Even entrepreneurs at tech corporations don’t have an edge in the case of content material administration expertise.

Barely multiple in 4 (28%) say they’ve the best tech to handle content material throughout the group. However most haven’t acquired the best tech (29%) or have the tech however aren’t utilizing its potential (32%). (And 11% aren’t certain about all of it.)

That’s one of many findings in CMI’s newly launched Expertise Content material Advertising Benchmarks, Budgets, and Developments: Insights for 2023. Sponsored by Foundry, an IDG, Inc. firm, the survey encompasses responses from 278 tech entrepreneurs in our July 2022 content material advertising and marketing questionnaire.

61% of tech entrepreneurs don’t have the best tech or don’t use it to its potential, in keeping with @CMIContent #analysis by way of @LisaBeets. Click on To Tweet

The place tech entrepreneurs plan to take a position

Tech entrepreneurs’ use of tech mirrors B2B entrepreneurs as an entire of their deliberate investments for this yr. Video tops the most well-liked funding, with 84% of expertise entrepreneurs anticipating their group would put money into it this yr. Different most often cited investments embody:

• Occasions 74%
• Owned media belongings 73%
• Paid media 72%
• Earned media 54%
• Social media/group constructing 54%

Fewer than half anticipated funding in attending to know audiences higher (40%), UX design (27%), audio content material (24%), and content material applied sciences (18%).

Constructing group is extra vital than ever

Whereas video stays the most well-liked, funding in social media/community-building noticed an enormous bounce with 54% choosing the class – over 46% greater than the earlier yr. Take into account these plans with a big curiosity in occasions (74%), and it appears like tech entrepreneurs are prioritizing relationship-building in 2023.

Largest #ContentMarketing funding leap in 2023 for tech entrepreneurs? Social media and community-building, in keeping with @CMIContent #analysis by way of @LisaBeets. Click on To Tweet

“While you concentrate on constructing a group, you’re creating an area the place your viewers feels heard, valued, and understood,” says Lorenzo Mitil, CMI’s social media supervisor. “That type of setting encourages engagement and evokes individuals to come back again for extra.”

Demandbase embraces that philosophy. A few yr in the past, it launched a group referred to as Income Circle for individuals who have vice-president-level roles (or increased) in gross sales and advertising and marketing. The group hosts unique digital and in-person occasions (alongside different firm occasions). Demandbase Social and Influencer Advertising Director Justin Levy says the massive attract personal communities like Income Circle is networking alternatives with different members, particularly as layoffs enhance. “The group turns into its personal universe, with its personal objectives connected which might be separate from – however complementary to – these of our group,” Justin says.

Plans for hybrid occasions evolve

Whereas occasions as a content material advertising and marketing instrument are common, the specifics for tech entrepreneurs are attention-grabbing. Not surprisingly, over half (57%) count on their group to extend spending on in-person occasions in contrast with the earlier yr. Given the curiosity in digital and hybrid occasions through the prime pandemic years, it’s exceptional that tech entrepreneurs nonetheless plan to take a position extra in digital/digital occasions (26%) and hybrid occasions (27%). Curiously, practically as many (24%) say they gained’t use hybrid occasions in 2023 (solely 3% gained’t use in-person occasions, and 4% gained’t use digital or digital occasions).

“The pandemic proved that the serendipity discovered within the sudden moments at an in-person occasion isn’t replicable elsewhere,” says Nicole Peck, vice chairman and common supervisor of North American occasions at Foundry. “When accomplished appropriately, occasion participation permits a model to attach with its clients in an genuine method, offering much-needed, emotionally cast relationships.”

Fewer tech entrepreneurs will do hybrid occasions in 2023, in keeping with @CMIContent #analysis by way of @LisaBeets. Click on To Tweet

What does 2023 maintain?

Group-building by and for tech entrepreneurs couldn’t come at a greater time.

Information of such widespread layoffs within the tech business might have prospects and clients questioning about every part from service ranges to product roadmaps to the essential survival of your model. (In response to Layoffs.fyi, tech corporations laid off practically 161,000 workers worldwide in 2022 and practically one other 120,350 between Jan. 1 and March 1, 2023.)

In February, we requested CMI viewers members who work for tech corporations how they’re faring. Of the 155 who responded, solely 12% mentioned they’d been laid off. Nearly half (49%) labored for corporations that laid off workers however not them, and 39% mentioned their firm hadn’t laid off anybody.

For these tech entrepreneurs who witnessed layoffs, about half mentioned their workloads elevated (typically with out a rise in pay), and one-third mentioned they haven’t been affected a lot or in any respect as a result of the workers reductions occurred elsewhere within the firm. Of the group that noticed layoffs, 10% p.c mentioned their groups have pivoted, modified processes, and so on., and a handful have been moved to completely different groups, resembling product advertising and marketing.

How safe do these employed really feel about their future with the corporate? Most felt unlikely they’d get laid off within the subsequent yr.

Though the pattern dimension for the group who have been laid off was small, practically all had secured one other full-time job or freelance work. A couple of emphasised how tough it was, although, given the present aggressive local weather for job seekers. (If you happen to’ve been laid off, take into account these suggestions that will help you discover your subsequent alternative.)

Navigating the tech marketer panorama

These outcomes supply solely a glimpse of what tech entrepreneurs instructed us. To study extra about content material creation, content material advertising and marketing practices, and extra, learn the complete report. You’ll additionally discover out what top-performing tech entrepreneurs do otherwise, which may maybe inform your technique for the remainder of 2023.

Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising Institute