Positoning Manufacturers for eMarketing Success
In winning this award, Elliance shares spotlight with firms from London, New York and Miami.
Elliance and companies like it, are a big reason why Pittsburgh is getting much recognition these days. The selection of Pittsburgh as the center of the G-20 summit is a key signal that the city has arrived. Despite the recession, Elliance has been growing, hiring people and creating a global footprint.
Click here to see the list of other winners.
Posted in brand, eMarketing.
As a manufacturer, you’ve probably got a unique “green” story to share with your customers and stakeholders. In fact, I know of many manufacturers who’ve been “green” for tens of years but just haven’t articulated their stories well enough. Maybe you’re developing products or processes that are environmentally friendly.
But why should you care? We’ll for starters, your customers care. Studies have shown that customers change their buying habits if they connect with a green friendly company/product. And we’re all looking to connect with customers in a more meaningful way beyond a pure business transaction.
I came across a company that is beginning to tell its “green” via the web. The company is Bosch Rexroth, a machine automation manufacturer. Okay, they do actually have a story to tell.
This is a key point. This particular company can substantiate its claims with its products and manufacturing processes. So, creating a narrative out of thin air with no proof will leave customers with a shallow feeling. In fact, it can even get you into trouble with environmental watchdogs.
Bosch Rexroth is utilizing the dynamic nature of the web to tell its “green” story, update customers on sustainable practices, and inform customers about how its products can better utilize renewable energy and reduce waste and energy consumption. Delta Faucet is supporting its products with a water conservation message. The company has a complete section on their website devoted to conservation and even offers a water savings calculator. This effort not only led to better ways of articulating the story but sparked new thinking around new product development.
If you’ve got a “green” story to tell, then develop it, articulate it and make it part of larger PR and Marketing strategy.
Posted in brand.
This is the second part of three part series. Achieving the right mix of keywords to pursue should not be solely left to the devices of what “we” think. In working with clients, it is common for the client to understand their business and products really well. But there may be multiple opportunities that the client can’t see because they’re so close to the business.
The infographic I’ve included here depicts other useful methods to capture keyword opportunities. Such as: what other companies in your space are doing and what customers are conversing about on social media sites.
Once you’ve identified a comprehensive list, you can run it through analytical software to produce popularity and search metrics. Now, you’ve got the beginnings of good keyword strategy.
Stay tuned for part three.
Advanced Keyword Research
Posted in Search Engine Optimization.
Here’s an article about a small tool & manufacturing organization that used SEO to its advantage, click here. What’s interesting about the article is that is points to how content drives results. This is true. Creating and leveraging content is the key to long term success.
I’ve also provided an infographic that speaks to the usefulness of developing a strategy and keyword plan before moving ahead. Plan wisely and execute.
Understanding your customer's buying behavior
Posted in Search Engine Optimization.
Sales people are great tap dancers. They can sell under the worst of circumstances. Unfortunately, even the best of us get sore feet. Whether you’re selling a product, service or solution it pays to have a website that can sell for you.
Your company site has the ability to be your #1 sales person, your #1 persuasion piece, your chief PR vehicle, etc… Most manufacturing companies I’ve met and worked with over the years have trashed their own company websites but yet remain in a trench of inaction.
We developed a comprehensive website for a manufacturer called Miller Welding a couple of years ago. They believed in having their full potential realized on the web, which resulted in 2 very large multi-million dollar contracts. There was nothing more their sales people could say to convince these customers. But the new website became the tipping point. A full expression of their brand & story, people, processes, capabilities, solutions, facilities & technologies.
Start today and stop the exhaustive dance. Be proud of your website and build it with its full potential realized.
Posted in sales.
There are many things manufacturing companies can do to compete more effectively. Most improvements are inward looking like operational efficiencies rather than outward improvements towards the marketplace. Mike Collins gets it right with recent books like: “The Manufacturer’s Guide to Business Marketing” Having worked for years on creating strategic eMarketing visions for these companies, I can say that they do a lot of things well but marketing isn’t one of them.
So, where to begin? Most companies I meet have yet to articulate the most compelling asset they own; their brand story. What is your brand story and why is it so unique? What are the compelling reasons why customers do business with you? What is so interesting about your people, processes and technology? What makes you stand tall above all competitors? These are all questions that should be asked before embarking on story development.
I believe that the best platform for launching this approach is from your very own corporate website. Over 85 % of business decision makers will go to your website first. You better get it right.
Posted in brand.
I just got back from speaking at the Ad Club of Toledo about best practices in email marketing. Sometime before my presentation, I met an individual from a large local manufacturing company. He had just been laid off as the Director of Marketing. What a shame. The department is now down to some junior channel marketing people that report directly to the VP Sales.
I bring this up not to bash sales executives but to force the issue once again that marketing is an engine of growth. Downsizing in a downturn can have negative consequences. Now, it is true that the end customer is feeling the pinch and that affects the whole chain of commerce. But I make this point to demonstrate that even though there may be less customers and less wallet today, that makes it even more important to maintain a fully staffed marketing machine in order to innovate, differentiate, focus on best customers & prospects, sell value, and create ongoing conversations with customers.
This is not the time to cut marketing. It has been well documented that brands that increase marketing activity during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.
Keep your marketing engine ticking.
Posted in eMarketing.
The sales story in most manufacturing b-b mfg. companies is driven mostly by sales people creating relationships and pounding the pavement. It’s an exhausting effort and one that needs to be re-evaluated. Which leads me to my main point.
What does it mean to be a marketing driven organization? We’ll first, it means having someone in the company who is solely responsible for the success and failure of marketing. Once established, it is imperative that marketing begin to work with Sales to develop a process for getting sales what it needs. Mainly, high quality leads. We can talk about CRM systems, lead scoring, lead nurturing and the like but that’s for another day.
What does this have to do with eMarketing? Most mid sized manufacturing companies and some large are not taking full advantage of eMarketing and all it has to offer. Now is the time for serious marketers to tweak and re-allocate budgets to move into the eMarketing channel more aggressively. Why? During these tight times, marketers need to turn (and are turning) to more cost effective and measurable forms of marketing activities. Email, search and more effective uses of websites.
In the end, it won’t make a bit of difference until someone is championing the marketing function.
Posted in Introduction.
B2B Credibility
Content is king in the eMarketing space. First, you’ve got to have an ongoing content generation machine working. Then leverage that content in multiple channels. Not only will you build credibility through great content, you’ll also gain credibility through top search placement.
Here are some key areas you’ll want to pursue as you rachet up the game.
Posted in brand.
