Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

That's a pretty important question for only 25 points. While most people here do not focus on the points, it does give some indication as to how important *you* feel the question is, and the less important it is to you, the less important it is to those who might (or might not) answer it.

Having said that, I don't think there's an answer to your question because it's a little too broad.

While it might be clear that HR is your target market, are they the ones who will make the decision? Or will the HR department need buy-in from the CXO level or someone in IT?

We have no idea if this is boxed software, SaaS, or what. We also don't know if your target market is small business, medium-sized enterprises, or large companies. We also don't know if this is a one-time sale or a subscription model.

I think if you provide a little more color as to your product and your target market, you'll get more meaningful response -- even with only 25 points on the line. :)

Paul

Here is some information I wrote on my blog a while back related to what a B2B company should do first when launching a product. These are very much focused on cost-effective means:

https://expandabroad.blogspot.com/2005/08/what-b2b-marketing-activities-to-...

https://expandabroad.blogspot.com/2005/09/other-b2b-marketing-activities-to...

https://expandabroad.blogspot.com/2005/09/b2b-activity-not-worth-doing.html

Are your past products in the same category/niche as your new ones?
Is your name trusted by those in your target audience?
Is your software compatible with the existing software leaders'?
Do you have testimonials proving what you say is true?

Can you clarify how you know that your target market will find these products useful? If you've talked to them about this, you might also have a sense about the benefits they're looking for, which notably, are not necessarily the same as features.

Even further, though, you also want to have a sense of the language they use when talking about these benefits so that you can communicate with them in a way that delivers resonance and believability and sets you apart from the competition. If you don't already have this kind of information, you probably want to collect it before launching so that you can maximize the chances for success you'll have with these products.

what price range is your software in? How much integration work will be required? how much training will be required?

Sometimes, software such as this is sold through systems integration firms who provide local installation, training, and support. I wish I could tell you that these firms typically generate lots of leads... but my experience has been that they are largely dependent upon vendors for leads.

If your product has clear benefits over the competition, sufficient margin, and opportunities for systems integration work (installation, training, customization, upgrades) then you should consider systems integrators as a vehicle to help you go to market.

The more details you can provide, the more helpful we can be in offering reliable advice.