Tech Brands Leading The Way in Social Media Marketing
As a leading Belgium marketing agency, we are always watching brand behaviour on social media. Recently we looked at the best vegan brands and food and beverage brands that adapted brilliantly to covid-19. In our increasingly tech driven world, internet and software companies are battling it out to win consumer loyalty and ultimately consumer dollars. Tech brands want B2B and B2C customers and competition is fierce. In this article, we will be looking at the top tech brands leading the way on social media. We will also be looking at some tips for rebooting your own channels.
Credit: Microsoft Surface on Unsplash
Tech Brands on Social Media – the Stats
· 86% of consumers buying IT products use social media to help them decide on a purchase. A strong brand identity and relevant, educational social content can turn leads into conversions.
· 66% of tech business buyers actively seek to buy from the most innovative companies
· 72% of business buyers expect vendor companies to personalise communications to their needs
· 58% of IT buyers use social media to make tech-buying decisions
· 80% of B2B leads come through LinkedIn
#1 Highlight The People Behind The Tech Like Intel
We love Intel’s social media style across their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube channels. And one of the things that stands out for us is the way Intel put people in the driving seat. They make great laptops, servers and tech equipment. But they are made for everyday people. It’s people who build and operate them. One glance at their Instagram bio and you get the message.
Intel uses video to spark emotion and create a connection with their audience. Just like this video which they ran during COVID-19. It looks at the people working to avert the crisis. Health care workers, ventilator makers, teachers, drivers and key workers. It’s a play on their key messaging “what’s inside” but it’s on trend and very smart.
On Twitter, Intel shows how its technology is powering hospitals. However, outside the COVID-19 landscape, it also showed how its technology empowers veterinary clinics for #nationalpetweek and supports vital community and charity work like reef protection.
A study of 1,400 successful advertising campaigns, showed that those with emotional content performed about twice as well (31% vs. 16%) as those with only rational content. Emotional marketing helps people decide with their hearts, even when the product is a tech one.
And on YouTube the human centric theme continues with videos showing Intel tech powering athletes, workers, parents and businesses. In the video below, Intel looks at how its technology helps to capture winter sports at the Olympics. We hear from Intel’s Sports Director, Producer and User Experience VP who describe how their VR will help viewers around the world immerse themselves in the event. The video showcases their product whilst focusing on the people and the event that has everyone buzzing.
Reboot Your Social Media like Intel
· Create a strategy and a set of guidelines for employees and partners to follow. This ensures everyone knows the rules and avoids problems later.
· You don’t need a huge marketing budget to feature people in your social media. Your employees, managers and clients can all participate.
· Don’t be salesy. Intel isn’t shouting “Buy this product” at every opportunity. And in some cases, they do not even show the link to purchase the products.
· For software companies whose products normally veer into jargon, video is a great solution. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text. So, if you’re launching a new feature or trying to explain a product, video is the answer.
#2 Showcase Your Tech Cool like Apple
One of the huge advantages tech companies have over other sectors is… well… tech! Having tech solutions like cameras, video, AI, AR at your fingertips means you can produce creatives that other brands cannot. Plus, you’re showing off your product at the same time. Apple employs this technique on its channels and encourages the hashtag #ShotOniPhone.
This allows Apple to share photos that other people have taken using iPhone. Minimal marketing on their part and yet the result is breath-taking images, user curated content and proof that the iPhone camera is really good. Here are a few examples from their Instagram channel:
Images are uploaded to Apple’s Instagram with the hashtag and the photographer’s Insta tag.
And the style fits with Apple’s minimalist, influencer lifestyle. They didn’t try to hard, they’re just Insta awesome. Interestingly, Instagram is the second-most downloaded free app in the Apple app store!
Apple’s style is known to be minimalist and this extends to their Facebook page. Their page consists of very minimalist images and videos often without a caption or explanation. This is not an accident. It’s a carefully crafted social media strategy that’s echoed throughout their marketing.
And the cool kid theme continues on Twitter where Apple actually don’t follow anyone or tweet anything and yet has 4.3 million followers. We are not condoning or admiring this approach but it’s almost certainly part of a bigger strategy. It’s almost like they’re saying we could, but we won’t.
Reboot Your Social Media like Apple
· Have a style and stick to it. It doesn’t need to be minimal like Apple, but it does need to be recognisable across your channels.
· Don’t feel you have to be on all the channels. Just as Apple very deliberately chose to avoid tweeting, you too can choose not to be on every social media channel. Pick the ones that will best showcase your products and that match your audience.
· Community curated social media, blogs, newsletters and industry updates are valuable for the tech sector. They showcase the popularity of your products whilst also creating trust and authenticity. They are also really cost effective. You can also share positive user testimonials or questions to create content on your social media channels.
· Associate your tech product with the audience who will buy it. Apple has identified young millennials, Gen Z and Gen X as the travelling trend setters who will buy their phones. And their marketing and social media channels are geared to them.
