Have you been struggling to increase your sales and revenue?
According to Marketing Charts, 55 percent of advertising is digital, with eMarketer projecting digital ad spending to reach $526.17 billion in 2024 from $441.12 billion in 2022.
(Source: WordStream)
If you’re in B2B manufacturing, chances are you’ve heard about digital marketing for B2B manufacturers and the need to engage with customers through social media or online advertising.
But what exactly is digital marketing for B2B manufacturers? Why do manufacturers need it? And how can you apply it to your own business?
This guide to digital marketing for manufacturers will answer your questions and equip you with everything you need to run a successful digital marketing campaign.
We’ll cover-
- What is Digital Marketing, and Why Do Manufacturers Need It?
- The Different Types of Digital Marketing and Which Ones Are Most Effective for Manufacturers
- How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy for Your Manufacturing Business
- Examples of Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns by Manufacturers
- 9 Tips for Measuring the Success of Your Digital Marketing Campaigns
Let’s show you how manufacturers can use digital marketing to their advantage.
What is Digital Marketing, and Why Do Manufacturers Need It?
Digital marketing is the process of using online channels to promote and sell products or services. It’s a broad term encompassing everything from SEO and content marketing to social media and email marketing.
(Source: DSM)
In short, digital marketing for manufacturers is an essential part of any successful business strategy.
Why do Manufacturers Need Digital Marketing?
In a world where consumers are increasingly spending time online, B2B manufacturers need to be where their customers are: on the internet. That’s where digital marketing for manufacturers comes in.
Manufacturers can reach more customers and build brand awareness by creating a strong online presence. Additionally, digital marketing for B2B can help manufacturers connect with customers deeper, fostering loyalty and increasing sales.
(Source: LinkedIn)
The Different Types of Digital Marketing and Which Ones Are Most Effective for Manufacturers
There are so many different types of digital marketing for manufacturers to choose, and figuring out which ones are the most effective can be difficult.
Here’s a look at 9 different types of digital marketing for manufacturers available to you:
(Source: EDUCBA)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization means optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results. The main goal of SEO is to drive organic traffic to your site.
There are several different types of SEO, including on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.
(Source: ReliableSoft)
To be effective, B2B manufacturers must focus on all three types of SEO.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM is the process of using paid advertising to improve your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEM can be an effective way to reach out to new customers and promote your products or services.
Content Marketing
Content marketing can effectively connect with potential customers and build trust and credibility for manufacturers. In addition, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry by providing helpful information that educates and informs.
You’ll also likely rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) because people are more likely to click on links that seem informative and credible.
(Source: Sprout Social)
However, some people prefer to hire a B2B digital marketing agency to manage their content marketing instead of doing it themselves.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a form of direct marketing that uses electronic mail to communicate commercial or fundraising messages to an audience. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a type of digital marketing for manufacturers where businesses promote other businesses in exchange for a commission on sales. It can be an effective way to reach new customers and generate sales.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is great for connecting with potential and current customers, building brand awareness, and driving traffic to your website.
Pay-Per-Click Marketing
Also known as PPC, this type of digital marketing for manufacturers is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience.
With PPC, you can create ads and place them on search engines, social media platforms, and websites. When someone clicks on your ad, you pay a fee.
The great thing about PPC is that you only pay when someone takes action, making it a cost-effective way to market your business.
Mobile Marketing
In a world where everyone is constantly attached to their smartphones, B2B manufacturers need to reach their target market where they spend most of their time.
Mobile marketing includes tactics like text messaging, mobile apps, mobile ads, and more.
Influencer Marketing
Data from YouGov reveals that 43 percent of internet users follow social media influencers.
(Source: Finances Online)
Influencer marketing uses social media influencers to promote your brand or product. It can be effective because influencers have a large following and can generate a lot of buzz.
How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy for Your Manufacturing Business in 8 Steps
Digital marketing plays an important role in the growth of small businesses, and B2B manufacturers are no exception.
From manufacturing to selling, every B2B manufacturing business needs to reevaluate its digital marketing for manufacturers strategy to ensure they are attracting the right leads and customers.
(Source: Digital Connect Mag)
Shortly, we’ll take you through eight important steps to create a digital marketing for manufacturers strategy that will propel your B2B manufacturing business forward into the future of manufacturing.
1. Set Goals
The first step is to set some goals. What do you want to achieve with your digital marketing for manufacturers strategy? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales?
2. Understand the Market, Industry, and Competition
To create an effective digital marketing strategy, you must first understand the market, industry, and competition. It means researching and understanding your target audience, their needs and wants, and what other businesses offer.
Once you have this information, you can start creating a strategy to reach your target audience and help your business stand out from the competition.
3. Identify the Customer Base
To get started, you’ll need to identify your customer base. Then, you can consider who will be most interested in your product or service.
4. Define the Ideal Customer Profile
To create effective digital marketing for manufacturers’ strategies, you must understand your ideal customer.
- What are their demographics?
- What are their interests?
- Why do they need your product or service?
5. Develop Keywords, Phrases, and Hashtags
Before creating content, you need to know what keywords, phrases, and hashtags your target audience uses. You can use various tools like Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to find this out.
