Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies, and Go-to-Market Strategy (GTM) for Growth

Are you part of a data center sales and marketing company?

Do you work on a go-to-market team that needs a better GTM strategy to achieve your company’s growth goals? Across all relevant areas -- including sales, marketing, customer success, product, channel partnerships, and executive leadership?

With the growing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), hybrid cloud services, infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and software as a service (SaaS), the need to securely store this information is also rising.

However, efficiently and effectively reaching their target market has often been a go-to-market challenge for data center sales and marketing-related companies that market and sell to or partner with enterprise data centers and data center providers.

Data center sales and marketing-related companies play a pivotal role in the rapidly evolving data infrastructure landscape. These specialized firms are essential parts of the data center industry, which is vital for storing, processing, and managing vast amounts of digital information.

Data center sales and marketing-related companies excel at promoting the latest technologies and innovations within the data center sector. They leverage various marketing channels, including digital platforms, industry events, and trade shows, to create awareness about cutting-edge solutions. These channels help data center operators and technology providers connect and explore opportunities for collaboration.

These companies also specialize in lead generation and sales support for technology vendors serving the data center market. They identify potential customers, nurture leads, and facilitate meaningful connections between vendors and data center operators. This expertise plays a pivotal role in driving sales and fostering partnerships within the industry.

In a data-driven industry, market insights are invaluable. Data center sales and marketing-related companies often conduct market research and analysis to identify trends, assess competition, and provide valuable data to their clients. This information empowers data center operators and technology providers to make informed decisions and stay competitive.

Data center sales and marketing-related companies facilitate growth and innovation within the data center industry. They provide a wide range of services, from infrastructure solutions to strategic guidance and market intelligence, ultimately helping data center operators and technology vendors effectively navigate the complex data infrastructure landscape.

What Are the Different Kinds of Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies?

Data center sales and marketing-related companies are integral parts of the data center ecosystem.

They collectively contribute to the industry's growth and development by making connections, disseminating knowledge, and facilitating business interactions.

Whether through associations that establish industry standards, events that bring stakeholders together, marketing and media efforts that promote innovations, public relations that manage industry reputation, recruiting that ensures a skilled workforce, or sales that provide critical infrastructure solutions, these companies all play essential roles in supporting the thriving data center sector.

Data Center Associations

Data center associations are organizations dedicated to advancing the interests, standards, and knowledge within the data center industry. These associations serve as valuable hubs for networking, information exchange, and collaboration among professionals and companies operating in the data center ecosystem. Here's an overview of what data center associations are and the value they provide to the industry:

Standards Development: Data center associations play a pivotal role in developing industry standards and best practices. They create data center design, operations, and sustainability guidelines, ensuring facilities are efficient, secure, and environmentally responsible.
Advocacy and Representation: These associations advocate for the data center industry at the governmental and regulatory levels. They work to influence policies and regulations that impact data center operations, energy consumption, and data security.
Education and Training: Many data center associations offer training programs and educational resources. These initiatives help professionals stay updated with industry trends, technologies, and certifications, fostering a skilled workforce.
Networking Opportunities: Associations provide a platform for professionals to connect with peers, industry experts, and potential partners. Networking events, conferences, and online forums facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Research and Market Insights: They often research and gather market insights, providing valuable data to industry stakeholders. This information helps businesses make informed decisions about investments and growth strategies.
Access to Industry Resources: Data center associations provide access to a wealth of resources, including publications, case studies, and whitepapers. These resources can assist organizations in addressing challenges and implementing best practices.
Promotion of Sustainability: Many associations are at the forefront of promoting sustainable practices within the data center sector. They encourage energy-efficient designs and environmentally friendly technologies to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.
Industry Awards and Recognition: Associations often host awards and recognition programs to highlight innovation and excellence within the data center community. These awards motivate companies to strive for higher standards.
Community Building: They foster community and unity within the data center industry. This service can be especially valuable for smaller businesses and startups looking to establish themselves in the sector.
Crisis Management and Resilience: Data center associations may offer crisis management and resilience planning guidance. This assistance is crucial in ensuring data center operations continue uninterrupted during unforeseen events.
Marketplace Insights: Associations provide insights into the evolving marketplace, helping businesses identify emerging opportunities and challenges.
Global Reach: Many data center associations have a global presence, allowing members to access international markets and partnerships.
Access to Experts: Through associations, companies can tap into a network of subject matter experts who can provide guidance and support on specific data center challenges.

Data center associations are essential catalysts for growth and excellence in the industry. They provide a wide array of services, resources, and advocacy efforts contributing to the development, sustainability, and innovation of data center operations worldwide. Through their collective efforts, these associations help ensure that the data center industry remains at the forefront of technology advancement and best practices.

Data Center Events

Data center events companies plan, organize, and host conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, and other gatherings focused on the data center industry. These events bring together professionals, experts, and companies involved in data center design, construction, operation, and maintenance.

Knowledge Exchange: Data center events serve as platforms for professionals to share knowledge and expertise. Attendees can learn about the latest trends, technologies, and best practices from industry leaders and peers.
Networking Opportunities: Events facilitate networking among data center professionals, allowing them to build valuable connections, explore potential collaborations, and discuss business opportunities.
Product Showcases: Events often feature exhibitions where technology vendors can showcase their products and services. These expositions provide a hands-on experience for attendees to explore and evaluate the latest data center solutions.
Market Insights: Event organizers may invite keynote speakers and industry analysts to provide insights into market trends, forecasts, and emerging technologies. This information helps attendees make informed business decisions.
Certifications and Training: Some events offer training sessions and certification programs, allowing attendees to enhance their skills and qualifications within the data center field.
Vendor Selection: Data center professionals can use events to evaluate and compare different vendors, helping them make informed decisions about equipment and service providers for their data centers.
Regulatory Updates: Events often include sessions on regulatory compliance and data center standards, keeping attendees informed about changes that may affect their operations.
Problem Solving: Attendees can discuss specific challenges they face in their data center operations with experts and peers, seeking solutions and best practices.
Industry Awards: Many events host award ceremonies to recognize outstanding achievements and innovations within the data center industry, motivating companies to strive for excellence.
Market Expansion: Events can allow companies to expand their market presence, connect with potential customers, and enter new regions or industries.
Thought Leadership: Industry experts and thought leaders often deliver presentations and panel discussions, helping shape the direction of the data center sector by sharing their insights and vision.
Economic Impact: Hosting events generates revenue for local economies by attracting attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors who contribute to the hospitality and service industries.
Global Reach: Some data center events have a global reach, drawing attendees and exhibitors from around the world and fostering international partnerships.
Investment Opportunities: Events may attract investors and venture capitalists seeking opportunities within the data center industry, providing startups and innovators a platform to secure funding.
Community Building: These events help build community within the data center sector, encouraging collaboration and unity among professionals and organizations.

Data center events companies play a crucial role in bringing together the data center community to exchange knowledge, foster innovation, and facilitate business growth. They create valuable opportunities for learning, networking, and market expansion, contributing significantly to the overall development and success of the data center industry.

Data Center Marketing

Data center marketing companies offer various marketing services tailored specifically to the data center industry. These agencies work with data center operators, equipment manufacturers, service providers, and technology vendors to create and implement strategic marketing campaigns.

Targeted Messaging: Data center marketing companies understand the industry's nuances and can craft messaging that resonates with the unique needs and challenges faced by data center professionals and decision-makers.
Lead Generation: They excel at lead generation, helping data center companies identify and engage potential customers, ultimately driving sales and business growth.
Content Creation: These agencies create high-quality content such as blog posts, whitepapers, videos, and infographics that showcase industry expertise and thought leadership.
Digital Marketing: They leverage digital channels like SEO, PPC advertising, email marketing, and social media to increase online visibility and reach a wider audience.
Web Design and Development: Data center marketing agencies often offer web design and development services to ensure a company's online presence is appealing and functional.
Event Promotion: They assist in promoting and maximizing the impact of data center events, webinars, and conferences through effective marketing strategies.
Branding: Marketing agencies help data center companies build and strengthen their brand identity, making them more recognizable and memorable in the industry.
Market Research: They conduct market research and competitive analysis to help data center companies understand market trends and identify growth opportunities.
Customer Engagement: Marketing agencies create engaging content and campaigns that foster stronger relationships with existing customers, promoting loyalty and repeat business.
Social Proof: They help gather and promote customer testimonials, case studies, and success stories, providing social proof of a company's capabilities and reliability.
Analytics and Reporting: These agencies use data and analytics tools to track the performance of marketing campaigns, allowing data center companies to make data-driven decisions.
Product Launches: Marketing agencies assist in planning and executing product launches, ensuring that new offerings gain maximum visibility and market penetration.
Crisis Management: In times of crisis or reputation management challenges, they can help data center companies navigate and mitigate negative publicity through strategic communication.
Global Reach: Data center marketing agencies often have the expertise and resources to help companies expand their market reach internationally, facilitating growth beyond borders.
Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing marketing to specialists can be cost-effective for data center companies, as they benefit from the agencies' expertise without the overhead of maintaining an in-house marketing team.

Data center marketing companies are valuable partners for data center businesses looking to strengthen their market presence, reach new customers, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. Their expertise in crafting tailored marketing strategies and campaigns is essential for the success and growth of data center companies in a highly competitive market.

Data Center Media

Data center media companies create and disseminate content, news, and information related to the data center industry.

These media brands are vital sources of industry insights, updates, and knowledge sharing for professionals, businesses, and stakeholders within the data center ecosystem.

