use language that resonates with your audience to talk about the solution. Technical audiences aren't as susceptible to marketing tactics as other audiences, so you need to speak authentically to them about both their pains and the solutions you offer.

Tailor your message for capturing a technical audience. Understand the pain points of the customers; state your value promise in clear terms; use right tech words when speaking with engineers. Focusing on function and problem solving, supporting claims with data and evidences. Offer transparent solutions in an authentic manner, be a useful asset, not only a marketing agent.A Talk about solutions and not sales pitches; engage with them on what they are comfortable.

At its core, this proposition encapsulates what your product achieves, how it sets itself apart from competitors, and why it holds significance for your audience. A compelling value proposition is characterized by clarity, conciseness, and an inherent appeal. It doesn’t just convey what your audience cares about but delves into the unique features and advantages your product brings to the forefront. Leveraging frameworks such as the value proposition canvas or the jobs-to-be-done theory provides strategic guidance, aiding in the meticulous construction of a value proposition that resonates profoundly with your audience.

While value propositions hold a space in marketing and communications, their effectiveness can vary, influenced by industry, context, and business maturity. To address potential limitations, prioritize customer-centricity in crafting your value proposition. Many propositions tend to be internally focused, lacking an unbiased approach. Embracing principles like user-centricity helps establish meaningful connections with your target audiences. Recognize during the design and development phase that audiences are diverse, consumers are not a monolith, and their expectations evolve in a constantly changing market landscape. Stay agile, be prepared to test, learn, and adapt your value proposition to align with these changing dynamics.

I observe marketers placing emphasis on tactics such as formats and channels at the expense of the overarching strategy. Although the excitement around developing branding, a new website, and engaging in social media is understandable, it's crucial to acknowledge the necessity of an overarching strategy guiding these activities. Bridging the gap between the right tactics and a comprehensive, integrated strategy remains a common challenge. The key lies in aligning the strategy with impactful tactics that genuinely engage target audiences throughout the marketing and sales funnel, ultimately achieving desired and sustainable business outcomes.

Incorporate interactive demos or tutorials in your marketing strategy. These formats are particularly effective for technical products as they allow your audience to see the product in action and understand its functionality firsthand.

It's important to understand your customers. Be it a detailed white paper, an interactive webinar session, or informative infographics - Know what ticks your customers best. You can even offer them all the options so that they can choose based on their mood and preferences. Understanding what's their preferred mode of communication is another important aspect of this whole exercise. It will ensure you reach them where they are most available, and that your message is well-taken. It's important to research a bit on their most used channels. Be it email, social media, or any other medium. Reaching them where they are most available will only better your chances of them being acquainted with the product more.

In tailoring your approach to your audience, product, and goals, it’s crucial to explore a range of formats—such as a landing page, blog post, video, webinar, white paper, case study, or demo. Additionally, it’s important to consider diverse distribution channels like email, social media, search engines, forums, or events. The essence lies in selecting formats and channels that seamlessly align with your audience’s preferences, behaviors, and their distinct positions in the buyer’s journey. This deliberate choice ensures that your message not only reaches but forges a profound connection with your target audience.

When targeting a technical audience, it's essential to emphasize "showing" rather than just "telling." Start by collaborating closely with the product team to ensure that your documentation is not only up to date but also appealing and engaging for your audience. Then, proceed to create guides or webinars that leverage the product itself. Technical audiences are most interested in tangible results and a deep understanding of how the product works. By providing them with real-world demonstrations, you can effectively communicate the value of your product and how it operates. This approach not only informs but also establishes trust and credibility with your audience.

It’s vital to steer away from technical jargon or convoluted terms that might confuse your audience, and avoid vague or exaggerated claims to maintain credibility. Opt for language that is not just straightforward but also precise, elucidating your product’s functionality, benefits, and supporting evidence.

In my view, simplicity is crucial when crafting a marketing message for a technical audience. Clear and straightforward language is a strategic necessity, avoiding unnecessary jargon. Breaking down complex concepts with relatable analogies and visuals ensures the message is both technically accurate and accessible to a diverse technical audience. This approach respects the audience's expertise while maximizing the reach and impact of the marketing message.

This is the most important element of targeting a technical audience. It's insufficient to provide proof of a feature, or a capability. You need to provide holistic proof of value in a real world, ideally a "like me" application. This requires very tight, long term strategic engagements with customers. Your sales team is crucial in establishing not only the sales relationship, but also this kind of strategic partnership. This is how sales enablement, marketing and revenue all tie together.

In the realm of a technical audience, the fifth step—providing proof and data—is pivotal for establishing credibility. In my opinion, technical professionals gravitate towards evidence-backed claims. Incorporate case studies, testimonials, or success stories to illustrate real-world applications of your product or service. Use statistical data and visual representations like graphs to convey measurable benefits clearly. Additionally, leverage industry benchmarks or third-party validations to bolster trust. This step is about substantiating your marketing claims with tangible evidence, aligning with the analytical mindset of a technical audience, and reinforcing the authenticity of your message.

A clear call to action (CTA) is crucial, but equally important is personalizing this CTA based on customer data and behavior. For instance, using AI-driven analytics, marketers can tailor CTAs to individual users, enhancing relevance and engagement. An example is Adobe's use of AI in their marketing platforms, where CTAs are dynamically adjusted based on user interaction patterns, increasing conversion rates. This approach not only makes the CTA more effective but also enhances the overall customer experience by providing a sense of understanding and personal attention.

DON'T USE MARKETING SPEAK! I'll say it again, don't use marketing speak! Technical audiences DO NOT like being marketed to, so they will immediately ignore any marketing message that is developed following a typical marketing playbook approach, meaning your product will be ignored. Technical audiences want details, specs, info about the tech used and how it works. If you have third-party validation that is not merely paid advertising, you can include that. But don't market to them and tell them how great your product is. Technical audiences draw their own conclusions, so provide them with all the detail needed for them to do their own analysis and make their own decisions. Then get out of the way and let your product speak for itself.

Expert opinion: if you’ve developed a technical product then it’s likely to be innovative. Your target market needs to have faith in your product and its abilities. You can look for external endorsement or better, if you can, work to develop your own product experts who can present videos or write white papers and contribute to online seminars.