Tech marketing is a field of extreme competition. Tech marketing traditionally refers to marketing based on specific components of a product. The digital age definition includes marketing through social media and using technology to enhance your marketing strategy/connect with target audiences. Ted Talks are a perfect way to learn more about implementing marketing techniques and strategies, from persuasion to utilizing TikTok. Check out some of our top suggestions for those in tech startups and who want to grow their tech marketing strategy!
The Counterintuitive Way to Be More Persuasive: Niro Sivanathan
View Time: 10 minutes
What’s the best way to get your point across to your target audience? Niro Sivanathan, an organizational psychologist, discusses different techniques to persuade people. He focuses on something he terms “the dilution effect”. This is a cognitive quirk that can weaken even strongly held beliefs. Aired in 2019, you can learn a lot about new persuasive techniques from this Tedx Talk at LondonBusinessSchool presentation.
How This Can Help You: Learn new ways to persuade your target audience, especially by avoiding the dilution effect in your advertising. Your tech startup is entering a highly competitive environment, but by using clear and (most importantly) concise persuasion tactics, you’ll give yourself a competitive edge.
The Single Biggest Reason Why Start-Ups Succeed: Bill Gross
View Time: 6 minutes
Bill Gross filmed his Ted Talk in 2015, focusing on start-ups and who succeeds in that industry. An experienced entrepreneur and assistant in many successful startups, Bill Gross wondered why some startups succeed and others fail. He gathered data on hundreds of startups and ranked them based on five factors. What factor stood out as the key to a successful startup? Timing. Watch his Ted Talk to find out more.
How This Can Help You: A widespread collection of data is extremely valuable when starting a new business, offering insight that you may not have considered. Take the advice of an experienced and knowledgeable expert in the field and increase your chances of success as a tech startup.
How to Get Your Ideas to Spread: Seth Godin
View Time: 17 minutes
An oldie but a goodie, Seth Godin gave this classic Ted Talk in 2003. As a marketing expert, Seth recognizes that consumers get bombarded with information and choices, while they have limited amounts of time. So, how do you get ideas to stand out? How can you attract a wider base of consumers in a sea of information and competitors? Find out why some ideas spread better than others.
How This Can Help You: Some ideas don’t spread, and it can lead to the end of your startup before it even begins. If you know how to spread your ideas -- leading to demand for your services -- you’ll become “remarkable” and you’ll gain the advantage over your competitors. Check out Seth’s advice to gain more competitive advantage and confidence in your success.
What Makes Something Go Viral?: Dao Nguyen
View Time: 10 minutes
Join Buzzfeed publisher Dao Nguyen as she discusses the secret to making content that your target audience will love and engage with. How to create content that reflects your values while also encouraging your audience to engage with your brand. Dive into a discussion on “cultural cartography” -- Buzzfeed’s system that helps them create the content people will connect with on several different levels. Emotional resonance is what gets people to share content (“It me!”), which often leads to something going viral.
How This Can Help You: One of the keys to success in marketing as tech companies is staying as relevant and up-to-date as possible with social media. This reflects a positive image of your company by adding a sense of credibility. After all, a tech company should be up-to-date on social media and tech trends. This could mean filming videos of the latest viral TikTok trend, sharing a tweet about current world news, creating and sharing memes about world events (especially those that impact your target audience). If you create a viral piece of content, you can increase brand awareness in a segment that may not have been familiar with your brand prior to now.
Why Videos Go Viral: Kevin Allocca
View Time: 7 minutes
Kevin Allocca, YouTube’s head of Culture and Trends, gave this TedYouth Talk in 2011. He uses his expertise in videos and creating content that follows trends in society to magnify a company’s brand. In this talk, he explores the three components that create viral video content for brands -- tastemakers, communities that participate, and unexpectedness.
How This Can Help You: Video is one of the top forms of content marketing. Video also allows you to visually show your brand and services in action -- consumers love the opportunity to see visuals of a brand and services! With so many forms of social media utilizing video, you need to be fluent in the language of video content so you can gain the attention of a wider audience.
You’ll get lots of ideas and tricks from Ted Talks, for everything from influencing persuasion to taking advantage of Snapchat and video marketing. By taking the advice given in our recommended Ted Talks above, you’ll be able to grow your marketing and social media strategies for your tech startup. Want more tips and tricks? Get regular expert advice on marketing and PR strategies by subscribing to our newsletter. Metis Communications is here to help you influence the market and gain a competitive advantage!