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Why is digital marketing is important to the manufacturing industry? This is just shy of being a weird question.
I often see manufacturers not realize how digital marketing is important to open big opportunities in their competitive industry. So, what b2b digital marketing examples can scale your campaign?
Let’s look at this article about the stage of the manufacturing industry and how it is changing. The way to conduct successful B2B digital marketing campaigns and become a leader in their space and even secure market share in the future.
B2B Marketers in the Manufacturing Industry
Movement, without a plan or strategy, is tantamount to going around in circles. If there’s one thing I love about any sport, it’s the rigid set of rules and structure it comes with. And it’s with this outlook, that I would write on this topic on why digital marketing is important in the manufacturing industry.
In recent years, the global manufacturing industry has enjoyed a boom. This could be credited to advances in data sharing and collaboration tools or the increase in the industry’s investment in aggressive marketing campaigns.
By 2020, the pandemic and lockdown had put a huge damper on the traditional marketing strategies usually employed by manufacturing companies. These strategies were always in the form of trade fairs or expos.
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The State of Digital Marketing For Manufacturers
A survey by Statista shows that the manufacturing industry was hit the hardest by COVID-19. As a result of this, formerly absent manufacturers have been rudely pushed into the digital space.
This new development has pushed the manufacturing industry far behind others in digital marketing. Despite this digital transformation, a digital maturity benchmark report for 2021 shows that companies undertaking digital marketing activities still do not have a defined digital marketing strategy.
On a brighter note, however, those manufacturers taking the digital marketing initiative would find sparse competition, depending on their niche or product.
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According to McKinsey, external market factors, combined with fragmented and complex industry dynamics and an overall aversion to risk in construction are major reasons why the manufacturing industry is still lagging behind in digital marketing. Many manufacturers or even older employees have not adapted to the existing digital marketing strategies and so lack the “perceived” need to grow in this area.
Presently, however, manufacturing marketing must emerge from its traditional ideals and employ new strategies to generate new business. Luckily enough, there are various avenues for digital marketing, such as LinkedIn generation, SEO, Google Ads, social media marketing, blog content strategy, and even Amazon PPC, that would work in tandem with the industry.
Importance of Digital Marketing
I like every other business person, know that if the end doesn’t justify the means, then it has been a monumental waste of time. This is why I decided to discuss the benefits that any manufacturing company would get from making a foray into the digital marketing space.
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Giving the manufacturer the opportunity to establish its credibility.
It is especially important in the manufacturing industry to have specialized expertise in one’s field, and also to be able to demonstrate said expertise. There is no client out there that would reject working with someone who shows a deep understanding of their field.
Showcasing this expertise can be achieved through a properly structured industrial online marketing strategy. With this in place, a company can build a strong reputation as a thought leader in the world of manufacturing.
Digital marketing helps in increasing lead conversions.
Strategies like email marketing or automation can give a manufacturing company greater opportunities to convert leads. For instance, the company can consider using automation to send specific emails based on a prospective client’s activity on social media or the company’s platforms. This strategy has been proven to have over a 77% success rate in lead conversion.
Getting repeat customers.
The sense of fulfillment that a returning customer brings is a feeling that no business is ready to frown at. This is because repeat customers are a company’s backbone and the fact that it’s easier to retain an existing client than it is to onboarding a new one.
As such, using digital marketing strategies to keep customers coming back is a great use of resources. It is also easier to establish and build customer loyalty by being active and engaging with them on social media.
Doing this makes their recommendation of the company to others seamless. Not to forget the ability to nurture prospects even before they become customers. Take a look at the conversion process that occurs when building a relationship with prospects.
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Digital marketing facilitates establishing and spreading brand awareness.
There’s one thing about seeing adverts in the digital space that makes them stick. Building brand awareness on every available platform is a rewarding strategy to adopt in this age where visual marketing is all the rave.
To achieve this, implementing an industrial marketing campaign on social media, taking advantage of targeted email marketing opportunities, developing an SEO strategy, and even creating engaging viral content, is the way.
The greater a company’s online presence, the higher the probability of customers being able to find it. If performed correctly, social media marketing and the manufacturing industry can work optimally together.
Digital Marketing is measurable and result-driven.
Being able to measure ROI in a straightforward way is a huge plus for investors. If a digital marketing campaign can deliver a company to the first page, we can equate that to a job well done. Apart from this, a good digital marketing strategy can result in a company getting skilled workers.
The younger generation with the right talent and capacity do not use traditional media for their job hunting process, social media, especially LinkedIn, is their go-to platform.
Having an online platform.
If there is one thing almost every company does these days, is having an easy-to-use, online platform. These platforms make it possible to demonstrate their company’s product or service. Going the extra mile with tools such as online video demos or live Q&A sessions can help grow a potential customer base while showing off the company’s ability to keep up with the latest trends and technologies.
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Scaling the Hurdles Against Digital Marketing
With the onset of these new challenges, how then, you may ask, can manufacturers overcome these hurdles? Let's discuss easy b2b digital marketing examples that'll scale your campaign.
The key is having a structured industrial digital marketing strategy. As a manufacturer, it is important to show off your capabilities on social media. The fact is that people only remember about 10% of what they see. As such, the notion of choosing memorable types of digital marketing strategies should not be taken lightly.
Another suggestion is to showcase your understanding and expertise in your field. Customers tend to gravitate towards those who can answer their questions. As such, highlighting your expertise, through a digital marketing business, is a huge plus.
The opportunity to improve customer loyalty by conversing with them regularly is another tip to having a successful digital marketing strategy. Hosting social media groups or building conversations by using hashtags would increase brand awareness and visibility.
Always creating an email list, from visitors to the company’s online platforms, is also non-negotiable. Finally, any strategy that is being adopted should be one that complements both your organic and social efforts.
Major manufacturing companies in the world are currently maximizing digital marketing strategies. For example, as of 2020, Volkswagen had increased its budget for digital marketing by 50% of the whole marketing budget.
Tesla, however, as a company, spends zero on advertising but adopts a marketing strategy where their product speaks for itself. The table below highlights how major manufacturing companies spend on digital marketing.
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Final Note
In summary, can I just say technology rocks?
Digital transformation is something every industry has experienced since the creation of the internet. It’s amazing how digital marketing has evolved in many industries and I must say that I am just excited about seeing the results it will have in the manufacturing industry.
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