You’ve bought into creating and operating a digital marketing strategy for your manufacturing business. And you’re about to put all the pieces together.

Guest Blog by Todd Hockenberry, of Top Line Results and co-author of Inbound Organization

Guest Blog by Todd Hockenberry, of Top Line Results and co-author of Inbound Organization

The landscape of marketing among manufacturing companies is changing. If your company is still relying solely on outbound marketing (traditional advertising) by using print ads, trade shows, telemarketing and other costly tactics to generate new business by pushing messages outward – you are sure to experience something our partners at HubSpot call the “Oh S**T” Moment.

This is the moment when you realize that it is not only people looking for a Black Friday deal, a new phone or an electronic item that use Google for their search. Did you know that over 90% of B2B buyers (including those researching new manufacturing equipment and services) start their research online? If your potential customers can’t find you, they may find your competitor. And there is that moment…

Guest Blog by Todd Hockenberry, of Top Line Results and co-author of Inbound Organization

Guest Blog by Todd Hockenberry, of Top Line Results and co-author of Inbound Organization

To create predictable revenue growth, manufacturing companies need to change their thinking about how they view buyers. The old formula of hiring a salesperson, going to the same trade shows, knocking on prospects doors, and cold calling no longer works to build a predictable revenue stream. Buyers, and the way they find information, evaluate options, consider vendor choices, and make decisions have changed. Has your thinking about buyers changed accordingly? We hear a lot of talk about buyers changing but we have seen little evidence that manufacturing companies have changed to meet buyers where they are today.

There have been many reports published over the years claiming to know the answer to manufacturers’ most burning marketing question: What content channel is most effective for my business? The challenge with deciphering these reports is that the data is inconsistent. Some reports claim direct email is the most effective channel for manufacturers, others say LinkedIn and even more recommend sticking to in-person events like trade shows. The inconsistencies can make a B2B marketer’s head spin. In actuality, just like B2C businesses, manufacturing customers and prospects are very different from company to company. Here are a few important steps to take to identify your most effective channels and produce the best content for each.

Creating a lead-generating ebook can be especially challenging for manufacturers given the complexity of their products and services. Understanding the unique challenges and interests of key personas for a particular product group is the first step to developing valuable content and determining a direction for a design that appeals to the reader. At the start of the ebook development process, it’s important to keep in mind that regardless of the ebook’s theme, its ability to teach, inspire and motivate are the ultimate elements for success.