Technical marketing is a form of marketing that mainly focuses on the specifications and technical features of a service or product. The main goal of tech marketing is to ensure that complex technological concepts are presented to the general public in an understandable and engaging manner.
This form of marketing is developing at such a rapid pace, which is why we reached out to Judith Middleton, CEO of DUO Marketing + Communications, to share her insights on the future of tech marketing.
South Africa has a strong talent pool in content, design and digital marketing. What makes it particularly competitive in the global market?
South Africans are known the world over for having a 6th gear. By this, I mean going the extra mile, finding solutions and not stopping until we are proud of our work.
The most compelling opportunity right now is the highly favourable exchange rate with major markets such as the UK, EU and UAE. This allows global agencies and tech brands to access top-tier talent on demand at significantly more affordable rates than they would pay for junior or mid-level resources in their own markets. Additionally, time zones or rather the "death of distance," also enable us to tap into global opportunities, making Africa's skills and price tag very attractive.
What strategies should brands adopt to ensure their tech content resonates with a global audience?
Content strategies mean very little unless they align with a business's goals and are tailored to each geographic region. Defining target audience / s and messaging that resonates takes time and lots of testing.
The faultline here is that content writers don't always work alongside digital teams to test content approaches and messaging first, and so often, generic content is distributed universally without truly considering the local market needs.
This issue is compounded by specialists working in silos, failing to truly optimise content across multiple platforms, to multiple markets and therefore wasting company budgets and ultimately the valuable time of thought leaders / executives.
As AI tools become more prevalent and the human voice is removed from the brand voice / messaging, authenticity may be the most crucial aspect of future content. It certainly will set the tone for credibility and trust.
A partner or an offshore model, where the content team is deeply integrated into the client's briefing and ideation process, is crucial for producing accurate, relevant and precise work. This collaborative approach enables the development of a clear messaging framework, including unique selling points and value propositions, tailored for different target audiences with a clear understanding of the tone of voice.
Additionally, rigorous quality assurance measures throughout the content creation process are essential. A deep understanding of the target audience, including their demographics, psychographics and online behaviour, is also fundamental.
Carefully defining content pillars, format, tone and style, aligned with the client's brand identity, further ensures resonance. These processes and tools are deeply embedded in DUO’s DNA. We ask the tough questions and listen carefully to local experts.
How can companies strike the right balance between creativity and data-driven marketing in the tech space?
I feel that people are bombarded with information and have increasingly limited time to devote to any one piece of content. We know that tech audiences often take up to eight engagements with a brand before they are willing to engage. This makes it more crucial than ever to capture and hold their attention across multiple channels to build this trust.
This is where the power of visual communication comes into play. A well-crafted infographic can distil complex data and concepts into a clear and compelling narrative.
Similarly, and the very reason for YouTube's success, short explainer videos can leverage animation, voiceover and sound to demystify intricate processes and technologies, making them accessible and understandable to a wider audience. Image-based posts on all social platforms perform exponentially better when paired with authentic, thoughtful design to enhance the message.
Whatever the channel, the data is our gold.
We approach every single campaign by adopting a data-led content analysis approach. This involves monitoring the performance of content across channels and carrying out relevant testing. Analysing test results for learning and insights is key, as is adapting concepts, content and channels to optimise for the best results.
This continuous cycle of measurement, analysis and adaptation ensures that creative content is informed by performance data, leading to more effective marketing outcomes.
With global brands increasingly outsourcing content and digital campaigns, what factors should they consider when choosing a content partner?
Personally, I believe brands and their audiences will soon be challenged with differentiation, given the current use and maturity of generative AI. This may be naive, but we are getting this feedback in what feels like an echo chamber from across the world.
Tech brands are still demanding authentic content, and so are quality journalists. We notice how engagement numbers dwindle when AI content proliferates social media platforms when AI tools are used to spew vanilla content into the ether with little regard for depth and authenticity. It's becoming more and more obvious. Most brands try it with the lure of saving costs but inevitably revert to a trusted partner or agency.
