IT outsourcing in conditions of war: strategies for attracting customers

This article examines the positioning and marketing strategies for IT outsourcing companies in a war environment. The author offers a variety of approaches to attracting customers, including specialization by industry, development of personal brands, creation of highly specialized content and formation of strategic partnerships.

IT outsourcing strategies

Challenges for Ukrainian IT companies

Dmytro Semyonov, strategist and co-founder of the MarTech startup Aiter.io, in his author's column for ELBUZ, analyzes the current problems of outsourcing IT companies and offers potential solutions from the point of view of marketing.

IT Outsourcing Survival Strategies in War How to Win Clients

Talking with the founders of Ukrainian outsourcing IT agencies, he discovered the following common problems:

Decrease in number and volume of orders due to general market downturn, cautiousness of venture capital funds to invest in new projects and cheaper development due to AI. However, forecasts point to a resumption of market growth.
Reluctance of clients to cooperate with Ukrainian teams due to risks related to war, security and possible mobilization of workers.

The author emphasizes that there are no simple solutions in this situation, but Ukrainian companies should be more competitive and stand out with their marketing approaches.

Key aspects of positioning

Semyonov considers different types of positioning for IT companies and their effectiveness in modern conditions:

IT Outsourcing Survival Strategies in War How to Win Clients

Client type: Specializing in a certain segment (startups, small and medium businesses, large enterprises, public sector) narrows the competition, but still leaves a fairly wide field.
Emphasis on processes: Highlighting company strengths such as process transparency, speed of development or focus on data security. This strategy opens up many opportunities for communication, but requires significant resources.
Technology specialization: A focus on specific technologies (such as Node.js or high-load API) is suitable for small teams, but may limit the target audience.
Pricing policy: Price positioning is generally not recommended for B2B companies.
Development stages: Emphasis on the full development cycle or individual stages (MVP, scaling) does not distinguish a company in the market.

Effective positioning strategies

Job to be done (JTBD): Specializing in specific tasks (software rewriting, cloud migration, audits, optimization) can be effective for small teams.
Industry Specialization: Focusing on specific industries (eg EdTech) provides a number of benefits:
- Acquisition of unique expertise
- Ability to automate and optimize processes
- Easier creation of relevant content
- Greater customer trust thanks to industry cases
- Formation of an ecosystem of partners
- Potential for the development of own products
Development of specific products: Narrow specialization on specific solutions (CRM, payment systems, LMS) can be effective for small teams.

Personal brand development

The author emphasizes the importance of developing personal brands of company employees:

IT Outsourcing Survival Strategies in War How to Win Clients

Selecting several brand ambassadors and developing their presence on LinkedIn
Creating expert content for profile media
Speaking at industry events
Starting a YouTube channel

It is important to overcome fear in front of imperfect command of a foreign language and not to be afraid to invest in the development of personal brands of employees.

The importance of networking

Semyonov emphasizes the importance of personal contacts in the industry:

IT Outsourcing Survival Strategies in War How to Win Clients

Visiting exhibitions and industry events
Attracting female sales managers to participate in international events
Recruiting local salespeople on a project basis
Developing informal relationships through LinkedIn -groups and Reddit

The role of founders in sales

Danylo Golota, CMO of the startup Fintellect , emphasizes the importance of founders' participation in the sales process, especially during crisis periods. This provides:

IT Outsourcing Survival Strategies in War How to Win Clients

Greater control over key processes
Ability to make quick decisions
Higher level of trust from customers

The value of reviews and recommendations

The author emphasizes the importance of positive reviews on Clutch and Goodfirms platforms for attracting new customers. Using these testimonials in marketing materials can be an effective tool in persuading potential customers.

Creating specialized content

Instead of general articles, Semyonov recommends creating highly specialized content that solves specific problems of the target audience. This helps to stand out in the market and increase the value of the company in the eyes of potential customers.

