A new report from Gartner analyzing the future of the IT industry pointed to social and mobile as key technologies the industry must adopt to maintain growth, and marketers in the technology sector may take this as their cue to plan campaigns accordingly.
The IT industry essentially sets the pace for other companies, as their products are used for everything from communications to productivity.
Gartner recommends IT companies deploy social throughout their operations, including the use of social media marketing. As prospects look for more information regarding potential purchases and partners, social is an easy way to improve engagement and inform.
“With 1.2 billion people on social networks, 20 percent of the world’s population, social computing is in its next phase,” Peter Sondergaard, senior vice president at Gartner, said in a release. “IT leaders must immediately incorporate social software capabilities throughout their enterprise systems.”
Mobile is increasingly important as well, as tablets and smartphones become more integral to internet access. While marketers across industries must consider mobile marketing as a means of reaching audiences, Gartner suggests IT firms must especially build a mobile presence (and mobile products) to remain culturally relevant.
These two technologies often intersect, as social media applications are among the most frequently used on mobile devices. Brafton recently reported that 31 percent of mobile users accessed a social network through their devices in the last month.
