In this edition of the MSDW Marketing Minutes, Adam and Khaled get together once again to discuss key budgeting considerations for ISVs and SIs in 2025 in the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem. The conversation centers around strategic marketing investments, balancing awareness and demand generation, and the importance of being both proactive and adaptive in planning. Adam emphasized the necessity of having a clear marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals, while also being flexible enough to pivot when necessary.
Here are the key takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Diversify your activities and spending – Adam advised against allocating all marketing resources to a single channel, like MSDynamicsWorld or any other. Instead, marketers should spread their investment across various platforms, such as ERP Software Blog, Dynamics Communities, and relevant industry events. This ensures that you reach a wider, more diverse audience.
- Proactive vs. reactive marketing – ISVs should aim to be proactive marketers by planning their budgets and strategies for the entire year. While some may react to new opportunities as they arise, proactive marketing, based on strategic planning, tends to yield more consistent and successful results.
- Some companies develop annual strategies but make adjustments on a quarterly basis. If a new product launch or opportunity arises mid-year, it’s important to pivot and reallocate resources without losing sight of the broader strategic objectives.
- Attribution and data-driven decisions – Many marketers still rely on gut feelings and emotions to guide their marketing decisions, but using hard data is essential for evaluating the success of marketing investments. Marketers must assess whether their previous investments yielded measurable results, instead of repeating activities based solely on subjective impressions of success.
- The importance of consistent investment – Rather than focusing on a fixed budget figure, Adam highlighted the importance of consistent marketing investment. Whether a company spends 10 cents per dollar or more, the key is consistency and strategic thought behind every marketing decision.