Implementing successful online marketing techniques can be difficult during normal times. Drop a pandemic in the mix, and all previous strategies are completely blown to pieces; not just during the pandemic, but the residual effects you’ll continue to experience.
There are several reasons why marketing in general as well as after unstable times can be extremely difficult.
- Economic instability
- Supply changes
- Shifts in buyer decisions
When economic and market uncertainty is at its peak, it may feel natural to take a step back and reassess your marketing efforts. However, when it comes to financial decision-making, gut instinct can be deceiving. Instead, using a strategic analysis to make informed marketing decisions for your manufacturing company can help maintain consistent revenue.
COVID-19 Pivot for Manufacturing and Marketing
The first few months of the pandemic were confusing for all business types, including manufacturing companies. With uncertainty abounding and no modern precedent for how COVID-19 would affect the bottom line, many manufacturers reluctantly took a step back from marketing to see how the pandemic would play out in the global economy.
Interestingly, as the pandemic progressed over the last year-plus, the companies that evolved their marketing strategies fared far better than those that decided to slow their marketing spend, or chose to eliminate it completely.
Increasing Marketing in the Face of Instability
Marketing within an unstable economic climate can be daunting and downright scary. No one wants to waste valuable marketing dollars on tactics that ultimately do not pan out. The key is to develop a marketing plan specific to your business, the current market, and projected change. Instead of your marketing being a risk, the planned yet flexible approach makes your marketing a reliable strategy to counteract economic instability.
Investing in Digital Marketing for Manufacturers
If your company wants to make a splash in this evolved market, it’s time to invest in your company’s online presence. Over the next several months leading into 2022 and beyond, there is great opportunity to advance your manufacturing company’s digital marketing.
Marketing provides manufacturers an opportunity to implement forward-moving strategies and business-specific solutions. Digital marketing for manufacturer provides a range of advantages including:
- Ability to reach customers where they’re looking – you have less of a chance to connect with customers in-person so by showing up online, you can connect with the same and additional people while potential customers research new vendors and partners
- Supporting your sales team – your website is a 24/7 salesperson you can use to share valuable resources and talk about your products and services in the same way your sales team would
- Increase the value of your business – achieve your business goals using marketing strategies designed for your short and long-term objectives and keeps your manufacturing company moving forward
Locating New Customers Within an Ever-Changing Economic Landscape
Increased digital marketing for manufacturers provides access to a global online marketplace that has no geographic boundaries. You can interact with and sell to customers in any corner of the world, which isn’t possible using traditional marketing methods, such as in-person events and printed mailers.
You can share details of your offerings on social media, create attractive landing pages with valuable information, use web forms to capture lead information, and much more. With marketing, you can get prospects interested while increasing their chances of converting into a warm lead.
Some of the best ways to market to new customers include:
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Ecommerce
- Paid advertising
- Social Media Marketing
Adapting Digital Marketing for Manufacturing to Change
Ben Franklin stated that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. However, he forgot one constant in life that is always present – change! To evolve successfully within the industrial marketing landscape, change must be accepted and embraced. With strategic leadership that incorporates a purpose-filled approach to industrial marketing, company legacies can be built and fortified.
Over the last year and a half, COVID-19 has taught industrial manufacturers and B2B enterprises several valuable lessons that will help in preparation for future economic instability. It is impossible to predict when disaster will strike, but anticipating negative fiscal swings allows a company to plan and save, leading to a more lucrative future.
Digital Marketing Strategies that Increase Online Presence
If your company has begun to increase its digital marketing focus, there are several initial steps to take for positive gains in the short term. Depending on the exact nature of your manufacturing company, some of these marketing tactics may be better suited than others.
1. Create High-Quality Videos Throughout Your Site
Well-crafted videos provide your audience with the information and context they need to know if your business will be a good partner for them. If your business’s focus is to introduce new products, use videos to demonstrate their uses, provide a facility overview, answer customer questions, or tackle a bevy of other topics. Video is a simple and accessible way to address these points in an engaging and on-brand manner.
2. Anticipate Your Customer Needs
No matter your sales process, whether through sales reps or an ecommerce store, your customers may have many types of questions they need to be answered before making a purchase. Update your website’s copy, especially the most visited pages, to address customer queries about how, when, and where they can buy from you.
3. Use Current Marketing Technologies
With the expansion of global technology, there are many unique ways to automate or streamline your marketing. For example, you might create an automated email workflow for lead follow-ups or product/service announcements. A marketing automation platform removes the manual process of communicating with new leads or current customers, giving your sales team valuable time back into their day.
While the business world waits to find out how traditional sales models will need to change in the future, marketers must adapt and seek promotional avenues that don’t require in-person contact. The more proactive your company is in strengthening its digital marketing, the better positioned it will be for future contingencies.
Collaborating Manufacturing Business Goals with Smart Digital Marketing
Like any investment, an enhanced marketing strategy requires funding to reap the rewards of improved sales leads down the road. However, not every manufacturing business has the same marketing goals. Smaller manufacturers may be interested in digital marketing campaigns that target local businesses, while larger companies may have the resources to pursue customers globally. The best marketing strategies should align with your unique business goals while adhering to the evolved market. As the economic landscape changes, your marketing can provide stability for your manufacturing company to lean on and grow.
The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing for Manufacturers
How to create a marketing plan for your manufacturing company? We created a comprehensive guide with recommendations on marketing tactics specific to the manufacturing industry. Learn what opportunities your business could achieve by downloading our free guide.