6. Establish Core ompetencies
You must understand your B2B manufacturing business’s core competencies to create effective digital marketing for manufacturers’ strategies.
- What makes your business unique?
- Why do customers choose your products or services over those of your competitors?
7. Develop an Advertising Budget and Calendar
Developing an advertising budget and calendar will help you map out how much you need to spend on each marketing initiative and when you need to spend it.
Remember that your budget will change as your business grows, so revisit it regularly.
8. Track, Test, and Improve
As the digital world continues to evolve, so does the marketing landscape. As a result, what worked five years ago might not work today, and what works today might not work five years from now.
Tracking, testing, and improving your digital marketing for manufacturers’ strategy is key to success.
Examples of Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns by Manufacturers
In 2021, 32.5% of US respondents believed digital marketing contributed immensely to their company’s performance.
In light of this, we’ll look at some manufacturing strategy examples showing how Flying V Group, a B2B digital marketing agency in Orange County, provided excellent digital marketing solutions for B2B manufacturers like you.
Case Study 1: Foam Molders & Specialty
Look at a case study from Foam Molders & Specialty, a foam production business in California.
They gave Flying V Group control of its digital marketing initiatives, including message delivery and lead creation on LinkedIn.
Due to the technical SEO being reconfigured, there was a 78 percent increase in web traffic within a month. They also observed an increase of up to 8 spots in their typical keyword ranks and a 22 percent spike in the number of monthly phone calls.
Case Study 2: 4D Systems
Let’s consider another manufacturing strategy example showing how we provided digital marketing solutions for manufacturers.
The Flint-based manufacturing solutions provider, 4D Systems, employs process innovation to enhance decision-making, production, production integration, and product quality.
Flying V Group was tasked with improving SEO, message dissemination, and lead creation by 4D Systems.
A 5.6x ROAS and a 62 percent YoY increase in website traffic for 4D Systems resulted from technical SEO optimizations and content expansion to make up for HTML pages that lacked text. Additionally, LI leads increased by 34%.
9 Tips for Measuring the Success of Your Digital Marketing Campaigns
Measuring campaign success enables you to improve continually upon these efforts, thus improving your marketing ROI and overall profitability, as well as keeping up with or ahead of industry competition.
Here are 9 tips for measuring the success of your B2B manufacturing company’s digital marketing for manufacturers campaigns.
Tip 1: Track Results
The first step to measuring success is to track results. It means looking at things like web traffic, leads, and sales. By tracking these metrics, you’ll see which aspects of your campaign are performing well and which need improvement.
Tip 2: Use Analytics to Determine Which Channels Work Best
You’ll need to use analytics to determine which digital marketing for manufacturers’ channels is most effective for your B2B manufacturing company. You can see which channels provide the best results by tracking metrics such as reach, leads, and conversions.
Once you know which channels work best, you can invest more time and resources into those areas for even better results.
Tip 3: Keep Up with New Tech and Trends
It can be difficult to keep up with the ever-changing digital marketing for manufacturers landscape. Still, it’s important to stay on top of new trends and technologies if you want your B2B manufacturing company’s campaigns to be successful.
Staying ahead of the curve will give you a competitive edge and help you reach your target audience more effectively.
Tip 4: Set Reasonable Goals
When setting goals for your manufacturing company’s digital marketing campaigns, be realistic about what you can achieve.
If you set too high goals, you’ll likely be disappointed with the results. On the other hand, if you set too low goals, you won’t be pushing your company to its full potential. So find a happy medium by setting reasonable yet challenging goals.
Tip 5: Develop a Budget and Stick to It
Before you launch digital marketing for manufacturers’ campaigns, you need to develop a budget. It will help you keep track of your spending and ensure that you’re not overspending on your campaigns.
Once you have a budget, make sure to stick to it. Doing this will help you stay on track and avoid going over budget.
Tip 6: Design an Attractive, Easy-to-Use Website
A website is one of the most important tools in a B2B manufacturing company’s digital marketing arsenal. It’s the first place potential customers will learn about your products or services, and it needs to make a good impression.
(Source: Velocity Consultancy)
Tip 7: Create an Effective Social Media Presence
A social media presence is key for any business in today’s digital age, but it’s especially important for B2B manufacturing companies.
Why?
Because social media is a great way to connect with potential customers and create a positive brand image, plus it can be used as a tool to track customer sentiment and feedback.
Tip 8: Choose One Platform that Works Best for You and Focus on It
There are so many digital platforms for marketing out there, and it can be tempting to try and be everywhere. But when running a B2B manufacturing company, you need to focus your efforts on the digital platforms for marketing that will most effectively reach your target audience.
Tip 9: Learn from Failures and Celebrate Successes
No matter what happens in your manufacturing company’s digital marketing campaigns, it’s important to learn from failures and celebrate successes. Doing so will help you improve your campaigns and make them more successful in the future.
Are You Ready to Go Digital?
When done correctly, digital marketing for manufacturers can help increase sales, attract new customers, and raise your company’s marketplace profile without spending too much time or money.
Does digital marketing for manufacturers seem complex or time-consuming?
You should entrust your campaign to a reputable B2B digital marketing agency.
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