In a recent episode of ‘Digital Marketing Answered’, Tim Butler, Innovation Visual’s CEO and Founder, interviewed Jonny Kenyon, Head of Marketing at AppCheck. With 80% of the sales process set to happen digitally by 2025 (Gartner), creating engaging content tailored to your audience is crucial. This episode provides valuable insights into marketing technically complex products, emphasising trust, effective communication, and simplification.Want to watch the episode instead? Watch here:
Building Trust with Your Audience
Trust is a cornerstone of successful marketing, especially for technically complex products and Jonny Kenyon highlighted the importance of accurate information in the role of building trust with your customer and prospect base. According to Edelman, 81% of consumers say brand trust is a deciding factor when making a purchase decision – read our full article on Building Brand Trust and Authenticity in the Digital Age.
"Where you can build up this trust, you can very quickly lose it if you're putting incorrect information out there," he said. At AppCheck, they ensure all content is rigorously reviewed and approved by a technical team to maintain accuracy.
Kenyon explained that publishing accurate information consistently, helps to build a solid reputation for the company.
“If we put misinformation out there, that can be a really bad thing,” he noted. A meticulous approach to reviewing content is especially critical in industries like cybersecurity, where clients rely heavily on the expertise and reliability of the service provider. A level of trust can only be built through consistent and accurate communication.
Communicating Complex Information
Effective communication starts with understanding the product. Kenyon emphasised the need to work closely with technical teams and other departments like sales and customer success. This collaboration helps marketers grasp the intricacies of the product, enabling them to create content that is both accurate and relevant.
Kenyon shared his approach to content creation: "We have a JIRA board or an Asana board just to track that along... and then we'll kind of discuss between us like, is this worth progressing with?"
This collaborative approach ensures content is well-informed and aligned with business goals. He stressed the importance of internal communication to ensure everyone in the business is on the same page, particularly in understanding the product and its unique selling points.
The Power of Simplification
One of the key takeaways from the episode was the importance of simplification. Kenyon advocates for "hyper simplification," especially on product pages. He explained, "You're differentiating yourself by getting rid of all the noise and just having this crystal-clear kind of vision of what you are and what you'll do for them."
To achieve this, Kenyon suggests printing out your messaging and testing it with different people. If they can't explain it back to you, it means the message needs further simplification. He mentioned an innovative approach he encountered: using a scrolling PowerPoint to see what key points people pick up. This can help identify the most critical aspects of your message.
Kenyon believes that simplicity is particularly important when dealing with complex products. Potential customers need to understand quickly and easily what the product does and how it can solve their problems. This clarity not only attracts the right audience but also helps in converting them into customers.
Personalisation and Tailoring Content
Kenyon also discussed the role of personalisation in email marketing. Using intent data, AppCheck tailors the language and content of their emails based on where a prospect is in their buying journey. This targeted approach helps ensure that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time.
"We have a couple of intent tools as well so we can see where people are showing active intent to buy, whether they're just looking at generally the topic," he explained. This allows AppCheck to tailor their content to different stages of the buyer's journey, making their marketing efforts more effective.
Discover 5 ideas on how to use personalisation in digital marketing.
Supporting the Sales Process
In the context of technically complex products, marketing needs to be closely integrated with the sales process. Kenyon emphasised the importance of pre-qualifying buyers to save sales teams' time and effort.
"You’ve pre-qualified buyers, so it's not wasting sales time. They have a bit of an idea about what it is they want to purchase and what they want to probably discuss on that initial call," he said.
Kenyon also highlighted the role of educational content in supporting the sales process. According to recent analysis, AppCheck's blog content was present in about a third of the journeys that ended in a purchase. This indicates that informative content plays a crucial role in nurturing leads and guiding them towards making a purchase decision.
Actionable Tips for Marketing Leaders
For marketing leaders dealing with complex or technical products, Kenyon offers two main tips:
1. Learn the Product
Spend time understanding the product by talking to different teams, customers, and prospects. This deep understanding will inform your content strategy and ensure it resonates with your audience. Kenyon emphasised the importance of speaking to various stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives.
“Go talk to all the different teams, talk to your customers, talk to your prospects if you can because you will find they’re talking about things in different ways or maybe they were like, ‘You know what? I really didn't understand that,’” he said.
2. Simplify Your Messaging
Make your messaging as clear and simple as possible. Test it with others to ensure it’s easily digestible. Simplified messaging not only helps in communicating effectively but also builds trust and credibility.
Kenyon shared an interesting approach to testing the clarity of your message: “Print off your simple messaging, put it in front of someone, or scroll it through a PowerPoint and see what they take away from it.”
Embracing AI
Although AI is a vast topic, Kenyon mentioned using it for streamlining processes and idea generation. Tools like ChatGPT can help generate blog content ideas based on keywords, saving time and providing a starting point for content creation.
Kenyon admitted that AI is not yet fully embedded in their processes, partly due to the size of their marketing team. However, he finds it useful for brainstorming and speeding up certain tasks.
“We’re a two-person marketing team over here, so it’s very hard to onboard new software and get stuck into AI as much as I’d want to,” he explained.
Discover how to engage your audience among genAI noise
"Just simplify what you're doing, learn the product, and you can't go far wrong"
Marketing technically complex products requires a strategic approach that prioritises trust, clear communication, and simplification. By understanding the product deeply, collaborating with technical teams, and simplifying the message, marketers can effectively reach and engage their target audience.
As Kenyon aptly summarised, "Just simplify what you're doing, learn the product, and you can't go far wrong."
Get in Touch
For more insights from Jonny Kenyon, connect with him on LinkedIn or listen to the Marketing Dribble podcast. If you're interested in cybersecurity, explore Appcheck’s free trial offering.
Looking for help with marketing your complex product? Get in touch and let us help simplify your strategy, prioritise trust, and focus on strong communication to drive leads and revenue to the business.