Expanding the sphere of influence

The author advises expanding the range of services, for example:

Involvement of product managers to increase the value of the product
Cooperation with UX, marketing and consulting agencies

Adapting to changes caused by AI

Semyonov emphasizes the need to use AI tools to optimize processes and reduce costs. He also recommends focusing on high-value services that are difficult to automate, such as systems architecture design.

Strategic partnerships

The author emphasizes the trend towards Ecosystem Based Outsourcing and recommends:

Form partnerships with complementary businesses
Develop ties with Ukrainians abroad
Create integrated ecosystems for providing complex services

Development of own products

Semyonov suggests considering the possibility of creating own products or partnering with product companies to diversify income and risks.

Engineering as marketing

The author recommends developing useful microproducts that can generate traffic and leads, for example, Hubspot Grader.

Increasing the LTV of existing customers

Max Yakubovych, founder of IT agency GoodFace , emphasizes the importance of retaining existing customers and creating a comfortable environment for cooperation.

Summarizing, the author emphasizes that the combination of unique positioning and point approaches to marketing can help Ukrainian IT companies to attract customers even in the difficult conditions of war.

Glossary

Aiter.io is a MarTech startup co-founded by the author of the article Dmytro Semyonov
ELBUZ - the platform for which the author's column was written
Fintellect - a fintech startup where Danylo Golota works, mentioned in the article
GoodFace - an IT agency founded by Max Yakubovich
Hubspot Grader - a tool for analyzing the SEO effectiveness of sites

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Answers to questions

How can Ukrainian IT companies overcome the difficulties associated with the war?

To overcome difficulties, Ukrainian IT companies should focus on several key strategies. First, it is important to develop a clear positioning, for example, specializing in a specific industry or type of products. Second, the personal brands of key employees should be developed through social media activity and participation in industry events. It is also effective to create highly specialized content, form strategic partnerships, and use artificial intelligence tools to optimize processes. Finally, companies should consider creating their own products or partnering with product companies to diversify revenue.

What positioning methods are most effective for IT outsourcing companies?

The most effective positioning methods for IT outsourcing companies are specialization in a specific industry (eg EdTech, FinTech, AgriTech) and focus on specific tasks (Job to be done). Such approaches allow you to acquire deep expertise, facilitate the creation of relevant content and increase the trust of customers. Positioning through company characteristics (such as speed of development or focus on data security) or specialization in specific technologies can also be effective. It is important to choose a strategy that matches the strengths of the team and the needs of the target audience.

How to develop personal brands of IT company employees?

To develop personal brands of IT company employees, it is worth focusing on several key areas. Above all, it is important to maintain an active profile on LinkedIn, publishing 80% professional content and 20% personal. It is useful to write expert articles for specialized media and speak at industry events. Creating your own YouTube channel can also be an effective tool. You should not be afraid of an imperfect foreign language - the main thing is that the ideas are clear. It is important to start with developing the brands of the co-founders and then gradually bring in other key employees.

What innovative marketing approaches can IT companies use?

IT companies can apply several innovative approaches to marketing. One of the effective methods is 'Engineering as marketing' - the creation of micro-products that solve specific problems of the target audience and generate leads. It is also worth considering the formation of an ecosystem of partnerships with complementary businesses to expand the range of services and lead generation channels. Creating highly specialized content that addresses specific audience requests is another effective approach. Finally, companies may consider creating their own products or partnering with product companies to diversify revenue and increase their market value.

How IT companies adapt to the changes associated with the development of artificial intelligence ?

In order to adapt to the changes associated with the development of artificial intelligence, IT companies should take several measures. First, it is necessary to actively implement AI tools to automate routine tasks, analyze code and create documentation, which will reduce operational costs and increase competitiveness. Secondly, it is important to constantly improve the qualifications of employees in the field of AI. Third, companies should focus on providing high-value services that are difficult to automate, such as system and product architecture design. Finally, consider developing your own AI solutions or integrating existing ones into your products and services to create additional value for customers.

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2024-07-11

Dmytro Semyonov's column about the current problems of IT outsourcing in Ukraine during the war and effective marketing strategies to attract customers.

Yulia Portnova
Yulia Portnova Copywriter Elbuz

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