How to Create an Effective Cloud Go-To-Market Strategy for 2024 [Step-by-Step Guide]

The cloud computing market is exploding as demand continues to grow. With competition heating up, cloud companies need an innovative go-to-market (GTM) strategy to stand out. This step-by-step guide provides tips to build a successful cloud GTM strategy.

What is a Cloud Go-To-Market Strategy?

A cloud go-to-market strategy is a comprehensive plan to deliver a company's cloud-based services to target customers in order to generate revenue. The goal is to showcase the unique value of cloud services, serve clients effectively, and drive sustainable revenue growth. With an organized and strategic cloud go-to-market plan, providers can thrive and succeed in the dynamic and rapidly evolving cloud marketplace.

A cloud GTM strategy focuses on how to best bring cloud-based offerings to market and get them into the hands of customers. It encompasses the entire journey from product development to marketing, sales, and beyond. The strategy showcases why the provider's cloud solutions are valuable and how they solve pressing needs for specific customer segments. It also outlines how the business will acquire customers, convince them to buy the cloud services, and continue to support them to drive long-term revenue.

Having a thoughtful cloud go-to-market strategy for 2024 is crucial for providers because of the following:

• Effectively promote and sell their cloud-based offerings in a crowded market
• Differentiate their business from competitors
• Align teams across departments to execute the strategy
• Adapt quickly to changes in customer needs or market dynamics
• Continuously improve their value proposition and market positioning

With a solid strategy in place, cloud businesses can successfully deliver solutions to customers, demonstrate their value, and ultimately thrive in the competitive cloud ecosystem.

Build Continuous Customer Relationships

A key component of a cloud go-to-marketstrategy is building continuous, long-term relationships with customers, not just making one-off sales. Cloud providers should focus on becoming strategic partners to clients beyond the initial transaction.

Some tips include:

• Offering a full lifecycle of services to support customers before, during, and after adopting the cloud solutions. This can include assessment, migration, implementation, training, support, and management services.
• Providing value-added services like integrations, analytics, compliance management, and data services that extend capabilities over time.
• Assigning customer success teams to proactively engage with and support customers, providing ongoing education and addressing needs.
• Developing customer advisory boards to get regular feedback and develop deeper relationships.
• Creating loyalty programs with incentives, perks, and promotions to delight customers.
• Hosting community events, user conferences, and discussions to keep customers engaged.
• Communicating regularly through multiple channels like email, social media, and newsletters.

Building these continuous relationships demonstrates the provider's commitment beyond the initial sale. It fosters loyalty and helps retain happy customers over the long term, leading to recurring revenue and growth.

Highlight Specialized Technical Capabilities

Today's cloud market offers many broad solutions for infrastructure, storage, networking, and more. To stand out, cloud providers need to highlight their specialized technical capabilities and expertise.

Some key tips include:

• Going beyond basic, out-of-the-box cloud features and highlighting differentiators like AI, blockchain, and quantum tech integrations.
• Showcasing vertical expertise and experience tailored to key industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
• Developing solutions optimized for emerging use cases like 5G, edge computing, and IoT platforms.
• Touting technical strengths like security, compliance, and global infrastructure that exceed competitors.
• Promoting integrations and partnerships that expand capabilities with leading tools.
• Offering advanced services like application modernization, smart operations, and automation to showcase technical prowess.
• Quantifying expertise through metrics like years in business, number of deployments, and customer results.
• Obtaining respected industry certifications and achievement badges to validate technical knowledge.
• Publishing technical content like blogs and guides to demonstrate thought leadership.

Positioning the business as technical experts allows cloud providers to earn credibility and trust. Customers will have confidence they can handle complex needs and deliver successful outcomes. The technical differentiation helps move beyond commodity services.

Hire Industry Experts to Demonstrate Domain Expertise

Cloud companies should complement technical expertise by also demonstrating deep domain expertise. One effective way is to hire industry veterans and subject experts familiar with target markets and verticals.

Some best practices include:

• Researching key target industries to understand priorities, processes, and pain points. Industries like healthcare, finance, and retail have unique needs.
• Building teams with experience in those verticals and business domains. Hire those with credibility and contacts in the spaces.
• Tapping advisors and industry associations to lend expertise and relationships.
• Conducting user research and surveys with customers in priority verticals. Use insights to inform product and go-to-market strategy.
• Developing vertical-specific content, messaging, and campaigns that resonate. Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Sponsoring and attending industry events to connect with stakeholders and prospects.
• Promoting customer wins and success stories from priority verticals.
• Getting awards and analyst recognition in focus industries.

