Modern day marketing involves three core activities: (1) understanding the needs and preferences of your target customers, (2) developing strategies to communicate the value of products or services to those customers, and (3) building relationships with them to promote long-term loyalty and satisfaction.
Almost every business gets part one of this definition. However, for parts two and three, marketing in the world of system integration and physical security is different.A few examples:
- Reluctant end users who won’t allow you to use their name and project for a case study, or
- Channel conflict between integrators, technology partners and end users, or
- Fear of showcasing your highly skilled and in-demand team members on LinkedIn because other companies may try to poach them away
The system integration and security industry is unique! So, what should you be doing to generate results in 2023? Let’s look at five actions that will drive results.
#1 Content marketing focused on the problems you solve.
The best marketing efforts in the security and system integration industry are those that educate prospects and customers about the problems you solve. Creating content assets such as blog posts, use cases and videos that address the pain points of potential customers is how to maximize your results in this area.
ACTION: Look at your website – do you have a Resource Library with a growing list of content assets designed to educate your customers about the problems you solve? If not, this should be a top priority for your business this year.
#2 Social media posts highlighting questions with links to answers.
Using social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and other channels can help system integrators and physical security businesses reach their target audience and engage with them. It's important to share informative content, showcase projects, and engage in conversations with potential customers.
However, like your content marketing assets, the best social media posts are ones that ask questions and provide links to your website that offer answers. Chances are high that an end user is actively searching right now on Google and social media looking for answers to questions.
ACTION: Look at your LinkedIn company page – does your company post at least 3-5 times per week about questions your customers have with links to answers? If not, ask your sales team for a list of top customer questions with answers. The result will be months of social media content you can post and amplify.
#3 Videos that explain key concepts of your solution.
Videos are a powerful tool for demonstrating a system integrator or physical security business's expertise and showcasing their solutions. Creating videos that address common questions or ones that explain how a product or solution works can help generate leads.
ACTION: You don’t need a Hollywood production budget to create videos. Check out this list of video creation tools. Ask your sales team for video ideas based on FAQs they receive from prospects and customers.
#4 Search engine optimization (SEO) that targets the right phrases.
By optimizing your website for search engines, system integrators and physical security businesses can increase their visibility online and attract more potential customers. This involves using relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and improving website usability and load times.
ACTION: Is your site showing up in search? Google your business with a relevant keyword a customer might use (not your company name) and see if you show up in the top 10 or 15 listings. A focus on SEO can have a dramatic impact on traffic, leads and sales.
#5 Paid Search leading prospects to website landing pages that educate.
PPC ads can be an effective way to generate leads quickly if you are targeting the right audience with the right message. By bidding on relevant keywords, system integrators and physical security businesses can target their ideal audience and drive traffic to their website landing pages.
ACTION: PPC advertising can be expensive if you don’t have the right strategy in place. Start with your target customer, think about the problems they have and the solutions they are searching for, and create a content asset (use case, FAQ, checklist, recorded webinar etc.) that’s useful for downloading.
Overall, a combination of these marketing actions identified above can help system integrators and physical security businesses generate great results.
Marketing is very different in the security industry. Content designed to teach, educate, and inform will build trust and position you as the subject matter expert.
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