As the lines between B2B and consumer technology marketing increasingly blur and intersect, professional data on today’s consumer electronic, software, and hardware audiences can help unlock key insights to more effectively target new audiences. At LinkedIn, we’re fortunate to easily tap into the content-consuming, selling, and learning behaviors of over 467 million members and — with over 4 million LinkedIn users in business decision making roles — are excited to put this information to good use in your marketing strategy. In our second installment of Behind the Lens, we dig beyond IT and into the consumer space where employment is rising and and technical skills are paramount. Read along in the following infographic to find out: What industries are either attracting top talent or spurring churn in the U.S. Consumer Electronics, Software, and Hardware space. Where key hubs for Consumer Electronics, Hardware, and Software are growing across the country — — from coast to coast. What factors matter most to Consumer Electronics, Hardware, and Software professionals at work and when selecting a job — hint: they’re driven and want fair compensation. Top skills making strides with these cohorts — from C++ to Java Popular content, companies, and LinkedIn groups with these cohorts — they love cloud and computers. Dive into the Infographic below to help take your knowledge of the tech marketer’s Consumer Electronics, Software, and Hardware customers to the next level.

1. Both Hardware (70%)
and Software (62%)
employees cite “Career
path opportunities” as the #1
reason to accept a job.
With 460M+ members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn has the
ability to analyze professional movement and content interest
across the world. Dive into tips and trends pulled from our data that will
sharpen your insights and inform your marketing plans when it comes to
the Consumer Electronics, Computer Software and Hardware markets.
…But these industries are competitive and fluctuating.
Employees are migrating to and from other industries:
BECAUSE OF THESE TRENDS, TECH MARKETERS SHOULD
REMEMBER THAT:
1. Tech marketing content is “always on” and each of the six stages
of the technology buying process can take months.
2. When it comes to managing tech marketing content, the key is to
align messaging to your target audience’s respective buyer’s journey.
3. You must ensure your content is relevant, empowering, and in front
of buyers at the perfect time and place throughout their path to
purchase, regardless of where they may travel professionally.
REMEMBER: You can target specific companies, titles and geographies of
both companies and tech professionals with LinkedIn targeting parameters.
But Software is more
spread across the country:
Madison, WI; Charleston, SC;
Austin, TX; Seattle, WA;
Nashville and Houston
Consumer Electronics
flourishes on the West Coast:
San Francisco and Santa
Barbara, CA; Austin, TX and
Kansas City, MO are top
areas for positive growth.
Hardware makes its
home on the East Coast:
Raleigh-Durham, NC;
Greenville, SC; Richmond,
VA and Knoxville, TN are
all top cities.
Their other top reasons to leave a
company are due to dissatisfaction with:
1. Compensation 2. Leadership 3. Culture
47%
Computer Software professionals
have 1.4x more mobile views
and more connections on
LinkedIn than the U.S. average.
HOW DO COMPUTER SOFTWARE,
HARDWARE AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
PROFESSIONALS ENGAGE WITH LINKEDIN?
Computer Software
professionals love:
+ Cloud Computing
+ Employee
Engagement
+ SAP
+ Business
Intelligence
Computer Hardware
professionals love:
+ Cloud Computing
+ Games
+ Confidence Building
+ Computer Vision
Consumer Electronics
professionals love:
+ iPad
+ Employee
Engagement
+ Home Theatre
+ Home Automation
THEY DIFFER WHEN IT COMES TO
POPULAR CONTENT TOPICS...
WHERE ARE THESE PROFESSIONALS
MAKING THE BIGGEST TECH WAVES?
h 3.3%COMPUTER
SOFTWARE
h 1.2%CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS
U.S. CONSUMER ELECTRONICS,
COMPUTER SOFTWARE & HARDWARE
THROUGH THE
EMPLOYMENT
IS GROWING
h .6%COMPUTER
HARDWARE
REMEMBER: It’s important for tech marketers to keep close
tabs on their audience, especially considering that today’s tech
buying committee is so large and varied.
Hardware lost
964jobs to that
same market
The Computer Software
industry gained over
18,000jobs from Info Tech
and Services
Consumer
Electronics lost
1,308jobs from that
same market
Consumer
Electronics gained
920jobs from the
Internet industry8%
of U.S.
Consumer Electronics
professionals changed
companies in the past year
49%
Computer Software and Hardware
professionals share their #1 reason
to leave a job: Lack of opportunity
to advance.
REMEMBER: These professionals have a strong drive to succeed, learn
and advance in their careers, and they are looking to industry experts to
keep them informed.
WHAT MATTERS
THE MOST?
But when they do accept a job, what stands out to them?
But for Consumer
Electronics employees,
“Excellent compensation
and benefits” comes in 1st place.
Skill Seekers: What skills
are companies looking for
in these industries?
Consumer Electronics
and Computer Software:
Java is the #1 sought-after skill
Computer Hardware
employers are most seeking:
Management skills
Consumer Electronics
and Hardware:
Linux and C++ are top skills
Hardware and Software:
Cloud computing
Computer Hardware professionals
are avid LinkedIn users: 66% are
staying up to date on industry
discussions on LinkedIn.
Consumer Electronics professionals are LinkedIn stars. They
are 1.2x more likely to use LinkedIn on a mobile device
and have 1.3x more connections than the U.S. average
…But they share some
favorite companies to follow: Computer Software
professionals follow
1.3xmore companies
than the U.S. average
LINKEDIN GROUP POPULARITY
STAYS INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC:
REMEMBER: Your tech buyers are on a journey. They’re online and on their
devices looking for insights! Know where their industry preferences converge
and divide, and tailor your content targeting and topics accordingly. You might
just spark a conversation that builds your brand’s reputation or brings in your
next tech customer.
This infographic uses a combination of anonymized LinkedIn member and survey data.
+ Apple Professionals
+ Apple – Current and Former Employees
+ Consumer Technology Association
Consumer
Electronics
TopGroups
+ Association of Computer Repair
Business Owners
+ Storage Professionals
+ Cloud Computing
Conputer
Hardware
TopGroups
+ Cloud Computing
+ Cloud Computing, SaaS and Virtualization
+ Social Media Marketing
Conputer
Software
TopGroups