Information Dissemination: Data center media companies serve as primary sources of news and information, offering timely updates on industry developments, trends, and emerging technologies.
Education and Awareness: They provide educational content, including articles, reports, webinars, and podcasts, helping professionals stay informed about best practices, regulations, and innovations.
Thought Leadership: Data center media brands often feature thought leaders and experts who share their insights, contributing to the industry's intellectual growth and innovation.
Market Analysis: These media companies conduct in-depth market analysis and research, offering valuable data and reports that assist businesses in making informed decisions about investments and strategies.
Networking Opportunities: They host or promote industry events, conferences, and webinars, creating opportunities for networking and collaboration among data center professionals and organizations.
Vendor and Product Reviews: Media outlets often review data center equipment, technologies, and services, helping data center operators make informed choices when selecting vendors and solutions.
Case Studies: Data center media companies showcase real-world case studies and success stories, allowing businesses to learn from the experiences of others and implement best practices.
Regulatory Updates: They inform the industry about changing regulations, compliance requirements, and cybersecurity standards affecting data center operations.
Marketplace Visibility: Media outlets offer a platform for data center vendors and service providers to promote their offerings, increasing their visibility and reach to potential customers.
Global Reach: Many data center media brands have a global readership, allowing companies to expand their market presence and establish international partnerships.
Community Building: They foster community within the data center sector by connecting professionals, encouraging knowledge sharing, and facilitating discussions on industry challenges.
Benchmarking: Media outlets often publish industry surveys and benchmarking reports, enabling data center operators to compare their performance and efficiency against industry standards.
Career Development: Data center media companies may offer resources for career development, including job listings, interviews with industry experts, and insights into career paths within the data center field.
Innovation Promotion: By highlighting the latest technologies and sustainable practices, these media brands drive innovation within the data center industry, encouraging the adoption of cutting-edge solutions.
Critical News Updates: They provide critical updates during emergencies, outages, or cybersecurity threats, helping data center professionals respond effectively to ensure the continuity of operations.

Data center media companies play an indispensable role in the data center industry by providing a platform for knowledge sharing, promoting innovation, and fostering collaboration. Their role as information hubs ensures that professionals and organizations within the data center ecosystem stay well-informed and equipped to thrive in a dynamic and evolving industry.

Data Center Public Relations

Data center public relations (PR) firms manage and enhance the reputation, communication, and public perception of businesses operating within the data center industry. These PR agencies work to build and maintain positive relationships between data center companies, their stakeholders, and the broader public.

Reputation Management: Data center PR firms help companies manage their reputation, ensuring that their image is positive and aligned with their brand values and mission.
Crisis Communication: In times of crisis, such as data breaches, outages, or disasters, PR agencies are instrumental in crafting and delivering effective communication strategies to minimize damage and maintain trust.
Media Relations: They establish and nurture relationships with crucial media outlets, ensuring that positive news and industry updates receive the appropriate coverage while managing negative press effectively.
Strategic Messaging: PR agencies develop strategic messaging that resonates with the data center industry's target audiences, including customers, investors, and regulatory bodies.
Thought Leadership: These agencies work to position key executives and experts as thought leaders within the industry, enhancing the company's reputation and influence.
Content Creation: PR firms create compelling content, including press releases, articles, and blog posts, to share success stories, industry insights, and company achievements.
Social Media Management: They manage social media accounts to engage with audiences, share news, and respond to inquiries, ensuring a consistent and positive online presence.
Stakeholder Engagement: PR agencies facilitate meaningful engagement with stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, and partners, to strengthen relationships and trust.
Event Support: They assist with event planning and promotion, ensuring that data center companies make a significant impact during industry conferences and exhibitions.
Public Affairs: PR firms often engage with policymakers and government bodies to advocate for policies and regulations that benefit the data center industry.
Employee Communications: Effective internal communication is crucial, and PR agencies help organizations keep employees informed and engaged.
Product Launches: They develop comprehensive PR strategies for product launches, maximizing visibility and market penetration for new offerings.
Market Expansion: PR agencies can help data center companies expand into new markets domestically and internationally by building a positive reputation in those regions.
Crisis Preparedness: They assist in developing crisis response plans and protocols to ensure that data center companies are well-prepared for unexpected challenges.
Measurement and Analytics: PR firms use data and analytics to track the impact of PR efforts, allowing companies to adjust strategies for optimal results.

Data center PR firms shape the public image and perception of companies within the data center industry. They help organizations navigate complex communication challenges, build trust with stakeholders, and strategically position themselves in a competitive landscape. They provide value in maintaining a positive reputation, managing crises effectively, and ensuring data center companies can thrive and grow in an ever-evolving industry.

Data Center Recruiting

Data center recruiting firms identify, source, and match qualified talent with job opportunities within the industry. These recruiters help data center companies find and hire the right personnel to meet their needs.

Industry Expertise: Data center recruiting firms have a deep understanding of the data center sector, including its unique job roles, technical requirements, and industry-specific challenges.
Access to a Talent Pool: They have access to a broad network of potential candidates with diverse skills and experience levels, making it easier to find the right fit for open positions.
Time Savings: Data center recruiters save companies significant time and resources by handling the entire hiring process, from sourcing candidates to conducting initial interviews and background checks.
Specialized Roles: Data center recruiting firms excel at identifying and placing candidates in specialized roles such as data center technicians, engineers, security experts, and facility managers.
Talent Assessment: Recruiters use their expertise to assess candidate qualifications, ensuring that applicants meet the specific technical and soft skill requirements of data center positions.
Market Insight: They provide valuable insights into hiring trends, salary benchmarks, and competitive intelligence within the data center job market.
Efficiency: Data center recruiting firms streamline the recruitment process, resulting in faster hiring timelines and reduced time-to-fill for critical positions.
Confidentiality: For sensitive executive searches or confidential hiring needs, recruiters offer discretion and confidentiality throughout the hiring process.
Cultural Fit: They consider company culture and values when matching candidates, ensuring a good fit within the organization's work environment.
Global Reach: Many recruiting firms have an international reach, allowing them to identify talent locally and from a broader geographic pool.
Temporary and Contract Staffing: Data center recruiters can provide temporary and contract staffing solutions for short-term projects or to cover staffing gaps.
Reduced Turnover: By carefully vetting candidates for skills and cultural alignment, recruiters help reduce turnover rates and improve employee retention.
Diversity and Inclusion: They can assist in promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives by actively seeking candidates from underrepresented groups.
Customized Solutions: Recruiting firms tailor their services to meet the specific needs and preferences of data center companies, whether they require contingency, retained, or executive search services.
Market Competitiveness: In a competitive job market, data center recruiting firms help companies stand out to attract top talent by crafting compelling job offers and recruitment strategies.

Data center recruiting firms help companies efficiently and effectively fill critical positions with the right talent. Their industry expertise, extensive networks, and ability to navigate the unique demands of data center roles make them invaluable assets for businesses seeking to thrive and innovate in this dynamic field.

Data Center Sales

Data center sales companies include agencies, brokers, and consultancies specializing in facilitating the sale of data center-related products and services. These entities play a crucial role in connecting data center providers, equipment manufacturers, and service vendors with customers needing data center solutions.

Market Expertise: Data center sales companies possess in-depth knowledge of the data center industry, enabling them to match customers with the most suitable solutions based on their specific requirements.
Access to a Network: They maintain extensive networks of data center professionals and potential buyers, providing clients with a broad customer base and market reach.
Efficient Sales Process: Sales agencies streamline the sales process, accelerating the time-to-revenue for data center companies by identifying and connecting them with qualified leads.
Custom Solutions: Data center sales consultancies help clients tailor their offerings to meet customers' unique needs, fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Technical Expertise: They understand the technical aspects of data center products and services, allowing them to communicate effectively with clients and customers.
Market Insights: Sales firms offer valuable market insights and competitive intelligence, helping clients stay informed about industry trends and positioning.
Vendor Partnerships: They often have partnerships and relationships with leading data center equipment and service providers, enabling clients to access cutting-edge solutions.
Negotiation Skills: Sales agencies are skilled negotiators, helping clients secure favorable deals and contracts that align with their business goals.
Global Reach: Many data center sales companies operate internationally, facilitating worldwide expansion and market entry for clients.
Customer Relationship Management: They assist in building and managing customer relationships, ensuring that clients maintain strong connections with their customer base.
Lead Generation: Data center sales firms generate high-quality leads, ensuring a steady stream of potential customers for clients' products and services.
Market Positioning: Sales agencies help clients position themselves competitively within the market, enhancing their brand recognition and reputation.
Cross-Selling Opportunities: They identify cross-selling opportunities within clients' portfolios, maximizing revenue potential from existing customers.
Risk Mitigation: Sales consultancies assist clients in managing risks associated with sales processes, including legal and contractual matters.
Product Launch Support: Data center sales agencies provide support during product launches, ensuring successful market entry and adoption.

Data center sales companies are valuable partners for businesses operating in the data center industry. They provide industry expertise, market access, and sales acumen that help clients effectively promote and distribute their data center solutions. By facilitating sales and connecting providers with customers, these entities contribute significantly to the growth and success of the data center sector.

Who Needs Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies?

Data center sales and marketing companies bridge the gap between technology solutions and the businesses that require them. Which stakeholders need these sales and marketing companies?

Data Center Providers

Data center operators and service providers require sales and marketing companies to help them:

Attract New Customers: Sales and marketing firms can expand their customers’ customer base by identifying potential customers, conducting targeted marketing campaigns, and generating leads.
Showcase Services: They can effectively promote the data center's infrastructure, services, and features to potential clients, emphasizing reliability, scalability, and security.
Competitively Position: Sales and marketing experts can analyze the market and help data center providers position themselves competitively, differentiating their offerings from rivals.
Streamline Sales Processes: These firms facilitate smoother sales processes, ensuring that prospects receive timely information, tour facilities, and receive proposals promptly.
Position Thought Leadership: Sales and marketing efforts position industry data center providers as thought leaders through content marketing, webinars, and expert insights.
Expand Globally: For data center providers looking to expand internationally, these firms provide the expertise needed to enter new markets and secure partnerships.

Enterprises

Enterprises benefit from data center sales and marketing companies in various ways, including:

Select Vendors: Sales agencies assist enterprises in evaluating and selecting data center providers, ensuring compatibility with their specific needs and goals.
Access Solutions Showcases: Marketing efforts highlight the features and benefits of data center solutions, helping enterprises understand how they can improve efficiency, security, and scalability.
Optimize Costs: Sales experts help enterprises negotiate favorable contracts and pricing structures with data center providers, optimizing costs while maintaining quality.
Get Technical Guidance: Enterprises can rely on these companies to explain complex technical aspects of data center services and assist in aligning them with their business objectives.
Mitigate Risks: Agencies provide insights into the reliability and security measures at data center facilities, reassuring enterprises about their data's safety.
Transition Seamlessly: Firms can facilitate a smooth transition to data center services, ensuring the migration process is well-managed and minimizes disruptions.
Plan Scalability: Enterprises can explore scalable solutions and expansion possibilities through the guidance and expertise of sales and marketing partners.

