Manufacturers: what if we told you that you had a secret advantage over your competition and didn’t even realize it?
Hear us out: manufacturing accounts for 10% of the U.S. economy, but only 33% of organizations are confident in the effectiveness of their marketing strategy. In other words, the manufacturing sphere is a game with a ton of players—most of whom aren’t 100% sure of what they’re doing. And that’s your opportunity to shine in the digital marketing sphere.
The problem is that there tend to be good reasons that these businesses struggle to define their online presence. Digital marketing for the manufacturing industry requires talking about what you do in an engaging way. More often than not, explaining the subject matter in more technical niches precisely comes across as just the opposite.
So, what’s a B2B manufacturing company to do? We’ve compiled some straightforward ways to make manufacturer marketing all the easier for you.
First Off, Who’s Your Audience?
What do you think of when you think “manufacturing businesses?” Maybe it’s metal manufacturing, or clothing and textiles. For some, it could be chemicals and plastics. For others, leather, wood, and paper may spring to mind.
Now, for the most part, these products aren’t being sold directly to consumers; either distributors act as a go-between or individual components are purchased to function as part of a final product. In other words, you want to appeal to a B2B market more frequently than a B2C one.
Sadly, many manufacturers approach digital marketing in just the wrong way. They’ve curated their PPC keywords or SEO strategy to a B2C audience, when what they really should be doing is appealing to companies and distributors instead. Here’s how to turn things around.
1. SEO, SEO, SEO!
Yes, B2C companies use search engine optimization as well, but the B2B manufacturing approach to SEO is slightly different. In both cases, you isolate keywords and create content targeted to attract your audience, and Google’s algorithm shuffles its results in your favor during future searches. As a bonus, the more often Google pairs your website with a potential customer (re: the more you rank highly in the search results), the more you’ll stand out as an authority in your field.
Interestingly enough, many manufacturers don’t take the time to develop a comprehensive SEO strategy, because they don’t believe they have much competition—or they believe that their customers aren’t online. Whether or not this is true for your specific field of manufacturing, SEO is a great opportunity to outshine your competitors and make a name for your business online. And all it takes a little forethought with those keywords.
Where should you begin when creating an SEO campaign? Keyword research tools are always a great option—Google Search Console, Bulk Keyword Generator, and SEMRush, to name a few. And don’t forget to scope out rival manufacturers while you’re at it—what keywords, links, and USPs are they using effectively? Where could they improve (i.e., where do you come in, with your innovative approach)?
2. For Manufacturers, Social Media Is an Untapped Resource
Marketing a B2B manufacturing business on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube probably isn’t the most obvious route. But with 3.81 billion users on social media in 2020, you can’t afford to let social media go unused.
The key to making social media and manufacturing work well together is finding that sweet spot between informative and entertaining. For example, sharing significant company updates on Twitter and encouraging responses can spark conversation and even a helpful suggestion or two.
If you want to create even more lighthearted content, you could interview an employee or share a “Day in the Life” video on your Instagram page. As long as your brand voice and aesthetic is consistent and visually-pleasing across all mediums, you’re off to a great start. And if you’re posting meaningful content regularly, well, all the better.
3. When In Doubt, Visuals Are Your Friends
Studies have shown that four times as many customers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it. If your subject matter is complex, think of how, say, a 60-second video clip or an interactive infographic could give it new life. You’ll be a breath of fresh air compared to other text-heavy, didactic manufacturing sites. And visual content tends to get more shares, as well!
Snap: Savvy B2B Marketing for Manufacturing Companies
If you’re a manufacturing business looking to revamp your strategy—or just tweak a few things here and there—look no further. We’ll help you excel in search engine marketing tactics, social media, web design, visual content, and much more. Go on, send us a message, and find out why we’re a consistently award-winning digital agency!