Domain expertise establishes credibility with customers and prospects. It demonstrates a deep understanding of needs and the ability to deliver tailored solutions. Industry veterans lend an insider perspective that makes marketing and sales efforts more effective. They help cloud providers build trust and authority in chosen verticals.

Continue Online Engagement

The cloud marketplace has gone digital. Cloud providers need an online presence and engagement strategy to effectively connect with and convince modern buyers.

Key digital initiatives include:

• Maintaining an educational website with robust cloud resources - content, analyst reports, demos.
• Optimizing SEO and digital marketing campaigns to drive traffic and leads. Adjust based on buyer keywords.
• Dedicating resources to manage social media channels - LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. Provide updates, content, and interaction.
• Hosting webinars and events to remotely engage prospects. Share company news and industry trends.
• Publishing blogs, guides, and videos that provide valuable cloud insights. Establish thought leadership.
• Sponsoring podcasts, webcasts, and virtual events to reach cloud buyers where they consume information.
• Monitoring online conversations and feedback. Use it to refine messaging and positioning.
• Retargeting and nurturing leads through automated campaigns until sales are ready.
• Offering free trials, demos, and assessments to move prospects along the funnel.
• Training sales teams to connect and close digitally - phone, email, and virtual meetings.

Mastering online engagement is critical to connecting with remote and digital-first cloud buyers. It allows providers to attract, interact with, educate, and ultimately convert prospects without face-to-face meetings. Dedicated digital resources and activities make cloud businesses discoverable and accessible for modern purchasing.

Grow Multi-Cloud Capabilities

The cloud ecosystem is expanding beyond single providers. Customers often adopt a multi-cloud model, combining services from many vendors. Cloud providers should grow capabilities to thrive in this interconnected landscape.

Strategies include:

• Forming partnerships with other leading cloud platforms - AWS, Azure, Google Cloud. Offer integration and management tools for hybrid/multi-cloud.
• Joining industry associations and standards bodies to collaborate on open ecosystems. Contribute experience to shape the future.
• Developing services and solutions that provide visibility and control across cloud environments. Support movement of data and apps.
• Focusing on the value proposition of expertise over locking customers into proprietary platforms. Commit to customer success across clouds.
• Providing unbiased guidance on best-fit platforms for various workloads, rather than a one-vendor-fits-all approach.
• Investing in integrations and unified workflows to provide a seamless experience across multiple clouds.
• Ensuring flexible contracts and terms that allow movement between platforms as customer needs evolve.
• Maintaining high-quality support, SLAs, and delivery even as business expands across ecosystems. Avoid spreading too thin.

Taking a platform-agnostic approach positions providers as advisors focused on enabling customer success in any environment. It builds trust that they will help maximize ROI regardless of vendor. Embracing multi-cloud shows commitment to customers' complete experience, beyond just their own offerings.

Execute Your Strategy with a Work Management Platform

To successfully execute a cloud go-to-market strategy, businesses need digital systems to manage the complexity. A purpose-built work management platform helps align teams to reach business goals.

Key capabilities include:

Acquire Customers

• Plan and coordinate marketing campaigns and events
• Manage lead and opportunity pipelines
• Track buyer engagement across channels
• Share sales collateral and enablement resources

Retain Customers

• Onboard clients with pre-built templates
• Deliver excellent post-sales experiences
• Monitor renewals and expansion opportunities
• Automate customer lifecycle workflows

Drive Revenue

• Maintain real-time visibility into sales forecasts
• Analyze customer health and revenue streams
• Report on go to market strategy execution and ROI
• Continuously improve processes to boost revenue

Unlike siloed systems, a unified work management platform connects critical capabilities - CRM, project management, and collaboration - into a single view. Teams gain end-to-end visibility and context to execute the go-to-market strategy more effectively.

Leading cloud businesses know acquiring customers is just the beginning. The greatest ROI comes from retaining happy customers over the long term. With a powerful work management platform like Wrike, you can engage customers, deliver outstanding experiences, and successfully execute an integrated cloud GTM strategy.

Conclusion

Creating an effective cloud go-to-market strategy is crucial, but challenging. This guide provides a strategic roadmap to help cloud businesses plan, execute, and thrive. By focusing on continuous customer relationships, highlighting technical expertise, demonstrating domain knowledge, engaging online, embracing multi-cloud, and managing work, providers can stand out and succeed. With an innovative GTM approach, companies can accelerate growth and leadership in the dynamic cloud market.