Agencies offering senior-level niche tech expertise and a comprehensive suite of services, including aggregation of best-fit resources, content creation, design, implementation, quality assurance and dedicated client relations, are in high demand right now. This is due to global pressures of sourcing skills, maintaining capacity as workloads ebb and flow, labour laws, etc.
The partner's working model is also crucial; a deeply integrated, partner-based approach ensures better understanding and execution of the brand's vision.
Other important factors include the agency's agility and responsiveness to client and industry needs, their specialised expertise in the relevant industry and their track record of delivering results aligned to business objectives.
What are the biggest content and digital marketing challenges tech brands face today?
One of the biggest challenges tech brands face today is the difficulty in sourcing the right resources to deliver affordable, quality content and implement it in a way that delivers real ROI.
Most local tech brands don't have the full ambit of skills required to run an efficient marketing department. How often do we see those job ads for the "marketing unicorn," expected to do it all from writing content, designing images, building a website, hosting a webinar and driving lead generation?
CEOs battle to justify marketing spend without a commercial lens on goals, milestones and performance metrics for each aspect of the marketing portfolio.
Tech brands also face the challenge of capturing the attention of increasingly discerning customers who consume vast amounts of data daily and are more likely to block content.
Therefore, creating content that truly resonates and provides experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness is crucial but challenging.
Content is no longer a sideline but critical to the survival of a brand in a competitive environment.
How can agencies maintain authenticity and credibility in an era of increasing automation and AI-generated content?
AI is a powerful tool for automation, data analysis and efficiency, but communications and marketing are fundamentally human-driven industries that require emotional intelligence, creativity, ethical reasoning, humour and relationship-building — areas where AI still falls short. Agencies that blend AI with human expertise will be the most successful in maintaining authenticity and delivering impactful campaigns.
The DUO Global Studio relies on a carefully curated team of senior-level specialists with extensive tech experience. Our partnership model also ensures a close, integrated collaboration with clients, which relies on human interaction and understanding to build trust and authenticity.
What advice would you give to young professionals looking to build a career in tech-focused content and digital marketing?
This is one of the few industries where the youth have a real advantage to contribute and bridge their native digital skills with the experience and wisdom of industry stalwarts who may not have mastered the newest platforms like TikTok.
I'd suggest that young professionals interrogate what true value looks like to tech brands — and I mean commercial value, not trying to confuse C-Suites with pretentious technology terms or lofty ideas that don't align with their goals.
Ask yourself, what would make a measurable difference to this brand?
Master the fundamentals — learn how to report on real value and not just impressions or web traffic. Clients want you to tell the impact story, and if you don't know what impact metrics are, ask. Aligning effort to impact is the fastest way to earn credibility as a junior.
Enrich your writing skills — practise and go the extra mile to ensure that content is valuable, resonates with your audience and is effective on different platforms. Test, refine and iterate. Start with your own email communication to clients. Quality and consistency will build trust with both your client and your team.
Hang out with people who succeed. Ask them the right questions and listen carefully for their formula for success. We have so many global leaders to tap into. The difference between those that remain average and those that become great is actually doing the hard work to learn and grow.
Take the feedback — it's the only way you grow. It may not always be what you want to hear, but take it anyway. Appreciate that someone is actually investing in you.
Build a personal brand — a blog, podcast or whatever you feel would be your greatest teacher. Step out of your comfort zone. Experiment with different techniques and learn how to sell your own value first.
Learn how to read and analyse data — once you have enough experience, you will be able to identify trends and make predictions. This is when marketing value becomes incredibly exciting and the deeper you will be entrenched within your clients.
Develop a mindset of problem-solving. You will be the most popular person on your team and I can assure you that your career will move upwards far quicker than those who don't take advantage of every opportunity and see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
Staying adaptable and focusing on continuously learning about new technologies and trends in the digital landscape will be key for success but most of all, be dependable.
Do what you say you will do, and do it with pride.
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*Image courtesy of Canva