Technology Vendors

Companies that offer products and services tailored for data centers rely on sales and marketing experts to:

Expand Reach: These firms help technology vendors access a broader market by identifying potential data center clients and creating marketing strategies tailored to their needs.
Promote Products: Sales and marketing agencies promote technology solutions by showcasing their features and benefits, emphasizing how they align with data center requirements.
Introduce Partnering Opportunities: Sales experts identify potential data center partners for technology vendors, helping them establish mutually beneficial relationships.
Position Competitively: Marketing efforts highlight the unique selling points of technology products, allowing vendors to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Gain Industry Insights: Data center sales and marketing firms provide valuable market insights and trends to technology vendors, informing product development and innovation.
Engage Customers: They assist in engaging and nurturing relationships with data center clients, leading to repeat business and long-term partnerships.

Industry Associations

Regulatory bodies and industry associations may also seek sales and marketing support for the following reasons:

Promote Industry Standards: These organizations can use sales and marketing efforts to advocate for industry best practices and compliance with regulatory standards.
Engage Members: Sales agencies can help associations attract and retain members by showcasing the value of membership through marketing initiatives.
Promote Events: Industry events and conferences benefit from sales and marketing support to attract attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors.
Disseminate Information: Sales and marketing companies assist in disseminating critical information, research, and insights to industry stakeholders, fostering growth and collaboration.

Data center sales and marketing companies connect technology solutions with those who need them. These firms play a pivotal role in driving industry growth, fostering partnerships, and ensuring businesses can make informed decisions regarding data center services and technologies. Their expertise in sales and marketing strategies helps stakeholders effectively navigate the complexities of the data center landscape.

Who Leads Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies and Their Top Concerns

Data center sales and marketing companies are typically led by individuals with a combination of industry expertise, business acumen, and a keen understanding of marketing and sales strategies. These leaders drive the success of their companies and address the unique challenges and concerns within the data center sector.

Leadership Profiles

Industry Veterans: Many data center sales and marketing companies are led by individuals with extensive experience in the data center industry. They often have backgrounds in data center operations, technology, or related fields, giving them a deep understanding of the industry's nuances.
Marketing and Sales Experts: Some leaders may come from marketing or sales backgrounds and have honed their expertise in understanding the data center market. They leverage their knowledge of marketing tactics and sales strategies to effectively promote data center solutions.
Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurs with a vision for filling gaps in the data center sales and marketing landscape may establish and lead these companies. They bring innovation and agility to the industry.
Tech-Savvy Professionals: In the rapidly evolving data center industry, tech-savvy leaders who are up-to-date with the latest technological trends are highly valuable. They can guide their companies in promoting cutting-edge solutions effectively.

Top Concerns of Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies

Market Competition: The data center industry is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for clients' attention. Data center sales and marketing companies face the challenge of differentiating themselves and their clients in a crowded marketplace.
Technology Advancements: Keeping pace with the rapid technology advancements in the data center sector is a significant concern. Staying updated on the latest innovations ensures that sales and marketing strategies remain relevant.
Regulatory Compliance: Data center providers must adhere to strict regulatory standards and certifications. Sales and marketing companies must ensure that their clients' services meet compliance requirements and communicate this effectively to potential customers.
Cybersecurity: The growing threat of cyberattacks and data breaches is a pressing concern. Data center sales and marketing firms must convey the robust security measures at data center facilities to address clients' security concerns.
Data Privacy: In an era of heightened data privacy concerns, companies must demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding customer data. Sales and marketing efforts should emphasize data protection measures.
Evolving Customer Needs: Customer preferences and requirements in the data center industry constantly evolve. Sales and marketing companies must adapt to changing customer needs and expectations.
Talent Acquisition: Attracting and retaining top talent in sales and marketing roles is crucial for the success of these companies. Competition for skilled professionals can be fierce.
Global Expansion: Expanding into international markets brings both opportunities and challenges. To support global growth, sales and marketing companies must navigate diverse cultural and regulatory landscapes.
Lead Generation: Generating high-quality leads is a perennial concern. Effective lead generation is essential for sustaining a healthy sales pipeline and achieving revenue targets.
ROI Measurement: Demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of sales and marketing efforts can be challenging. Companies must establish robust metrics and reporting systems to measure and communicate ROI effectively.
Content Creation: Creating valuable and engaging content that resonates with target audiences is a constant concern. The demand for fresh, informative content is high, and companies must meet this demand to stay competitive.
Customer Retention: Retaining existing clients is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Sales and marketing companies must focus on strategies to foster long-term client relationships.
Regulatory Changes: Keeping abreast of regulatory changes and adapting marketing and sales strategies accordingly is crucial to ensure compliance and avoid legal issues.
Global Economic Conditions: Economic fluctuations can impact the data center industry. Sales and marketing firms must monitor economic trends and adjust strategies as needed.
Technology Integration: Data center solutions often require seamless integration with clients' existing technology ecosystems. Sales and marketing companies must address integration concerns.

The leaders of data center sales and marketing companies must navigate a dynamic and competitive landscape. They must address concerns related to market competition, technology advancements, compliance, security, and evolving customer needs while continuously innovating to meet the unique challenges of the data center industry.

Challenges Facing Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies That Sell to Data Centers

Data center sales and marketing companies face several significant challenges in promoting data center solutions effectively. These challenges reflect the data center industry's complex and dynamic nature and its clients' evolving needs. Here are some of the biggest challenges they encounter:

Intense Competition: The data center market is highly competitive, with numerous providers and vendors vying for customers' attention. Data center sales and marketing companies must find creative ways to stand out in a crowded field.
Technical Complexity: Data center solutions often involve complex technologies and services. Communicating the technical details effectively to a non-technical audience can be challenging.
Rapid Technology Advancements: The data center industry evolves rapidly, with new technologies and innovations constantly emerging. Staying updated on the latest developments is essential for effective marketing and sales efforts.
Security Concerns: Data security is a top priority for enterprises, and data center providers must demonstrate robust security measures. Marketing these security features effectively while addressing client concerns can be challenging.
Data Privacy Regulations: Complying with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, adds complexity to marketing efforts. Companies must navigate these regulations to ensure data privacy compliance.
Changing Customer Preferences: Customer preferences and requirements in the data center industry constantly evolve. Sales and marketing companies must adapt to meet changing needs effectively.
Lack of Awareness: Many potential customers may not fully understand the value and benefits of data center solutions. Educating clients and prospects about the advantages of these services is an ongoing challenge.
Talent Acquisition: Attracting and retaining top sales and marketing talent can be competitive and costly. Data center sales and marketing firms must work to build and maintain strong teams.
Global Expansion: Expanding into international markets brings both opportunities and challenges. To support global growth, sales and marketing companies must navigate diverse cultural and regulatory landscapes.
Lead Generation: Generating high-quality leads is a perpetual challenge. Maintaining a consistent flow of qualified leads is essential for sustaining a healthy sales pipeline.
Content Creation: Creating valuable and engaging content that resonates with target audiences is an ongoing concern. The demand for fresh, informative content is high, and companies must meet this demand to stay competitive.
Customer Retention: Retaining existing clients is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Data center sales and marketing companies must focus on strategies to foster long-term client relationships.
ROI Measurement: Demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of sales and marketing efforts can be challenging. Companies must establish robust metrics and reporting systems to measure and communicate ROI effectively.
Regulatory Changes: The data center industry is subject to various regulations, which can change over time. Staying informed about regulatory updates and adapting marketing and sales strategies is crucial.
Economic Conditions: Global economic fluctuations can impact the data center industry. Sales and marketing firms must monitor economic trends and adjust strategies as needed to remain resilient.
Technology Integration: Data center solutions often require seamless integration with clients' existing technology ecosystems. Sales and marketing companies must address integration concerns to facilitate successful deployments.
Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals: Striking the right balance between achieving short-term revenue targets and investing in long-term growth can be challenging for sales and marketing companies.
Cultural and Language Barriers: When expanding into international markets, language, and cultural differences can present challenges in effective communication and market penetration.
Market Niche Specialization: Differentiating and creating a niche specialization can be challenging in a diverse data center provider and vendor market.

Data center sales and marketing companies serving enterprises and providers must navigate a complex landscape of technical, regulatory, competitive, and market-related challenges. Their success hinges on their ability to adapt, innovate, and effectively communicate the value of data center solutions in a rapidly evolving industry.

Comparing Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies vs. Data Center Technology Companies vs. Data Center Facilities Companies

Data center sales and marketing companies, data center technology companies, and data center facilities companies play distinct roles within the data center ecosystem. Each company category serves different functions, targets different customers, and faces unique challenges. Here, we'll compare the differences between these types of companies:

Target Audience

Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies: These companies primarily target enterprises seeking data center solutions and data center providers looking to expand their client base. They focus on generating leads, facilitating sales, and providing marketing services tailored to these audiences.
Data Center Technology Companies: These companies develop and sell data center-related technologies, such as hardware, software, and networking solutions. Their primary customers are data center providers and enterprises requiring advanced infrastructure.
Data Center Facilities Companies: These companies build, manage, and maintain physical data center facilities. Their clients include data center providers, colocation facilities, cloud service providers, and large enterprises needing dedicated data center space.

Core Services

Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies: They provide sales, lead generation, marketing, and communication services. They connect data center solutions with potential clients through targeted marketing campaigns and sales efforts.
Data Center Technology Companies: They develop and sell hardware, software, and technology solutions specifically designed for data center infrastructure. Their focus is on innovation, product development, and providing cutting-edge technology.
Data Center Facilities Companies: Their core services involve the design, construction, management, and maintenance of physical data center facilities. They specialize in ensuring data center operations' reliability, security, and efficiency.

Expertise

Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies: They excel in sales strategies, lead generation, content creation, and digital marketing. They understand customer needs and effectively communicate the value of data center solutions.
Data Center Technology Companies: These companies have technical expertise in developing and engineering data center hardware and software. They focus on innovation, product design, and staying at the forefront of technology trends.
Data Center Facilities Companies: They have in-depth knowledge of data center design, construction, cooling, power management, and facility operations. Their expertise is in creating and managing physical data center infrastructure.

