There’s a common belief amongst manufacturers that they have no need for an online presence.
Their customers are all businesses that need someone local, why would they go online when you’re right there?
Some who believe this may be right, depending on their location and niche.
But they’re only right for now. The trends show that manufacturing customers are getting increasingly online and if your business isn’t moving with them, it will fall behind.
We will look at manufacturer marketing strategies you need to consider if you’re in the manufacturing industry.
Investing in your website
Nowadays, a website is the essential core of not just your digital marketing strategy, but any marketing strategy.
Even if it doesn’t incorporate the lead nurturing and content marketing strategies we will cover later, it acts as your business card online.
At a minimum, a website should give potential clients the chance to learn what services you offer, where you’re based, and how to get in touch with you.
However, an out-of-date website will not look great as a business card. Modern design focusing on improving aesthetics and navigation will be much more convincing.
Adding lead forms and calls-to-action to provoke readers into getting in touch will make it even more effective.
Become an authority
Content is king, as you may have heard. Most internet users won’t just use the net to find contact details for a relevant business.
They want to have certain questions answered and want to see businesses display some sense of authority and legitimacy.
Writing content can help you build that authority, which can help you convince more potential clients to convert.
Content marketing is all about figuring out what questions your audience has, what information they’re interested in, and which services they could use some help to better understand.
Rather than just keywords and services, it focuses on helping them better understand topics.
It gives them the information they need to commit to becoming a client while showing you have the know-how they will need to rely on.
Good content can help you establish your website on search engines, helping it rank higher than competitors when web users search with terms relevant to your business and the topics you write on.
Getting social in the right spaces
What business does a manufacturer have on social media?
If you’re not already aware, social media is for more than just sending cat pictures back and forth (though there is a lot of that).
Businesses use social media to engage directly with their audience, to answer questions, to provide support, and to nurture leads.
Highly traffic social media spaces like Twitter can be effective tools for immediate support and responses.
However, for reaching your market with the authoritative content you have written, choosing the space you socialize in is important. In traditional marketing, you might attend trade shows and networking events.
LinkedIn is essentially an online, ongoing trade show event. It’s the social media network for professionals and industry members so it might be where you make the most relevant and valuable connections.
Make use of digital ads
Just as you might invest in traditional advertising such as attending trade showers and spending on print ads, focus on digital advertising too.
Traditional advertising isn’t dead yet, so you don’t have to convert fully, but finding a balance can make your ads much more cost effective.
Manufacturers need to choose the spaces they advertise in carefully to make sure they reach the right people, and that’s no less important online. PPC ads appear on search engines, while display ads can appear in sites relevant to your audience, and social media ads can target entire communities on widespread platforms.
Most digital advertising platforms have specific targeting capabilities so you’re never spending to have your ads appear in front of viewers who have zero need for a manufacturer if you do it right.
Show your work with video
Content is fine, but it doesn’t have to be only written content. Multimedia provokes more clicks, more engagements and continued inquiries into the business.
In manufacturing, video offers you the chance to show your work in action. You can help potential clients understand what you provide, showing the machinery and processes you will use to help them.
Manufacturing is an interesting process. Many people never get the chance to step into a production line, so video can help give an engaging view of what you do.
Identify your sales funnel
Digital marketing isn’t just about getting your name online, it’s about nurturing leads.
From building visibility and brand awareness to getting email addresses of interested parties, from engaging with clients on social media to converting them through online inquiry forms.
You can nurture those leads all the better if you identify the different steps of your online sales funnel.
Email marketing, including outreach and subscription campaigns, is one of the most effective lead nurturing strategies for B2B marketing.
By using your website and content as a funnel to encourage subscriptions, you can keep in touch with potential clients consistently.
If they’re truly interested in what you provide, then each new email can bring them a step closer to finally converting.
Don’t think of the techniques listed above as desperate attempts to reach your audience, but all as one part of the same funnel.
Get ahead of the curve
At some point, whether or not manufacturers need a digital marketing strategy will not be a question.
More manufacturers will become publishers of content to help their clients and will work online to establish their authority.
It’s already happening, some are just late to join.
You still have time to establish your business online, get ahead of the curve and future proof your business. The manufacturer marketing strategies above can help you do that, too.