As the end of a truly hectic year draws to a close, we must plan for the unknowns of 2021 – which can feel like a tough proposition when faced with developing your data center marketing plan for next year. In the beginning of 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to pivot our marketing plans to accommodate what has now become “the new normal”. Looking ahead, we must plan once more for an uncertain future, but this time with a bit of experience and lessons learned. Below, see our top tips for data center marketing in 2021:
Data Center Marketing Tip #1: Plan for more virtual events.
Try to view virtual events as a more permanent fixture in the corporate world, rather thanjust a replacement for in-person events. The two can, and have, existed side by side in the past, so don’t write them off even as safety restrictions may change in the new year. While you miss out on the value of a face-to-face connection, virtual events offer a variety of benefits that in-person events simply cannot deliver on, so think about adding the cost of hosting or attending one of your own to your data center marketing budget!
Data Center Marketing Tip #2: Consider leveraging intent data.
As the digital marketing landscape becomes more and more competitive, you will have to look for ways to keep your “edge”. Intent data measures your target audience’s online behavior, tracking certain triggers that display an intent to buy a good or service. This allows you to really focus on targeting leads that may flow towards your sales funnel a bit more quickly than a totally cold lead would, meaning more money for your company in a shorter period.
Data Center Marketing Tip #3: Stay up to date on industry trends.
2020 saw big upticks in products that enable remote working and learning– think Zoom and Teams. In 2021, part of your data center marketing strategy should be to keep your finger on the pulse of any budding new technology. This way you can be sure to be the first one to publish content such as blogs, social media messaging and articles explaining the benefits – and how you are helping bring that service to your customers ahead of the competition. 
Data Center Marketing Tip #4: Don’t neglect Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Sure, you know how to find your customers and prospects, but do you know if they can find you? If you’re not familiar with how your website ranks on the major search engines, it should be a key initiative in your 2021 data center marketing plan. Now more than ever, people are conducting a vast amount of their business online, and if your target audience can’t even find your data center from a simple Google search, you’re dead in the water. So be sure all your blogs, web pages and content follow SEO best practices or 2021 will tank your web traffic.
We learned a lot as an industry this past year. The most valuable thing we can do with this experience is bring it with us into 2021 as we continue to learn and grow into our “new normal”. At JSA, we’ve been taking notes and watching closely to be sure we are best equipped to be your data center marketing partner in the new year.