Challenges

Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies: Their main challenges include lead generation, differentiation in a competitive market, staying updated on industry trends, and effectively communicating technical concepts to non-technical clients.
Data Center Technology Companies: Challenges involve fierce competition, rapid technology advancements, ensuring compatibility with various data center environments, and demonstrating the value of their products.
Data Center Facilities Companies: They face challenges related to construction costs, facility maintenance, energy efficiency, scalability, compliance with regulations, and disaster recovery planning.

Revenue Model

Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies: They typically generate revenue through service contracts, lead generation fees, and commissions from successful sales.
Data Center Technology Companies: Their revenue primarily comes from selling hardware and software products, licensing fees, and maintenance contracts.
Data Center Facilities Companies: They generate revenue through leasing data center space, colocation services, facility management contracts, and energy efficiency consulting.

Role in the Ecosystem

Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies: They act as intermediaries connecting data center providers and technology companies with potential clients. They facilitate the growth of the data center industry by promoting and selling solutions.
Data Center Technology Companies: They are the innovators and solution providers, driving technology advancements in the data center sector. Their products enable data center facilities and providers to offer high-performance services.
Data Center Facilities Companies: They provide the physical infrastructure that houses and supports data center operations. They ensure the reliability, security, and sustainability of data center facilities.

Data center sales and marketing companies, technology companies, and facilities companies serve distinct but interconnected roles within the data center ecosystem.

While sales and marketing companies focus on connecting clients with solutions, technology companies drive innovation, and facilities companies ensure the physical infrastructure's reliability and efficiency. Each plays a vital part in the continued growth and development of the data center industry.

What Enterprises and Data Center Providers Look for When Choosing Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies

When enterprises and data center providers are choosing data center sales and marketing companies to work with, they typically consider a range of factors to ensure they partner with an organization that aligns with their needs and goals.

Here are the key aspects that clients look for when selecting data center sales and marketing companies:

Industry Expertise: Clients seek sales and marketing companies that deeply understand the data center industry. They want partners who are familiar with the intricacies of data center solutions, trends, and the competitive landscape.
Track Record: A strong track record of success is crucial. Clients look for evidence that the sales and marketing company has a history of delivering results, generating leads, and facilitating successful deals within the data center sector.
Client References: Positive testimonials and references from previous clients are often sought-after. Hearing about successful collaborations with similar businesses can provide assurance and build trust.
Market Knowledge: Clients want a partner who can comprehensively understand the target market. This expertise includes knowledge of customer pain points, market trends, and competitive intelligence.
Customization: Data center clients have unique needs and offerings. They prefer sales and marketing companies that can tailor their strategies to align with the client's specific goals and target audience.
Lead Generation: Generating high-quality leads is a primary concern. Clients look for partners with proven lead generation strategies that can deliver a consistent flow of qualified leads.
Marketing Capabilities: Effective marketing is essential. Clients seek companies that excel in content creation, digital marketing, social media management, and other marketing channels to reach the right audience.
Sales Expertise: Successful sales strategies are super-important. Clients want partners with a skilled sales team that can effectively close deals, negotiate contracts, and communicate the value of data center solutions.
Global Reach: For clients with international ambitions, having a partner with global reach is valuable. The ability to access international markets and establish partnerships is a significant asset.
Technological Alignment: Clients want to work with companies that understand and can effectively market the technology solutions they offer. This approach involves conveying the technical benefits clearly and compellingly.
Creativity: Creativity in marketing campaigns and sales approaches can set a company apart. Clients appreciate partners who can think outside the box and create innovative strategies.
Communication: Effective and transparent communication is essential. Clients seek partners who keep them informed, provide regular updates, and are responsive to inquiries and concerns.
Data Analytics: Demonstrating the ability to gather and analyze data is valuable. Clients look for partners who can measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and sales efforts and make data-driven adjustments.
Cultural Fit: A cultural fit is vital for a productive partnership. Clients often prefer partners with similar values, work ethics, and communication styles.
Regulatory Awareness: Data center clients operate in a heavily regulated environment. They seek partners who are well-versed in industry regulations and can help ensure compliance in marketing and sales efforts.
Adaptability: Adapting to changing market conditions and evolving client needs is crucial. Clients want partners who can pivot when necessary and stay ahead of industry trends.
Reputation: A strong reputation in the data center industry is highly valued. Clients prefer partners with a positive industry image and who are well-regarded by peers and competitors.
Transparency: Transparency in pricing, contracts, and reporting is essential. Clients want to understand how their investment is being used and what results they can expect.
Ethical Conduct: Clients look for partners that uphold ethical standards in their sales and marketing practices. Transparency, honesty, and integrity are highly valued.
ROI Focus: Ultimately, clients want to see a return on their investment. They seek partners who can demonstrate the ROI of their sales and marketing efforts through measurable outcomes.

Choosing the right data center sales and marketing company is crucial for enterprises and data center providers. Clients carefully evaluate potential partners based on their industry knowledge, track record, customization capabilities, lead generation, marketing expertise, and ability to align with the client's goals and values. An effective partnership can significantly impact the success and growth of a data center business.

Why Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies Need to Modernize Their Product and Service Offerings and Go-to-Market Game Plan (Disrupt or Be Disrupted)

Data center sales and marketing companies must continually modernize their product and service offerings to remain competitive and effective in the rapidly evolving data center industry. Why?

Technology Advancements: The data center industry is characterized by rapid technology advancements. New hardware, software, and infrastructure solutions emerge regularly. To effectively market and sell these solutions, sales and marketing companies must stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and incorporate them into their offerings.
Changing Customer Needs: Data center clients' needs and preferences evolve as technology and business landscapes change. Modernizing product and service offerings allows sales and marketing companies to align with these changing requirements and offer solutions that meet current demands.
Enhanced Competitive Edge: Staying current and innovative gives sales and marketing companies a competitive edge. Clients are more likely to choose partners who can provide cutting-edge solutions and demonstrate a commitment to staying ahead of the curve.
Improved Efficiency: Modernized tools and technologies can streamline sales and marketing processes, increasing efficiency. Automation, data analytics, and CRM systems can optimize lead generation, customer relationship management, and marketing campaigns.
Enhanced Security Measures: As data security concerns continue to grow, modernizing offerings to include advanced security measures is crucial. Clients need assurance that their data is protected, and sales and marketing companies can market security as a critical feature.
Adaptation to Digital Trends: The modern business landscape is increasingly digital. Clients expect digital marketing strategies, online engagement, and easy access to information. Modernizing offerings includes embracing digital marketing and communication channels.
Global Reach: Modernizing product and service offerings can include expanding global reach. With businesses looking to expand internationally, having the capability to reach global markets is a significant advantage.
Data-Driven Insights: Modernized offerings often incorporate data analytics tools that provide valuable insights into client behavior, market trends, and campaign performance. This data-driven approach allows for more informed decision-making and targeted marketing efforts.
Mobile Accessibility: Mobile devices play a significant role in business communication and research. Ensuring that marketing materials and sales processes are mobile-friendly is essential in the modern business environment.
Sustainability Focus: The data center industry is increasingly focused on sustainability and energy efficiency. Modernizing offerings to include eco-friendly solutions and sustainability marketing can appeal to environmentally-conscious clients.
Cloud and Edge Computing: Modern data center solutions often involve cloud and edge computing technologies. Sales and marketing companies must understand and effectively promote these solutions to clients embracing these trends.
Content Marketing: Content marketing is a forward-thinking and effective strategy for engaging clients. Modernized offerings often include content creation services that produce valuable and informative content to attract and educate clients.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML technologies are transforming the data center industry. Modernized offerings can incorporate AI-driven analytics and predictive modeling to provide clients with more advanced insights and solutions.
Client-Centric Approach: Modernization often involves adopting a more client-centric approach. Understanding client pain points, goals, and objectives allows sales and marketing companies to tailor their offerings and messaging accordingly.
Agility and Flexibility: Modernized offerings are often more agile and adaptable to changing market conditions. This agility is crucial in a fast-paced industry where client needs can shift rapidly.
Thought Leadership: Clients appreciate partners who can provide thought leadership and industry insights. Modernized offerings often include thought leadership content and events that position the sales and marketing company as an industry expert.
Data Privacy Compliance: Modernized offerings must align with evolving data privacy regulations. Clients expect partners to have a strong focus on data privacy and compliance.

According to Gartner research, 83% of business-to-business (B2B) purchase decisions happen before a potential buyer even talks to a sales professional. This process includes conducting research, comparing options, and evaluating pricing.

McKinsey & Company found that between 70% and 80% of B2B decision-makers now prefer to make decisions using digital means, like websites and online resources.

In its B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, LinkedIn and Edelman concluded that although thought leadership is still crucial for engaging customers, it's become challenging to stand out amid all the noise.

Have you ever been told to watch out for the six most dangerous words?

"We've always done it this way."

That mindset served the taxi industry poorly when Uber and Lyft came along. Blockbuster Video didn't fare well against Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming giants. And remember when Motorola and BlackBerry dominated the mobile market? They fell behind when smartphones took over.

And what about Microsoft? They didn't do so hot when they timidly entered the mobile device space while trying to protect their desktop OS franchise.

So, here's a critical question for data center sales and marketing companies:

Are you ready to be the disruptor rather than getting disrupted? And should you rethink your go-to-market strategy for growth before it's too late?

To avoid being left behind, consider two undeniable realities:

Your ideal clients only want to spend time with your sales team once they're very far along in their decision-making journey. According to Gartner, that point is at 83%. Prospects now actively avoid speaking with sales reps during most of their research.
Closing a sale isn't the endgame; it's just the start. In a world where customer happiness, retention, and growth are crucial, selling to the wrong clients can stall your company’s growth. To succeed, you need everyone on your go-to-market team—sales, marketing, customer success, product, channel partnerships, and leadership—to be on the same page with account retention and expansion.

Because technology is changing quickly, and customers want new ways of purchasing, data center sales and marketing companies need to update how they market and sell their services. If they do this, they can become flexible and focused on customers, providing the fast, adjustable, and unique solutions data center technology companies, data center facilities companies, data center construction companies, and data center real estate companies need today.

Conversely, those who resist change may struggle to compete with more adaptable players in the dynamic data center sales and marketing landscape. A "disrupt or be disrupted" mentality is essential to thrive in this environment.

