Do tech marketers differ from their non-tech counterparts and reign supreme in particular domains of marketing expertise? New LinkedIn research says yes. But more importantly, findings from our recent global marketer’s study point out significant lessons that non-tech marketers can learn from today’s tech trailblazers.

1. LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
Customer Research
The
TECH MARKETER
difference

2. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
​ Understand the differences, if any, between
marketers that work in the technology sector
versus those that do not.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Methodology
Targeting
Research
Global 10 minute online
survey using LinkedIn sample.
Total Global Sample: n=2,232
Fieldwork: Jan. 2016
English speaking professionals
who classify as marketers with at
least one year of experience.
12%
20%
23%
45%
Tech Marketers
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
10+ years
14%
21%
21%
44%
Non-Tech Marketers
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
10+ years
Our sample: Time in Industry
50% are either a Marketing Manager
or Director of Marketing
Our sample: Company Size
Inferred SMB
32% 39%
1-10
11-50
51-200
30% 26%
201-500
501-1000
1001-5000
38% 35%5001-10000
10001 and above
Tech Non
Although there is a nice
spread of company sizes,
it is not surprising that
Tech Marketers skew
slightly more toward
Enterprise compared to
Non-Tech Marketers.

3. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
INITIAL FINDINGS
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
There are more differences than similarities
between tech and non-tech marketers. Here
are some of the highlights at-a-glance.
ü Tech marketers are dominated by B2B and
the specific issues that come with it like
lead-generation, lead quantity and quality,
and reaching the right audience.
ü Tech marketers are less satisfied with their jobs
and struggle to get headcount.
ü Tech marketers are focused on tools and specificity.
ü Tech marketers view LinkedIn as more of a resource
for specific content about marketing than non-tech
marketers.
Overall, marketers are not spending their time on the
tasks they think are important.
All Marketers want relevant content, and industry-
specific is the key to relevance.
Non-tech marketers share the “lead gen” challenge
and could learn from what tech marketers are doing.
79% 51%
​ of tech marketers
surveyed work in B2B
​ of non-tech marketers
surveyed work in B2B
The Tech Marketer’s world is dominated by B2B

4. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Tech Marketers are less satisfied with their
jobs… but not because of the hours.
​ 36% of tech
marketers surveyed
are dissatisfied
​ 29% of non-tech
​ marketers surveyed
​ are dissatisfied
64%
36%
71%
29%
While 2/3 of both groups
reported working 40-50
hours week
Lead Generation
Content
Tech Marketers
Unique to list:
Mass Advertising
Unique to list:
Lead Nurturing
Brand Awareness
Non-Tech
Social Media
Customer Loyalty
​ Top 3 types of marketing they’re engaged in:

5. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
There’s a disconnect when asked what they
are engaged in versus what is viewed as
most important.
For both, Customer Loyalty is deemed ”most important” but is not in the top 5 of marketing actually
engaged in. While Email is #3 for “engaged in” on both lists — but not deemed as important.
Tech
Marketers
Most
important
types
Top
actually
engaged in
Non-Tech
Marketers
Most
important
types
Top
actually
engaged in
Brand Awareness 1 2 Brand Awareness 1 1
Lead Generation 2 5 Social Media 2 2
Content 3 4 Customer Loyalty 3 —
Social Media 4 1 Content 4 5
Customer Loyalty 5 — Lead Generation 5 —
Email — 3 Events — 4
Email — 3

6. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
What’s the sources of tech marketer’s and
non-tech marketer’s dissatisfaction?
Top Internal
Challenge:
Getting
headcount
and staffing
Most difficult
department:
Product
Development
Least difficult:
Customer Service &
Support
Top Industry
Challenge:
Acquiring
high-quality
leads*
Top Internal
Challenge:
Implementing
the latest
marketing
technology
* Non-tech marketers only share one challenge with
their tech counterparts: Acquiring high-quality leads.
Yet, When we pull out non-tech B2B respondents
the #1 Challenge is “Managing the long Sales Cycle”.
Most difficult
department:
Product
Development
Least difficult: Inside
sales/Tele Support
Top Industry
Challenge:
Acquiring
high-quality
leads
Tech Marketers Non-Tech Marketers

7. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
THEIR CHALLENGES
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Non-tech marketer’s technology adoption
aligns with their internal challenges.
14%
24%
33%
22%
7%
10%
26%
29% 28%
7%
Innovators Early adopters Early majority Late majority Laggards
Tech Non-Tech
Tech skews more toward Innovators/Early Adopters where non-tech skews Late Majority/Laggards, confirming
what we see in the Internal Challenges for Non-Tech.

8. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
CONTENT CONSUMPTION
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Where are marketers going for information
and content to help them do their jobs?
25%
28%
22%
15%
22%
28%
46%
35%
23%
64%
22%
23%
25%
28%
34%
35%
37%
39%
42%
73%
Consumers panels sites
National statistics sites
MarketingProfs
Marketo
HubSpot
Marketing statistics sites
Your Facebook network
Platform/publisher Insight hubs
Syndicated data sites
LinkedIn
Tech Marketers
Non-Tech Marketers
When it comes to content, we saw tech marketers
more likely to visit LinkedIn and syndicated data
sites for marketing resources versus their non-tech
colleagues, who are more likely to consult their
Facebook networks.
58% 63%
Topics searched for most often
​ Of Tech Marketers
surveyed search for
“Content Marketing”
​ Of Non-Tech Marketers
surveyed search for
“Social Media”

9. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
CONTENT CONSUMPTION
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Other top five searched topics after
“content” for tech marketers and “social
media” for non-tech marketers.
Brand Marketing
My Specific Industry
Marketing ROI
Marketing Technology
Tech Marketers
Average # of Info = 8
Non-Tech Marketers
Average # of Info = 7
Email Marketing
Job Opportunities
Lead Generation
Measuring Performance
Marketing ROIMarketing Automation
​ Tech marketers search most
often for information on
content marketing, marketing
ROI, marketing technology,
lead generation, measuring
marketing performance, and
marketing automation. Non-
tech marketers search for
information on social media,
brand marketing, email
marketing, and marketing ROI.

10. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
SPECIALISTS AND GENRALISTS
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
Where responsibilities are concerned,
tech marketers exhibit vastly different,
highly specialized priorities vs. their
counterparts in other industries.
Our results saw that tech marketers are heavily
preoccupied with generating leads. On the contrary,
non-tech marketers listed more generalist business
objectives as key priorities, such as brand awareness.
​ Specialist ​ Generalist
Lead Generation
Lead Nurturing
Account Based Marketing
Channel Enablement
Field Enablement
Brand Awareness
Public Relations
Customer Loyalty
Direct Mail
Mass Advertising
Non-Tech MarketersTech Marketers
Top five areas of responsibility

11. The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
SPECIALISTS AND GENRALISTS
The TECH MARKETER DIFFERENCE
​ Precise ​ Broad
Non-Tech MarketersTech Marketers
CRM
Product Marketing
Business Development
Leadership
Lead Generation
Advertising
Market Research
Strategic Planning
Sales
Event Management
Top five skill differences listed on their profiles
​ Deep ​ Wide
Non-Tech MarketersTech Marketers
Cloud Computing
SAP
Business Intelligence
CRM
Direct Marketing
SaaS
Facebook Fan Pages
Internal Comms
European Union
Lean Manufacturing
Loyalty Programs
Retail
e-Commerce
Design Thinking
Top seven content topics consumed on LinkedIn
It was clear from the skills tech marketers listed on their LinkedIn profile that tech
marketers have an edge when it comes to tactics and precision
Respondents listed skills like: CRM, product marketing, business development, leadership, and lead generation.
Non-tech marketers, again, are more general: advertising, market research, strategic planning, sales, and event
management.

12. The
TECH MARKETER
difference
THINK LIKE A SPECIALIST
ü In-depth knowledge of tools, tactics and technology can help drive effectiveness.
ü Content is at the cornerstone of the tech marketers strategy.
ü Focus content on industry issues and topics — not broad themes.
ü Specific in-depth content will help your audience solve their unique problems.
ü Detailed information about your products and services can help drive relevance.
ü Technology can help improve targeting, relevance and measurement of performance.