#3 Embrace Being An Education Leader Like Dell
As far as tech companies go, Dell is on the more serious end. Providing a range of tech solutions to businesses, workers, schools and students, Dell is focused on performance and education as opposed to image and street cred.
But education doesn’t have to be boring. Dell uses videos, gifs and live behind the scenes to grab attention and explain and introduce their products.
In fact, gifs work well for Dell. When Dell ran their first GIF-centered email campaign, they received a:
6% increase in open rate
42% increase in click rate
103% increase in conversion rate
109% increase in revenue
The GIF of the XPS 12 showed the face of the tablet flipping to morph into the laptop. The screen was filled with Windows software to illustrate that the convertible was a Windows 8 product as well as a touch screen.
Impressive right? GIFs tend to stand out in social media feeds because of their movement and people tend to watch them more than once. They are especially ideal for tech product demos or video clips.
Dell also establishes and reiterates its authority in the educational tech market by showing off vintage photos. This reminds fans that this is a tech leader that has been creating and innovating key technology since 1984. They are also fun to look at.
On Instagram, Dell categorises its content to include podcasts, product info, behind the scenes videos and community events and causes. This is smart because it allows fans to tune in to the information they want to see.
Dell is also cleverly associating itself with trending topics like Netflix Stranger Things. Dell technology makes it so much better to watch your favourite shows. That’s the message and this catchy brand association will appeal to show fans. Working in collaboration with other brands is a very smart technique for tech companies. Especially ones who might want to boost their street cred a little.
Reboot Your Social Media like Dell
· Tech brands can create brand association by showcasing seemingly ordinary tech products alongside trending products as in the example above. This is a psychological technique employed by brands. Just think of fabric softener and its association with babies, flowers and sunshine…
· Create an on-brand library of gifs and short videos to accompany your social media posts. Tweets with animated GIFs get 167% more click-throughs than tweets with static images, and the engagement rate for a post with a GIF increases 20% for B2C brands. You can also clip longer videos into gifs to create a social media trailer.
· Businesses that are on Instagram get up to 37% of their total impressions from Instagram Stories. Be sure to regularly feature and highlight company Stories on your channel.
· Know your USP (Unique Selling Point) and focus on it. Dell is an established educational technology leader. This is shown consistently throughout their social media marketing.
#4 Microsoft Surface
Microsoft is undoubtedly one of the biggest tech brands to watch out for on social media. But it’s Microsoft Surface that’s grabbed our attention. Microsoft has created a separate social media space dedicated to Surface along with links to the product itself. And one look at the channels shows users that they’ve come to a slightly unusual space.
On Facebook too, the aesthetic sand and grey cartoon designs continue, as the brand has a separate presence.
Images are beautifully drawn but are also relatable, just like this one below. Technology has been instrumental in our global survival during the coronavirus pandemic and images like this put Microsoft Surface on a level with the people.
We also loved the pet sharing photos. This was specifically during lockdown but it’s a great idea regardless. Plenty of tech companies have enviable office environments. Social media is the ideal space to show off employee culture and benefits for future staff.
Branding for Surface is clean, bold and encompasses memorable slogans. The branding is different from the usual Microsoft corporate style and certainly appears to be appealing to a younger, more style and lifestyle orientated B2C audience.
On Twitter, Surface frequently retweets testimonials and users who have posted images of the products in use. It’s essential to interact with followers, a component that’s often lacking among tech companies. Just read the comments section of some of the biggest brands to see whether they respond or not.
Microsoft utilises easy explainer videos on Instagram to showcase product features
Reboot Your Social Media like Microsoft Surface
· Consider creating separate channels for key products but remember that it takes content and staff to manage them. If you don’t have time for that, then you can colour code product updates or create separate hashtags to separate them.
· Always have a landing page or mini site to link to for your products. But don’t worry, they don’t need their own website like Microsoft!
· Know whether your audience is B2B or B2C. This will dramatically affect the way you market your products.
More Marketing Tips For Tech Brands
· Know your tech hashtags. This is key if you want to boost social media engagement especially on Twitter and Instagram. Top hashtags include #technology #tech #innovation #engineering #business #science #design #electronics #gadgets #technews #smartphone #instagood #software #programming #instatech #computer #security #pro #gadget #coding #education #techie.
· Use Twitter polls and voting like AT&T to gage audience sentiment and guide future developments.
· Quote industry experts. We’re big fans of micro influencer marketing here at Moondust . For the tech sector we’re not talking pouting celebs or tanned fitness instructors. We’re talking about educational leaders, scientists, technological pioneers. Asking for an expert opinion and showcasing it alongside your brand can work wonders. This is especially true on Linkedin. You can also quote your own team, just as HP did here.
· Photos of your data centre, office, local area or stores will always attract social media views and they show off your global presence. IBM is another tech brand that showcases its rich history, vintage data centres and the story of how IBM programmers helped with the Apollo 13 mission back in 1970.
· Be relevant. What better time than to show social media users how great video calling works on your tech. Bonus points for showing happy people. Good job Cisco!