Modernization is essential for data center sales and marketing companies to remain relevant and competitive in a dynamic and technology-driven industry. Embracing new technologies, adapting to changing client needs, and staying ahead of industry trends are crucial elements that can lead to sustained success and growth.

Other Data Center Sales and Marketing Resources

For Data Center Events Producers

4 Ways Data Center Providers Get the Most Out of Webinars Most data center executives and cloud service providers understand the value of webinars. A well-executed webinar educates, builds trust, and converts leads into customers. Webinars are complex campaigns that require a lot of preparation, material, and promotion to get business owners the most value for their content. With all the time and effort required to plan a webinar, it is crucial to remember to promote both the live and the recorded version to draw in prospects/clients. The following are various ways data center executives and cloud service providers can promote webinars before and after the initial broadcast.

6 Next Generation Data Center Best Practices for Website Landing Pages Mid-market and enterprise IT evaluators and decision-makers now research data center services differently than they did five years ago. Today, so much research is being done online with search and social before they reach out to any data centers; 83% of their mind is already made up. So, with this drastic change in shopping and buying behaviors, how do you ensure that your data center is at least in the consideration set at this critical early stage of the buyer’s journey? In this post, you’ll learn about six best practices that next-generation data centers need to be mindful of when planning to generate leads and accelerate the sales cycle with their website landing pages.
How Data Centers Can Promote Webinars Webinars are an extremely beneficial addition to your master plan for your revenue growth strategy. People learn in different ways -- visual, verbal, logical, or physical. Therefore, providing educational content in different formats for different learning styles is important. That said, live or recorded web events are great for visual learners and those who enjoy listening versus reading. But how do you get people to attend?

How Data Centers Create Effective, Live Events Data centers and cloud service providers have likely hosted an in-person networking event. Maybe a breakfast or cocktail party in their office to bring in potential clients for a tour or to meet the team. But have you considered using webinars to build relationships with clients who may be too far away to stop in for an hour or two? But how can you be sure the right people will hear about it and attend?

How Data Centers Educate Through Webinars When developing a webinar, many steps are critical to the webinar’s success. You must choose the right topic, speakers, timeslot, and tools to power full-funnel revenue growth, set up your pre-flight checklist, and create and promote your webinar.

How Data Centers Find the Right Webinar Topics Finding the right topic is the second-best webinar practice for data centers and colocation providers. Sometimes, finding the proper content that fits your business’ buyer persona can be difficult. However, you can take many different avenues to find an attractive topic that will appeal to your audience.

How to Repurpose Data Center Webinars as Offline Events After conducting a live data center webinar event and distributing the recorded version, don’t you think putting the technology away and sharing your knowledge in person would be beneficial? Although some people love the concept of webinars, others still prefer meeting people in person, and those people could be potential leads. So, what can you do to promote and conduct an offline version of your webinar?

How to Track Data Center Leads Before, During, and After Conferences In the data center industry, conferences are a big deal. In the U.S. alone, there’s a host of local, regional, and national conferences, including those from 7×24 Exchange, AFCOM/Data Center World, Bisnow | Data Center Commercial Real Estate Events, CAPRE, Critical Facilities Summit, DatacenterDynamics DCD, DCAC Austin, Gartner | IT Infrastructure, Operations Management & Data Center Operations Conference, International Telecoms Week | ITW, and NANOG.

Which 21 Data Center Experts Speak at Conferences? Over the past few years, our research and buying habits have drastically changed. Search engines, social media, and mobile devices have become tightly interwoven into just about every personal and business interaction. Gatekeepers and intermediaries have become massively disrupted. For those in the data center and critical facilities industry, this change means it’s easier than ever to reach out to many data center experts. When you attend a conference for the data center- or mission-critical facilities industry, who are some of the most widely-regarded, most sought-after industry thought leaders you’re likely to hear speak?

Which Data Center Trade Shows Have the Best Social Media? If you want to stay on top of emerging trends in the industry, attending data center trade shows will be a great way to stay informed while making new connections. Whether it's vendors, competitors, or customers, it is a great opportunity to start networking. Several trade shows are scheduled this year, but which has the best social media presence?

Which Data Center Trade Shows Should You Attend? If you’re like many data center CEOs and other executives, you have a core list of trade shows and industry conferences on your “must” list each year. Regardless of whether your company exhibits, speaks at, or attends, which national and regional data center trade shows make the most sense for you to attend?

Your Data Center Webinars and CRM Follow Up Many data centers use webinars to help educate and build trust among prospective clients. Webinars may also be used to continue educating prospects once they become clients. Does your company use webinars to help educate and guide clients and prospects?

For Data Center Marketing Agencies, Data Center Media Companies, and Data Center Public Relations Agencies

2 Biggest Data Center Lead Generation Mistakes To generate qualified leads through a website, many parts must be included to find ideal clients successfully. You want to design a website that appeals to buyer personas and contains many actionable items or digital assets. Incorporating digital assets into your website builds trust with prospects and the current client base. Here are two proven mistakes that data centers experience when attempting to generate leads.

2 Ways Colocation Services Stink Up Their Social Media Social media is an interesting animal. Why? Because a lot of people take what they know from their personal lives and try to apply that to marketing and selling their colocation services. Left unchecked and unchallenged, this arrogance can really screw up their social media presence. So, looking at things with a more positive spin, what are the most important social media best practices?
3 Data Center Marketing Tactics Most Companies Need In Their Mix Most companies in the data center, cloud services, and mission-critical industries invest in marketing like the iPhone, Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Alexa had never been invented. The typical excuse-making centers around things like: “We’re not there yet.” “We don’t have the bandwidth.” “There’s no budget.” or “Our customers are different.” So regardless of your excuse for why your marketing and sales teams are living in the past and “under-resourced,” consider these three data center marketing tactics that most companies need in their promotional mix.
3 Ways Colocation Data Centers Convert Website Visitors Into Leads Most executives at colocation data centers recognize the importance of having a website as a valuable 24/7 marketing and sales enablement asset. However, many colocation companies seem to fumble around when converting their website visitors into qualified leads.In this post, you’ll be introduced both to why and how your colocation website must be able to efficiently convert its visitors into marketing qualified leads.
4 Ways Wholesale Colocation Firms Convert More Leads and Clients Nearly all wholesale colocation firms have websites. But how many convert qualified leads and close ideal clients from strangers attracted to their websites? In this post, you’ll learn four ways for a wholesale colo firm to attract the right website visitors, convert those visitors into leads, close those leads into new clients, and delight clients so that they become their brand’s best promoters.qualified leads (MQLs).
6 Ways to Keep Your Data Center Blog Fresh One of the quickest and most important ways to get regularly published content in front of website visitors, social media followers, email subscribers, and search engines is by blogging. But blogging done right -- that feeds your sales funnel -- is harder than it looks. So here are six ways to keep your data center’s blog content fresh while satisfying the revenue growth goals of your sales team, executive team, and board:
9 Ways Data Center Professionals Can Get More Out of LinkedIn You have no idea what you're missing if you’re a data center professional and are not active on LinkedIn.For example, approximately 1.5 million LinkedIn members worldwide have the phrase “data center” somewhere in their profiles. Of those, almost a quarter million (248,600) have posted on LinkedIn during the past 30 days. With that in mind, here are nine ways that data center professionals -- especially those in executive, sales, marketing, business development, channel, account management, and product management roles -- can get more out of LinkedIn.
Are Data Center Businesses Dropping the Ball on Lead Generation Forms? When it comes to forms for generating and qualifying leads, most data center businesses are asleep at the wheel. In this post, you’ll learn how to effectively use lead generation forms to convert website visitors into leads and set your data center’s marketing and sales funnel up for scalable, predictable success.

Are Data Center Providers Getting Found Early Enough? Many data center providers use the same marketing and sales playbook they’ve depended on for the past decade. The problem, however, is that there have been dramatic changes in how many IT decision-makers navigate the buyer’s journey. In the right context, the key is getting found early enough to matter.

Are Your Data Center Solutions Getting Found Early Enough to Matter? 10 years ago, most IT decision-makers and evaluators learned about various data center solutions through cold calls from salespeople, trade show booths, direct mail, ads in trade publications, and spam emails. Today, the buying process has completely changed. The sales rep no longer runs the show because of major disruption from the consumerization of IT and the mainstream adoption of search engines, social media, mobile devices, and cloud computing. Most decision-makers and evaluators do as much as 80%+ of their upfront research before they’re even ready for a conversation with sales. In this post, you’ll learn why it’s so important for your company to get found early enough to matter to your ideal clients.

Best Data Center Advertising Channels The best advertising channels for your data center depend on where your buyer persona is already hanging out. How do we know which channels, groups, and hashtags to use? These priorities should all be discovered during your buyer persona research.

Building Trust and Authority with Data Center Clients Gimmicks, free add-ons, and reduced fees may be great tools for catching attention. Still, to sustain business growth, a data center must accomplish three things: Offer a service of consistently high quality. Inspire trust and be recognized as an authority. The latter is essential, as many businesses deliver quality products or services. Any company that goes to the extent of building trust and authority with its clients will have their loyalty for life.

Can Colocation Services Keep Up with High-Volume Content Creation? The marketing game has changed for data centers offering colocation services. Content pieces that are general in scope and released without a buyer persona in mind are essentially a wasted effort. The competitive landscape has also widened: a mile across town, the data center is no longer your only rival for customer attention. Now, you must also contend with businesses and groups targeting the same buyer persona. They can be local- or they could be across the country. Or on the other side of the planet.

Colocation Strategies for Optimizing Services, Target Market Selection, and Remaining Competitive Managed service providers and colocation providers once operated in unrelated markets, targeted different clients, and performed separate services. The lines continue to blur today as colocation, enterprise hosting, private cloud, and managed services serve the same/similar markets. Many colocation providers struggle to stay on task, identify the right clients and partners, and maintain pricing power. Learn how to provide managed services, assess your product/market fit, and get in front of today’s colocation buyer’s journey.

Data Center Challenges Around Measuring Marketing Results and ROI Measuring ROI on marketing initiatives is always challenging. It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how much business mileage a data center gets from the time its marketing team spends on social media posts, blog entries, and other forms of digital media. It’s easy enough to track how many people use and interact with those assets, but how many of them contribute to the data center’s bottom line by becoming a client?

