Systems Administrator Appreciation Day is a holiday in July that’s dedicated to showing gratitude for the IT professionals who deploy, manage, and support the business technologies we need to do our jobs.
IT decision makers (ITDMs) are influential gatekeepers who determine technology needs, evaluate and compare solutions, and advise on purchase decisions before (often non-technical) business decision makers sign off their recommendations.
In May and June 2022, we surveyed more than 1000 IT professionals (who hold titles such as systems and network administrators, IT managers and directors, and chief technology officers) to understand how appreciated they feel and how that impacts the important work they do, and who they buy from.
Unfortunately, while these technically-inclined decision makers have the respect of their peers and coworkers, they often don’t feel the love from tech brands:
Additional data from our study: Most IT professionals (52%) believe their relationships with tech brands are transactional (instead of collaborative), and only 31% of IT professionals look forward to interactions with vendors.
This disconnect is bad for business. Among IT professionals:
- 84% are more likely to do business with tech brands that understand their needs and challenges.
The Solution? Build Authentic Connections With Your IT Audience
To improve marketing and sales effectiveness, improve campaign performance, and increase return on marketing performance, tech brands must understand and appreciate the unique challenges ITDMs face. Only then can marketers speak directly to those problems and add more value by helping customers succeed.
The biggest challenges ITDMs face today are lack of time, lack of budget, the inability to hire needed staff, and lack of training and career development opportunities.
Tech marketers should empathize with these challenges, then focus messaging on how their solutions directly solve these problems. Nothing says appreciation like someone who truly understands and supports you in your time of need.
Often, vendors fall into the trap of immediately oversharing “speeds and feeds” and detailed tech specs of their products and services, without regard for how the technology might offer relief from real-world problems. Focus on what ITDMs really care about, which will earn you the right to talk about your products and services once you’ve established your value proposition.
How to Make Your Messages Stand Out From the Crowd
The B2B tech marketplace is flooded with messages from thousands of vendors. To get ITDMs to pay attention, your messaging must first be on point (see above). The next step to cutting through the noise is using data and personalization to get your message(s) in front of the right people, at the right time.
One final component that’s critical to connecting with ITDMs is engaging with them in the right place, at the right time. Since 2006, the Spiceworks Community has been a trusted resource ITDMs use to find advice and support from their peers and tech vendors.
- 78% of IT professionals say the Spiceworks Community has helped them do their job more effectively
- 80% have learned about new products / solutions in Spiceworks
In Spiceworks, tech brands have successfully built connections with ITDMs while helping businesses solve technology challenges… which ultimately drives both awareness and revenue.
Check out the following quotes from tech marketers about how Spiceworks helped them achieve their goals:
Summary: Show Appreciation, Get Appreciation
SysAdmin Day is a day for appreciating IT professionals, but it pays for tech brands to show appreciation all year round.
Tech vendors that show appreciation for ITDMs and strive to build authentic connections instead of just focusing on the sale will reap immense rewards. Brands should understand and empathize with IT challenges, focus on how to add value by addressing these challenges, and respect buyers’ time by not flooding their inboxes with irrelevant messages.
Let us help you build authentic connections with your audience.
Schedule a meeting with us today to learn more about how we can help you understand your customers’ needs, hone your messaging, and connect with buyers who are actively in-market to buy products like yours.
