Manufacturers have struggled with finding value in social media. That’s understandable, considering the stereotype of their target audience; suppliers, engineers, CEOs and other potential partners do not seem to like social media frequenters. But that myth is being busted right now on the web. At the end of the day, these are people. And people personally engage in social media everyday.
It’s no secret that the world has gone social. It’s driving our personal and professional interactions every day. Manufacturing is at a tipping point where social media will become the major differentiator, with research being the biggest motivator. That’s right, your audience uses social media to research. To find new, better, more efficient ways to do things. Don’t you want to be a part of that online conversation and to be viewed as a cutting-edge expert in your industry?
Here’s a checklist to get your started:
- Research your audience. Understand what problems they may have and how your products provide the best solution. Research what types of content they respond to best and develop your strategy around it. In manufacturing, videos tend to go over really well. It gives your audience a visual feel of your quality. Case studies and how-to’s are additionally popular with engineers and designers.
- Set goals. In order to determine the ROI on your social strategy, you need to start with quantifiable goals. These may be number of leads, closes sales, new followers and social interactions. Keep in mind these goals will be analyzed and reconfigured as your strategy evolves, so prepare to be flexible.
- Develop a content strategy. Once you have clearly defined who your target audience is, where they hang out online, what questions they are searching for answers to and the best way they like their content, it’s time to start developing it. Keep the content less about you and more about what they are interested in. This is a mind shift for many companies and traditional marketers who are familiar with pushing their product and message out to their audience. Test your content productivity rate with your in-house team then consider hiring outside help if you can’t keep up with the pace.
- Allow time for analysis. If your business is relatively new to social media, the first 6-9 months will be spent simply developing a brand presence online. Amazing, viral marketing doesn’t happen overnight. There is a science to it and your business is no exception. Allow yourself time for the brand to grow, and be sure to analyze and measure the success on a monthly basis. Big numbers aren’t always an accurate description of the quality of your online strategy. Understand what the data means and use it for improvement.
Social media and digital marketing offer a great opportunity for manufacturers to evolve their lead generation initiatives and embrace their audience online. Your business will establish credibility, thought knowledge, leadership and integrity with a well-executed strategy. Ready to get started? Contact one of our Inbound Strategists today to talk discuss your move into social and digital marketing!