Data Center Checklist for Analyzing Your Website Performance How’s your website’s performance? Do you have SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound)? Or is your website strategy largely based on superficial, vanity priorities? In this post, you’ll get introduced to a data center checklist that helps you analyze the revenue component of your website performance. You’ll also see which key metrics you need to pay attention to with website lead generation.

Data Center Marketing Plan Checklist “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” -- Benjamin Franklin. If Benjamin Franklin were alive today and he spoke at a data center conference, many in the audience would likely be curious about how his legendary kite experiment could be harnessed at scale for creating a source of sustainable energy. But on a more basic level, Franklin was a big proponent of planning. At some point, most marketing professionals in the data center industry are asked to create a demand generation plan. Here are a few thoughts -- a checklist of sorts -- on creating a data center marketing plan.

Do Colocation Companies Personalize Content for Buyer Personas? Until recently, colocation companies recently used demographic data to identify and attract their target market. Such vague details are not as useful for modern buyers. As a result, colocation companies and other businesses are struggling to understand and appeal to the buying behaviors of today’s buyers. The solution is buyer personas, which are swiftly becoming a marketing mainstay.

Do Colocation Data Centers Need SMARTer Goals? Ask the struggling business owner their plans, and you will likely hear, “Bring client numbers up.” Pose the same question to their more successful competitor, and you can expect an answer that includes clearly established and articulated, specific goals. Like any company, the success of a colocation data center hinges on the ability of its managers or owners to set and attain positive goals. The way to do that is SMART goal setting.

Do Colocation Hosting Websites Need Goals? What About Data Centers? Many that create and manage colocation hosting websites focus a lot on design and branding and not very much on achieving goals. And this – ignoring goals at the expense of design and branding -- is a terrific approach, as long as you’re still operating in an era where your sales team still dominated the buyer’s journey. Today, it’s quite different. Typically, 60% to 90% of the decision-making process for colocation hosting and data center-related services happens before a qualified prospect is ready for a conversation with someone from your sales team. This change represents a drastic shift in power towards the buyer, away from the seller, and one in which many firms are not getting found early enough. So, what goals need to be factored into your website and overall digital strategy?

Do Colocation Providers Need to Worry About Inbound Marketing? As cloud and managed services are popular, marketing is important in generating new business. Colocation providers haven’t always gotten this part right, so executives worry about tactics like inbound marketing. More than other marketing strategies, inbound marketing and lead generation makes the most sense in this context. This preferfence is because you can be there (with your online presence) at the exact moment when someone is searching for a solution that you’re able to provide. So, how can you go about doing this?

Does Your Colocation Data Center Need Buyer Personas? We live in an era where the competition for people’s attention has never been more intense. You'll rise above the noise if you are seen as a helpful, trusted advisor with remarkable content. If not, it will be as if you don’t exist. Invisible and irrelevant. So, if your colocation data center is trying to create helpful, remarkable content to attract your ideal clients, you need to be very realistic about the intense competition that you face from a variety of fronts

Email Marketing Best Practices for Colocation Data Centers Occasionally, some marketing prognosticator predicts that email marketing is on the decline, nearing the ninth inning, and no longer effective. Not even close. Why? 86% of business professionals prefer email over other ways to communicate. 59% of B2B marketers rank email marketing as their most effective revenue generation channel. And for every $1 invested in email marketing, $44 in new revenue is generated. But just because you send and receive emails doesn’t mean you’re ready to plan, manage, and optimize an email marketing campaign. With that in mind, what are some of the most important email marketing best practices for colocation data centers (and companies that sell to data centers)?

Fill Your Colocation Space Faster with Highly Personalized Content Thanks to changes in modern consumer habits with the rise of services such as Netflix and iTunes, which allow customer preference to drive the shopping experience, no single content strategy will resonate with everyone. Personalized content marketing has gathered momentum over the last couple of years and will be mandatory for colocation data centers that hope to grow.

Filling Your Data Center Space With Full-Funnel Inbound Marketing A few years back, if you were a CEO or sales director who needed to fill up your data center space with new clients, you bought more email lists and spammed more people. You pushed your sales team hard to make more cold calls. You bought banner ads and trade show booths to interrupt people.

Has Your Philadelphia Colocation Firm Set SMART Goals? Although not considered one of the top six data center markets in the United States, the Philadelphia, PA, colocation scene is quite crowded. With at least 17 colo firms in Philadelphia, each needs to spend some time differentiating itself from the pack. But when setting priorities, each of the players is likely after growth – of its square footage, of its clients, of its revenue, and its profitability. As noble as these aspirations are for Philadelphia colocation firms, they may not be SMART goals.

How Data Center Marketing Teams Generate More Website Leads As buyers of data center-related products and services become more digitally immersed, becoming addicted to their mobile devices and platforms like Airbnb, Amazon Prime, Facebook, Google, Netflix, and Uber, their buyer preferences have changed drastically. Ten years ago, a prospect or client needing data center- or enterprise- IT services spoke with someone on your sales team when that person was, perhaps, 10% to 20% into their buyer’s journey and 10% to 20% into their decision-making process. Those days are long gone.
How Data Center Providers Can Build an Effective Content Strategy As industry consolidation accelerates, the merger and acquisition announcements seem to pop up at least monthly. Within the data center, cloud services, and mission-critical space, colocation and wholesale providers struggle to differentiate in, many times, brutally competitive local and regional markets. One of the best ways for data center providers to stand out is to position their companies and their executives as subject matter experts and thought leaders. It sounds fairly straightforward in theory, but implementation can be way more challenging. So, what can providers of outsourced data centers do to build an effective content strategy?
How Data Centers Attract and Convert Leads To attract and convert their leads, data centers must educate prospects on how to solve their challenges. Businesses must build trust with clients and prospects to ensure they believe in your team to fix their problems. Content is the key to developing a trusting client relationship.

How Data Centers Build National Brand Awareness The web disproves the idea anyone is local. Obviously, you have your primary locations but may feel (rightly so) there is an advantage to conducting business in other parts of the region—or even parts of the country. When calculating product/market fit and developing buyer personas, your business's secondary goal may be to build brand awareness nationally. To grow your business’s national presence, you must be more specific and deliberate about the buyer personas you are trying to attract.

How Data Centers Can Get the Decision Maker's Attention The best ways for data centers to attract, approach, and get in front of today’s decision-makers are to educate prospects on the problems they are experiencing., focus on the decision-makers' interests and opportunities, and never allow the highest-paid person in their organization (the HIPPO) to advise against content that will add value to their prospect’s sales experience.

How Data Centers Connect the Dots Between Blogging and Lead Generation Blogging is the bread and butter of your data center business. Blogging powers your search engine optimization (SEO) and social media and provides material for further content production. So, how do data centers create remarkable content to attract prospects?

How Data Centers Generate More Highly-Qualified Leads To generate more highly qualified leads and opportunities, data centers must attract the right strangers as early as possible in the decision-making process. Stop assuming your website visitors are ready to buy; this is a common mistake often made in the data center industry, mid-market enterprises, and tech in general.

How Data Centers Get Their Content in Front of the Right Eyes Most colocation data centers understand the importance of promotion. There isn’t much sense in investing countless hours creating, developing, and revising a service only to shelf it and hope consumers come to you; this is where promotion kicks in. Promoting your colocation data services should be vital to your sales strategy.

How Data Centers Improve Website Conversion To improve your website conversion, you must have premium content, call-to-actions (CTAs), landing pages, and thank you pages. Your content has to attract prospects in all stages of the buyer’s journey, whether in the Awareness, Consideration, or Decision Stages.
How Data Centers Leverage Content to Educate and Build Trust It’s a simple idea. If you give your prospects and clients the right content at the right time, you will catch their attention, keep it, and hopefully close more deals. That’s part of the value of content marketing for data center providers. Another critical factor is that it allows you to educate and build trust with these audiences, an essential goal. Without trust, no relationship can progress past a certain level, especially in business. Here are ways your data center company can leverage content to educate people and build the trust that can inspire a long and mutually beneficial business relationship.

How Data Centers Segment to Differentiate When data center operators dump all of their leads into the same bucket and provide them with the same message, it is a huge problem and a missed opportunity. Segmenting leads is highly critical.

How Data Centers Use the Right Content for the Right Person When you create content that doesn’t speak to its intended audience, you are wasting valuable marketing resources and failing to inspire excitement and trust in the people who matter most to the future of your data center: current and potential clients.

How Wholesale Data Centers Attract Great Website Leads Most sales managers and executives in the data center industry focus on generating revenue and client retention. However, before new clients can come on board, you must first have leads for potential clients. Now that potential clients make as much as 90% of the decision before they’re ready to talk to your sales team, how can you make sure that your wholesale data center gets found early enough in the sales cycle to be relevant and in the mix?

How Your Data Center Can Attract More Ideal Buyers Does your data center want to attract more ideal buyers? The ideology behind blogging is to convert strangers into visitors. You do not want to attract just anybody through your content; you want your content to appeal to your buyer personas. To attract your ideal customers, you must create remarkable content that is relevant, educational, and interesting for the people who will potentially buy your services. Following are the key best practices that will make your inbound voyage successful.

Improving Lead Generation for Colocation and Data Center Solutions The key to generating leads is premium content. For colocation and data centers to attract visitors and convert them into leads, they must develop highly relevant premium content. What is premium content? Premium content is so good that people are willing to part with their contact information in return for access to it; that’s how they pay for it.

Is Your Colocation Data Center CEO in Search Engine Denial? Search engines have been around for a long time. Google, for example, traces its roots back to 1996. But it’s only been during the past few years that search engines, with social media and mobile devices, have become a disruptive force, reshaping how enterprise IT buyers research and make decisions on colocation data center services. Some CEOs of data center companies understand this. Others are in search engine denial.

Offline Marketing for Data Center, Cloud Services, and Mission Critical With all the hype that every announcement from Google, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn gets, you’d think there’s not much hope for offline marketing -- especially regarding campaigns for data centers, cloud services, and mission-critical kinds of businesses. But don’t count offline marketing out yet- even among tech-savvy buyers. Here are four tips to improve your results.

SMART Goals for Data Centers We have all heard a variation of the quote, “If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal - you have a wish.” It is true. When written down, the likelihood of remembering and completing a goal increases. To take productivity one step further, apply this method to a SMART goal, and you have a home run.

