How Advisory Boards Can Bolster Your Marketing Efforts

Trust is an invaluable asset in the IT industry. Tech professionals typically place greater confidence in recommendations from peers who have overcome similar challenges or succeeded at building, operating and selling comparable businesses. That credibility is hard-earned, and like-minded people usually respect the word of those who have “been there, done that” effectively.?

Tech companies benefit greatly from the insight of industry professionals, which helps explain the rapid growth of customer and partner advisory boards (or councils). The most effective way to gain real and valuable feedback is to encourage honest and open conversations with those who use, sell and support your products and services. ????

A well-designed and leveraged board can help advance the goals of multiple constituencies inside a technology company, from sales and marketing to the development and support teams. Members offer strategic advice that can help technology companies make informed decisions. Their expertise and experience allow them to provide a broader perspective on market trends, emerging technologies, and potential challenges to your target audience. That valuable insight allows your organization to adjust programs and solutions to meet the evolving needs of its partners and end customers, helping your team stay ahead of the competition and capitalize on new opportunities.

Advisors empower and shape your company’s vision and expand its touch points to the industry. Most members bring extensive professional networks of their own, and leveraging these connections allows technology companies to access more potential partners, investors and alliances. Those activities can drive new business and collaboration opportunities and give your team visibility into new areas.?

Enhance Your Standing

A strong and reputable advisory board can enhance your company's credibility in current and prospective business communities. Adding respected thought leaders to your corporate “think tank” will emphasize its commitment to the industry and bring greater attention to organizational activities. Potential investors, partners, clients and employees will take note of your key advisors and their influence on the business. ?

Technology advisory boards also foster innovation and creativity. By bringing together diverse perspectives and ideas, these groups challenge the status quo and encourage product and service improvement and the development of new solutions and programs. The IT community thrives on innovation and idea generation, from its offerings to its promotions, and the support provided by these professionals can help differentiate your business and create new revenue streams.

Advisors also help mitigate risks. In a high-threat age, the insight of professionals who can foresee potential pitfalls and provide recommendations on how to avoid or address those concerns is invaluable. This proactive approach to risk management can save companies time, money, and resources in the long run and protect the organization from financial and reputational harm.

The Ultimate Marketing Resource

Industry thought leaders not only deliver invaluable insight and guidance for creating and strengthening offerings and programs but also tend to be your company’s top supporters and promoters. Adding advisory board members that peer professionals - especially those in your target market - look up to and respect provides your company with a number of marketing options. When these industry “rock stars” become true net promoters, prospective partners and customers will pay closer attention to your products, services, programs and activities.

The trust factor is strong in IT. ?Advisory boards can deliver that extra horsepower to your marketing activities that exponentially grow leads and new sales opportunities. In addition to offering feedback on branding and messaging, members may be open to lending a hand with developing content and participating in different activities. Some of those undertakings can be minor things like providing testimonials or making recommendations to peers. Others require a bit more time and effort, such as: ??

o?? Webinars. Partners and customers add credibility and can inject personal experiences into the conversations, strengthening the organization’s revenue opportunities. Thought leaders may bring their branding and peer followers to these sessions to boost attendance and leads for future sales and marketing activities. ??

o?? Live events. In addition to providing on-stage support similar to a webinar, tech companies can ask board members to meet with prospects at the show or spend time at the booth. These face-to-face settings allow potential partners and customers to interact and ask the deep and meaningful questions you can feel confident having net promoters answer.

o?? Case studies. The best way to knock down sales barriers with prospective partners and buyers is by illustrating how your products and services address the unique needs of their businesses. Use cases provide examples of those solutions in action, and your advisory board members are typically the perfect people to share those stories. How did your company help them bring on new partners or clients, grow recurring revenue streams or accomplish other critical business, professional or personal objectives? Those are the stories those who know your organization typically tell the best. ??

o?? Press releases. Powerful partners and customers gain more media attention. Highlighting advisory board quotes in press releases and having one or more available to speak with editors when you have important news to discuss is invaluable. It may seem trivial, but like case studies, the people who use, sell or support your solutions are more relatable to technology-focused audiences than your executive team.?

Engage and Ask for Marketing Help

Tech company board members usually have a firm understanding of how businesses operate. While those partners or customers may also be very busy, successful marketing teams actively engage with advisors and encourage their involvement in the abovementioned activities.

Who has a great story to share for a case study? How comfortable would they be speaking on the main stage at an event or discussing solutions on a company webinar?

It's essential to ask these questions when onboarding new board members. Many marketing departments also set aside funds to compensate their travel expenses or to send thank-you gifts for participating in promotional activities. While some may not want or ask for that type of support, it’s good to have resources available to get the right people in the right place without running into financial complications.

Lastly, the marketing team should have input when executives select and recruit new advisors. The more high-profile net supporters your company has on its board, the greater your promotional capabilities. These people can exponentially increase the power of your marketing dollars.

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