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How to Advertise to Tech Audiences

Portrait of Melina Panitsidis
by Melina Panitsidis
Sep 23, 2020
Tech consumer illustration

Tech consumer audiences are a growing cohort.

In a way, we all fall under the tech consumer umbrella— because we all use technology at some capacity. But some consumers are deeply embedded in the tech world. They keep up with the latest industry news and have the latest gadgets on the market. Tech junkies if you will.

Tech consumers are everywhere. They're versatile and engaged. Quite simply, tech brands want this group talking about them. And in a rapidly growing space like tech, marketers need to really understand this audience to reach them effectively.

By differentiating tech consumers' unique characteristics and habits, marketers can create a successful and highly engaging advertising campaign.

But first...

Why tech consumers?

Tech consumer audiences are early adopters by default. They're keen on trying the latest in tech before it hits the mass market. Besides this, tech consumers are a community-oriented group that is tech-savvy (obviously), loyal, and honest.

Because of this, winning them over is a challenge. It's also why tech consumers will become some of your brand's best advocates if your campaign is executed properly.

However, these same traits could harm brands that don't fully understand tech consumer audiences and the advertising that engages them.

Here are the key things marketers need to keep in mind to launch a successful consumer tech advertising campaign.

Go mobile or go home

Mobile has seen some incredibly massive growth:

  • There are over 4.4 billion unique mobile internet users.
  • Market share worldwide for mobile is 52.1% while desktop market share sits at 44.2%.
  • Mobile devices account for 51% of time spent online in the US.
  • 58% of total searches come from mobile.

While this encompasses all internet users, it's evident that the consumer tech audience is a serious driver of these stats. After all, we're all tech consumers to some extent.

In general, mobile responsive design has become crucial for brands, but it's vital for this vertical in particular. We live in a day and age where search engines prefer mobile optimization over desktop. Simply put, ads not designed for mobile are going to flop.

The solution? Optimize your ads for specific devices. Optimizing ads for specific devices puts you at an advantage aesthetically, helps with device performance, and gives you a leg up in the search engine results.

Placement, placement, placement

Everyone has go-to internet spaces where they prefer to get all their news and insights about what's going on in the world. And that's no different for tech consumer audiences.

It’s essential to scope out these sources to reach tech consumers effectively. Why? Because this group values trust and knowledge. Associating your brand with publishers who have taken time to establish trust will go a long way with tech consumer audiences.

Aligning with popular publishers in the tech consumer space allows marketers to run contextual ad placements that seamlessly blend in with the user journey. And the channel options aren’t so bad either, with sponsored content, email, display, and native advertising all at marketers' disposal today.

Prove it

This audience is informed and well-read. Flashy, mass-market advertising techniques won’t impress them. They prefer something that they can draw value from. How does your brand solve a specific problem or fulfill a need? Answering this will help you create a campaign that tech consumers will engage with.

One way to ensure you're providing actual value is to focus on outcome selling. In other words, show tech consumers what they can achieve with your product instead of touting special features.

Don’t be creepy

While consumer tech audiences appreciate tailored content and personalization, they do not take their online privacy lightly. So, it’s best to take the contextual approach when it comes to personalization, rather than layering on invasive data parameters.

Contextual advertising offers marketers a way to place ads in places that blend in visually and are relevant to their audience. It strikes the perfect balance between personalized advertising while respecting consumers’ privacy.

Be personable and consistent

Despite their constant connection to their phones, tech consumers still appreciate good old human connections.

That’s why your message should contain that human element. Make it relatable, genuine, and helpful. This can be easily achieved with contextual advertising because placements fit right in with the real content curated around it.

Once you’ve established your messaging, make sure it’s consistent— wherever they might come across it in the wild. Tech consumer audiences will see through inconsistencies, gaps, and false claims, and you’ll risk losing them forever.

Bonus: taking advantage of contextual ad placements also shows your audience that their privacy and advertising standards are valued.

Wrapping up

As long as the tech industry continues to grow, so will tech consumer audience. That's why it's essential to have a solid grasp of what does and doesn't fly with this group.

And even though consumer demands are changing just as rapidly as the world is, the basic characteristics of a successful campaign remain the same.

All you have to do is choose the right placements, provide real value, and offer up a human element. Oh, and whatever you do— don't be creepy.