The Future of Colocation and Its Inbound Implications It is pretty safe to say that colocation is in flux, with increasing competition from cloud alternatives. However, many clients and data center operators seem to be settling into a more intermediate-term hybrid IT reality.

Tips for Branding Your Data Center After Acquisition Are you a post-merger and acquisition (M&A) data center? What should your data center be doing to brand the new company?

Buyer personas

Tips for Creating Data Center Blog Titles A blog title can’t be rushed. A blog title acts as an invitation for readers to view your content. The title sets expectations and an agenda and entertains readers, daring them to click on your content to learn more about their topic of interest. So, how do data centers create enticing blog titles and topics to attract viewers to their content?

Tips for Data Center Blogging Strategy Is your data center’s blogging strategy working? Ask yourself if you spend as much time on content creation as distribution. Creating extraordinary content for your buyer personas is a great way to start. However, promoting all your amazing content is key to reaching your audience.

What is the Colocation Data Center Buyer’s Journey? When speaking with directors and CEOs at colocation data centers, usually, one of the first things they want to discuss in their sales funnels is how to generate more highly qualified leads from their websites. What we find next, however, is usually both very widespread and, at the same time, alarming. Nine times out of ten, for a potential client that hasn’t touched their website in a few years, there are usually only two or three places on their entire website where a hot prospect can raise their hand and convert from a website visitor into a lead.

Which Data Center Service Providers Blog Well? Because data center service providers sell to a highly technical audience, a website with helpful, educational thought leadership content is more of a necessity than a luxury. In today’s highly competitive data center marketplace, that pretty much means that your website must have a blog and promote its content on social media. But it’s not enough to check off the box and say you have a blog.

Why Buyer Personas Are Critical for Data Center Revenue Growth A recent webinar informed data center C-level executives and sales directors how to use virtual events to educate their buyer personas and build trust at scale. One of the main highlights of the webinar was why top-of-funnel programs fail to grow revenue. Learn why here.

Why Data Center Consulting Websites Often Can't Scale When most people launch websites, they do so for various reasons. Usually high on the list of priorities is revenue generation. Yet, for most data center consulting websites, reaching a revenue goal remains elusive – even if it is a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound). Why?

Why Data Center Hosting Websites Market to Crickets Learn why so many data center hosting websites spin their wheels, attract virtually no strangers that matter, and end up marketing to crickets. But even more importantly, you’ll learn what you can do to avoid becoming that next statistic that was merely sold on the “Field of Dreams” vision.

Why Data Centers Focus Content on Goals Data centers and end users have different concerns and needs. Sure, there are some traits you could assign to both, but at the end of the day, the two have separate roles, and you must separate these two audiences to understand what they look for when evaluating partners. To create content that resonates with each audience, buyer personas must be generated, separate content must be made, and different topics must be covered.

Why Outbound Marketing is a Problem for Data Centers Does your data center still use outbound marketing to attract new clients? Outbound marketing refers to the traditional marketing model focusing on businesses seeking clients through interruptive tactics. Those who solely practice outbound tactics for data centers risk being left behind due to changes in buyer behavior and flawed methods.

For Data Center Sales Companies

3 Data Center Sales Productivity Tips Every data center sales team wants to sign up more clients. However, the average salesperson spends only 32% of their time selling. The rest of the time, they are engaged in minor administrative tasks that prevent them from focusing on expanding the company's client base. When they manage to follow up on leads, many of these people are not ready to commit to a purchase. These are common problems, but there are ways that a company can better support its sales team and eliminate their mundane tasks so that they can close more sales.

3 of the Best Data Center Broker Websites As businesses try to find the best solution for their colocation needs, data center brokers have increasingly played an important role in this process. As a result, some websites have popped up over the years to help fill in the gaps. The primary benefit of engaging a broker is getting help identifying opportunities that might not have been known to the business itself. When you work with good data center brokers, they will take the time to learn about your needs and identify opportunities that are best suited for your enterprise.

3 Personal Branding Tips for Data Center Sales & Marketing Executives The way prospects and clients research and purchase data center-related services has changed dramatically during the past five years. As a result, 80% or more of the decision-making process is over before a prospect even comes into contact with a data center company’s sales or marketing executives. So, what prospects uncover about you and your brand matters a lot. Here are three personal branding tips that are especially relevant to customer-facing sales and marketing professionals in the data center industry:

4 Ways Data Center Brokers Are Getting Disrupted Data center brokers typically bring expertise in commercial real estate and mission-critical IT facilities to help identify, vet, negotiate, and ultimately procure data center facilities on behalf of their clients. Now, with such an exceptionally complex transaction, brokers as intermediaries are still very much a healthy business model. However, there are four major ways that data center brokers have been disrupted in recent years.

5 Ways to Keep More Data Center Leads In Your Sales Funnel Regardless of whether your company invests in business development reps (BDRs), inbound marketing, or other forms of lead generation, lead gen done right requires significant investment. So, with that in mind, it’s imperative to make the most of the data center leads that you do have. In this post, we’ll look at five ways to keep more of your data center leads in your funnel.

Are Colocation Companies’ Sales Teams Prepared for What’s Coming? When you look at the sales teams at colocation companies, it’s often quite a diverse crowd. You often find some veterans with decades of experience in IT or telecommunications sales, some rookies, and quite a few in between. However, unless you have a very forward-thinking sales director working hand in hand with a very forward-thinking chief marketing officer, your colocation company’s ability to compete may be a lot more in jeopardy than you realize – especially if there’s no close alignment between your sales and marketing teams. Here’s why.

Do Data Center Colocation Services Know What Sales-Ready Looks Like? The primary goal for data center colocation service marketers is to obtain qualified leads. If your team uses inbound marketing strategies, you are in luck because most of these leads have already demonstrated an interest in your services and, at the very least, are considering a purchase. In this respect, you are already way ahead of data centers collecting leads through traditional marketing approaches.

Do Data Center Sales Teams Need Better Lead Tracking? Because of our industry specialization, we speak with many data center sales reps and sales leaders each year. What we always first quite surprising is how few sales teams for data center providers are getting leads provided by their marketing teams and lead tracking data or basic lead intelligence beyond just a few basic form fields.

How Can Data Center Sales Teams Remain Relevant? There’s no question about it: the buyer’s journey has changed in recent years, and data centers must modify their sales approach to expand their client base. Gone are the days when cold calling and direct mail yielded outstanding results, and consumers trusted the advice of sales staff implicitly. Most people already have their minds made up before they even approach a salesperson. How can a data center sales team remain relevant to buyers who are now more discerning and independent than ever before?

How Colocation Data Centers Accelerate Revenue Very few influencers and decision-makers buy colocation services on a whim. Engaging the services of a colo data center is almost always a very research-intensive, considered sales process that can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months – even years, depending on scope. You must understand your various deal stages and average sales cycle length to get a handle on your sales funnel. But given all of this, there are some concrete steps that your colocation data center can take to accelerate its revenue – so sales close faster.

How Colocation Providers Close Sales Faster in Today’s Buyer’s Journey Many colocation providers are growing slower than expected due to misguided trust in outdated marketing and sales playbooks. Over the past three to five years, we’ve seen dramatic changes in how IT evaluators and decision-makers navigate the buyer’s journey from prospect to paying client. The colocation providers that still market and sell how they have for the past decade much opportunity on the table. Here’s why.
How Data Center Operators Land Bigger Deals in Top Markets One of the challenges data centers face as they look to create more scalable, predictable revenue growth is product/market fit. Defined by Wikipedia as the degree to which a product (or service) satisfies strong market demand, product/market fit is something product managers wrestle with at both midsize and large data centers.

How Data Center Sales Teams Easily Close Better Clients For data center sales teams to close more world-class clients, first define what world-class clients are. Be super crisp about the meaning of world-class so it can be used to segment leads.

How Data Center Sales Teams Improve Pipeline Activity You and your data center sales team need a strong grasp of product/market fit to improve your pipeline activity and results. Product/market fit describes how well products and services at the right price points fill market demand. People do tons of research upfront before they are ready to engage with your sales team. You want to learn how the buyer’s journey has changed.

How Data Centers Attract Prospects In Small Markets First and foremost, let’s quantify—regarding your sales team's ability to attract prospects in a small market—what small is.
How Data Centers Improve Prospecting for New Clients Before your data center's marketing and sales teams can start promoting and selling your products and services, you must find and contact potential clients. In other words, prospecting. Identifying prospective clients requires understanding your market and industry, which involves research and the ability to draft buyer personas.

How Data Centers Use Social Selling to Increase Sales Social selling has become extremely popular. It’s replacing traditional marketing tactics, such as cold-calling and bulk mailings. Selling through social networks is helping many data centers with their sales and lead generation through continually publishing eye-catching content that draws their customers to them.

How IT Buyers Make Data Center Purchase Decisions If a data center wants to gain more clients, its sales team needs to understand how IT buyers research and make purchasing decisions.

How Social Media Can Grow Your Data Center Sales Results Every hour, 1 million profiles are viewed on LinkedIn. 4 million comments are made on Instagram. 167 million views are generated on YouTube. 21 million tweets are posted on Twitter. And 8 million photos are uploaded to Facebook. With breathtaking stats like these, it’s no wonder that most forward-thinking business executives want to use social media to attract new clients. And for tech-savvy businesses in the data center, cloud services, and mission-critical industries, the business growth potential is even more pronounced. So, what can sales and marketing professionals do to use social media to grow data center sales results?

How to Generate Leads for Data Center Clients (Colocation or Wholesale) This short video introduces you to a go-to-market strategy for generating leads in the data center space.

How to Navigate Data Center Challenges During Long Sales Cycles When you think about data center challenges in today's marketplace, you might first consider the changing nature of data centers, competition, funding, regulations, and site selection. But CEOs and sales directors for data centers face revenue forecast challenges when navigating the longer sales cycles associated with closing six-, seven-, and sometimes even eight-figure deals. In this post, you'll learn how to advance the typical data center sales cycle, usually between a few months and a few years.

Positioning Your Data Center Sales Process to Gain Leverage When buyers make purchasing decisions—whether for data center services or new computer equipment—they prefer dealing with experts. They want a vendor with a proven solution for their needs and who understands what they want. For the sales team, that means gaining more leverage in the sales process by positioning themselves as experts in their field. And making it clear that they understand their buyer’s problem and know how to correct it. For many companies, this requires them to transform how they position themselves.

