I’m constantly on the lookout for good content to help me keep up on my game as a marketer. Since marketing is changing all the time, and marketing for ISVs is moving even faster (due to the nature of the ever-evolving tech industry), it’s important to constantly reinvent strategies and tactics to ensure success. I’ve read at least two dozen books on various topics from social media marketing, to effective content marketing, to growth hacking. (Not to mention the ones I’ve read on project management, team building, and storytelling, to name a few). It seems nowadays that everyone’s written a book to give their advice on the do’s and don’ts of marketing, but how useful are these resources for B2B marketers targeting ISVs?
My main criticism about most marketing-related resources is that they are not focused enough on the ISV niche. The well-known marketers are all trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible; but let’s face it, while some of the fundamental principles of marketing can be applied across segments, B2B marketing for software vendors is an entirely different ball game from those targeting consumers with household goods. And of course, while I still do consult HubSpot and the occasional article by Jay Baer, the big conventional players are not going to be part of my top 5 list of resources for ISV marketers.
Here they are in order of relevance:
1. DevPro Journal
The DevPro Journal is one of the only resources I’ve found out there with such a high volume of extremely useful articles specifically geared towards the ISV community. Their content ranges from industry news and technology trends to targeted information about marketing for ISVs. The DevPro Journal was “created to fill a void in the B2B IT market with inspirational and actionable thought leadership content to assist software developer leaders in growing a profitable, sustainable, and fulfilling business”. They have absolutely succeeded in filling the gap and reaching this goal. Some of my favorite articles published recently include:
- 5 Lead Generation Strategies for Software Start-ups
- Why ISVs Need Agile Marketing
- Why ISVs are Failing in Their Marketing
- Press Release Writing for Software Development Companies
Their site enables you to activate automatic update alerts to stay up on the topics that interest you most. Which is why their site is at the very top of my must-have resources list!
#2. MarTech Today
Marketing Land has a tech-dedicated sub-unit called MarTech Today which is a daily news publication that covers all aspects of the marketing technology industry. It’s a good go-to news site where you can get the latest updates on issues affecting the technology industry as it relates to marketing.
#3. Startups for the Rest of Us
Startups for the Rest of Us is a podcast that “helps developers, designers, and entrepreneurs be awesome at launching software products”. Hosted by two software entrepreneurs, they cover a range of topics, including (although not exclusively dedicated to) marketing. The podcast has an informal, conversational feel and the platform allows you to browse through transcripts as well as listen to old episodes.
#4. VAR Insights
VARinsights.com is more focused on targeting value-added resellers than ISVs, but the information that can be found there can at times be useful for both. They have established their purpose as “helping resellers navigate the highly competitive and fast-changing IT channel”; their news and featured content give insight into: how to penetrate new markets, leverage new technologies, capitalize on “as-a-Service” and recurring revenue models, and attract and retain technical/support/sales/management talent. Again, it’s not marketing-specific, but it is a good place for ISVs to see what the competitors are doing in the channel.
#5. Search Engine Journal
Search Engine Journal is a go-to resource for content marketing and SEO. They aim to educate and empower the SEO community by providing news and best practices from industry practitioners. While not 100% B2B, IT, or ISV-related, SEJ is unique because of its community-based approach to SEO.
Conclusion
As a marketer for software vendors, there is no “one-stop shop” out there yet that offers resources with a combination of both marketing and tech expertise. It’s necessary to pick and choose from a variety of different sources, therefore, to keep on top of the latest trends from both angles. We’d love to hear about your go-to resources so please share them with us and we’ll check them out! If you have a site that you’d like us to investigate, send us an email at contact@www.mediadev.com.