Solving for Data Center Growth While industry consolidation looms large, data center growth must stay on the front burner for CEOs and sales directors. To make this happen, several interrelated challenges need to be addressed when solving for profitable, scalable growth.

Top 3 Data Center Best Practices for Closing New Sales Faster Most small- to mid-sized data center firms, especially those in the colocation business, have a VP of sales who reports directly to the CEO. In most cases, the VP of sales is responsible for growing both the quantity and the quality of revenue (profitability). But a timing element also comes into play when sales execs always want to accelerate the sales cycle.

Why Data Center Sales Directors Let Marketing Control Their Paychecks The buyer’s journey for mid-market and enterprise technology has changed drastically in recent years. As recently as ten years ago, cold calling, direct mail, rented email lists, and elaborate trade show booths were all essential parts of the playbook for data center sales directors. Today, it’s an entirely different buyer’s journey – a different ball game if you like baseball analogies.

Other Data Center Sales and Marketing Resources

8 Signs Your Data Center's Sales and Marketing Are Falling Behind In many cases, data center sales and marketing teams are using the same basic playbooks and tools that they’ve used for the past 10 or 15 years -- which can be a huge mistake given the dramatic change in buyer preferences during the past five years. Here are eight building blocks that companies in the data center industry or that sell to the data center industry need to have in place -- yesterday -- but frequently don't. In other words, these are the eight signs that your sales and marketing teams are living in the past and falling behind in the competitive race for the best clients.

Are Colocation Hosting Providers Aligned Around Shared Goals? Getting sales and marketing teams on the same page is a problem in every corporate setting. For most colocation hosting providers, marketing is responsible for sourcing leads, while sales convert leads into clients. Unfortunately, the two teams rarely work in tandem, and according to HubSpot, 87% of the words sales and marketing personnel use to describe one another are less than flattering. The good news is there are ways hosting providers can fix this situation.

Differentiating Your Data Center in a Crowded Market Interestingly, if you look at market research firms or conference organizers, they often look at the five or six biggest data center regions in the U.S. as Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Dallas, Texas, Northern and Southern California, and Chicago, Illinois. Every once in a while, you will see them break away from these most popular data center locations. For instance, we have seen much more data center activity in the Pacific Northwest, Utah, and different Midwest areas lately.

Does Data Center Consulting Get You Trusted Advisor Status? Although buyers today have vast amounts of information available to assist in purchasing decisions, the reality is that so much data can be disorienting. Trusted advisors help make sense of complex information and cut through all the noise to reach a colocation solution that’s right for their organization.

Has Your Server Colocation Revenue Growth Stalled? If you’re a server colocation company's CEO or sales director, you already have much on your plate. For example, your typical week might be spent developing and improving processes, leading strategic initiatives, managing and mentoring staff, managing major client accounts, and speaking at industry events. But when push comes to shove, you’re likely also accountable to your board and investors about revenue growth – which, if at any time has stalled, will indeed not sit well.

How Best to Enhance Your Data Center Thought Leadership To position your data center as a world-class communicator, grow your business, and attract world-class clients, do not be a sloppy blogger. Do not only blog once in a blue moon, and do not solely put glorified press releases on your blog. The above strategies may have cut it ten years ago, but they will not cut it today. Strive for a helpful, educational blog that serves as the foundation for everything. There is no reason for anyone—especially your buyer personas—to pay attention to your content on search or social channels if your content is not educational..

How Colocation Providers Analyze Competition and the Buyer's Journey The colocation market is steadily changing as entities such as colocation, enterprise hosting, private cloud, and managed services begin to merge and intertwine. Where each enterprise once held different markets, clients, business models, and offerings, the line continues to blur as each competitor strives to preserve their stake in the market. This competitive atmosphere makes it essential for colocation providers to stay on task, identify the right clients and partners, and maintain their pricing power.

How Data Center Cleaning Companies Attract More Clients Data centers are known to be selective environments, requiring expert tending; from dust build-up down to raised floor cleaning, it truly takes a professional to execute the proper maintenance. Due to their fickle nature, data center professionals are quite selective with the vendors they allow on their premises. These individuals value their facilities highly and seek partnerships that understand and respect these boundaries. So, how does one secure a contract with a data center facility?

How Data Center Consultants Retain Customers Customer retention is one of the most valuable assets businesses can acquire. Customer retention is more than just a contract renewal for data center consultants. Often, these repeat customers lead to free publicity, referrals for other qualified leads, and additional revenue, with many upgrading to other premium products/services.

How Data Center Infrastructure Builders Attract New Customers Attracting new clients comes down to understanding their needs, wants, and values. To attract prospects, data center infrastructure builders need to materialize sharp, engaging content conveying they understand data center needs better than any other contractors. Educational content will help builders attract prospects and develop full-funnel content and should follow up to fulfill their SMART goals.

How Data Center Realtors Find Colocation Clients As a commercial real estate broker for data centers, you are always looking to meet colocation users interested in expanding their business. These colocation users may need you to find rack space or another location to buy or rent for their servers and equipment. But what is the key to finding colocation users or your ideal customers? Here are four steps that will get colocation users to your doorstep.

How Data Centers Find the Right Clients Are you at a data center struggling to find the right clients to enter your front door? Then, you’ve come to the right place to learn the steps you need to take to get found by your ideal clients.

How Data Centers Grow Revenue Despite Limited Staff You can still grow revenue despite having limited staff at your data center. However, it depends on what you believe is a limited staff.

How Structural Engineers Attract Data Center Clients Data centers must be built to withstand any natural disaster or crisis. Therefore, when building a new data center facility, you must have an excellent structural engineer who can create a robust, secure building that meets your needs. If your firm specializes in data centers or other civil engineering projects, here are some tips on attracting clients or commercial building owners to your structural engineering firm.

How to Get the Right Clients for Your Data Center Solutions To attract the right clients to your data center solutions, it is essential to be found early in the buyer’s journey. Still, first you must satisfy several basic needs before beginning the attract phase.

How's Your Data Center Sales and Marketing Team's Social Media? Every day, 518,400 people join Facebook, 172,800 join LinkedIn, and 44,410 join Twitter. LinkedIn says over 1.5 million users have the phrase “data center” in their profiles. So, it’s understandable that data center sales and marketing teams prioritize social media in their promotional mix. But there’s a difference between being “on” social media and using social media effectively -- to attract the right prospects in the right places, at the right time, and most of all, in the proper context. Here are four big social mistakes that data center sales and marketing teams make -- so you don’t have to repeat their errors:

Is Your Data Center Colocation Sales and Marketing Living in the Past? Those in the colocation business have been through dizzying changes recenly. For many and their local competitors, this turbulence has included unprecedented mergers and acquisitions, increasing density, game-changing state tax incentives, system downtime threats, hyper-converged systems, and cloud threats and opportunities. However, it's been unsettling for many that market and sell data center colocation services. Why?

Launching a Data Center Channel Partner Program If you want to grow your data center's client list and revenue, you’ve likely at least considered building a channel partner program and recruiting like-minded VARs and MSPs. This go-to-market strategy is a very appealing proposition for many CEOs as you’ll likely reach highly fragmented market segments that wouldn’t be cost-effective to reach on your own. And you’ll gain an army of evangelists and sales staff without increasing your organization's headcount.

Mapping the Buyer’s Journey for Data Center Power and Cooling Sufficient power and cooling are critical in a data center environment. If cooling requirements are not appropriately implemented, the power needed to cool a data center can potentially exceed the power used to operate the equipment. Data centers must have a team to monitor the server room temperature and repair critical issues as they occur. As a cooling or power solutions consulting firm, you must consider the stages of the buyer’s journey, build your buyer personas, and become a trusted advisor in the industry.

Server Colocation Revenue Growth and Leverage If you regularly talk with people in sales and marketing at server colocation companies, you discover a highly fragmented industry with wide variations in target markets, services delivered, and average client lifetime value (LTV). Each colo provider needs a different path and plan for scalable, predictable revenue growth.

Should Colocation Centers Work Backwards from Revenue? In business, sometimes, going forward means looking back first. On the surface, it seems counterproductive to establish a goal (in this instance, a revenue target) first and then work backward to achieve it. Isn’t progress a forward motion? When used in business, this type of reverse engineering is a solid way for colocation centers to set sales and marketing activity goals that work.

What Data Centers Should Share on Social Media All too often, data centers share content that aligns with the Decision Stage of the buyer’s journey. Through their sales process, this content supports prospects in the final stage of their buyer’s journey, already 70% or more.

Which Marketing and Sales Strategies Work Best for Data Centers? A few approaches work well for data centers on their marketing and sales front. These approaches are described here.

Why Data Centers Should Use Social Media Millions of people and companies use social media daily. Keeping a healthy competitive presence in the industry means your data center must become more social. Social media can be approached in a few different ways to assist data centers.

Why Most Data Center Consultants' Websites Fail What data center consultants’ websites have in common? They all need to attract, convert, close, and delight mid-market and enterprise IT clients in an environment where the traditional marketing and sales playbook has become severely disrupted – courtesy of search, social, mobile, and the overall consumerization of IT. Learn why most websites for data center consultants fail to achieve their goals and what you can do about it.

About the Data Center Sales & Marketing Institute (DCSMI) and How It Empowers Go-to-Market Teams at Data Center Sales and Marketing Companies

If you’re part of a go-to-market team for a data center sales or marketing company, you play a pivotal role in the success of your data center-related business.

You and your colleagues ensure that products and services meet customer needs, get effectively promoted, and generate revenue in a competitive market.

Your team uses a combination of market research, strategic planning, collaboration, and customer-centricity to achieve its goals.

The Data Center Sales & Marketing Institute (DCSMI) is a boutique business advisory, consulting, and training firm for data center providers as well as IT, facilities, construction, real estate, and sales and marketing companies that partner with data center providers.

DCSMI understands the unique go-to-market challenges and opportunities that data center GTM teams face in this rapidly evolving data center marketplace, and we're here to help you excel.

Welcome to DCSMI, your strategic partner in navigating the complex world of data center go-to-market strategy and the role of GTM teams.